Provençal vineyards are conditioned by their climate, which is characterised by low rainfall and the mistral, the strong north wind that purifies the atmosphere and limits parasites.
For these reasons, planting density (2.5 m’ per vine) is suited to the soil's moisture potential. The vines are pruned short, generally using the double cordon technique, to ensure even distribution of the bunches in the fruit-bearing zone and limited production, which guarantees the products' concentration.
Finally, due to the Mediterranean climate, the soils are very low in organic matter, a characteristic specific to the Provençal terroir. A large majority of the vineyard is treated with organic manure from sheep farms in La Crau, in Bouches-du-Rhône, near the vineyard.
‘Château La Gordonne has harvested all of its grapes at night, using machines, for nearly 20 years. We started harvesting some grapes by hand in 2008. By harvesting under the moonlight, we make the most of the cool night-time temperatures since we are so close to the sea. During the day, the temperature can easily exceed 35°C in the shade of the vine leaves. In August and September, the Mediterranean climate helps the grapes soak up sunlight to stock up on complex fruity, floral, and spicy flavours.
At night, these notes take on a more sophisticated nature. After 11 pm, the temperature drops rapidly, falling below 20°C after midnight. Then, the grapes are cool, and their flavours are naturally protected from oxidation, and we can start harvesting, in the cool night air. We taste the berries to get a sense of the grapes' full flavour and aroma.
Fermentation helps make wines with great finesse. It occurs in clear juices, so first the juices must be clarified, which means eliminating the large particles from the skins and the pulp... The alcoholic fermentation process takes place at a low temperature, to preserve the varietal and ferment aromas as much as possible. The wine is kept in stainless steel or coated cement vats to preserve the rosés' qualities. Rosé wines, such as the Cirque des Grives cuvée, are raised on fine lees.
The skin is the only part of the grape to contain coloured pigments. The wines' colour is determined by the length of contact between the grape skins and pulp during maceration. But different varietals have varying degrees of anthocyanins, the substances that give grapes their colour.
The choice of varietal is therefore very important to a rosé's final colour. The chosen winemaking method also plays an important role in colour. Wines made through direct pressing are very pale in general, often referred to as ‘flesh’ or ‘salmon’-coloured. For saignéewines, maceration time plays a key role in colour, with intensity increasing the longer the pulp and skins are in contact. Finally, the diversity of the Provençal terroir also explains the extensive colour variation in the region's rosés.