Our expertise

VINIFICATION

We are the first one to practise carbonic maceratioin (whole grapes) in Corbières appellation and ageing in barrels.

For us, innovation means looking ahead, with thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks with a capacity of 150 hl, and looking back, with our traditional cement tanks with a capacity of 200 hl whose thermal inertia is legendary.

But more important than our equipment is how we use it. For example, every possible operation is gravity-fed; In fact, we designed the cellars to incorporate this advantage.

Ours are not technology-driven wines: our equipment helps us express our terroir, our grape varieties, our judiciously managed vineyards, and what nature grants us.

Vinifications at Fontsainte are a collaborative effort. Our oenologist, Claude GROS, is with us at every stage. With his advice, we continue to develop the knowledge of our grapes and how to extract the best from them.

AGEING CELLAR

In 2004, we inaugurated an ageing cellar with a capacity of 800 barrels, fitted with temperature, air purity and humidity controls. Currently, we use 200 French oak barrels. This new facility improves our ability to experiment with barrel ageing – to discover the optimal conditions for maturing our wines by trying out different staves.

However, we are no strangers to barrels – we pioneered their use in the Corbières – and we have nearly 35 years of experience with them.

Since the 2016 harvest, we have invested in 2 highest quality French oak casks with a capacity of 30 hl each.

Our wines are the result of strict vineyard practice and judicious oenological work. To achieve low yields and concentration of the fruit, we practise rigorous pruning as well as trellising, green harvesting, manual picking at optimum maturity using small amounts, and careful selection of the grapes.

In the vinification and ageing cellars, our oenologist Claude GROS advises us on the best methods to extract the aromas and flavours carefully nourished in the vineyard. This involves gentle pressing, vinification at controlled temperatures, and transfers by gravity, as well as an ageing cellar under atmospheric control and bottling at the estate.

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