Château Rouquette

                                                     Ageing the Wine                            

In 2000 we completed the restoration of a building  for the storage of barrels (see photos). From the 2000 vintage the wine was barrel aged. The building is air-conditioned, and kept at a constant 16 degrees, with a system to circulate the air to avoid any bad odors. 

Only our first wine, Chateau Rouquette, is put in barrels. Bel Air de l'Orme is aged in our concrete vats.

Barrels

After the malolactic fermentation is finished, we transfer the wine into barrels. This usually takes place in November or December. 

Chateau Rouquette is kept for a year in oak barrels. A combination of  new and one year old barrels are used from different coopers (see our March 2007 newsletter for details). Until 2003 three quarters of the barrels were French, a quarter American. From the 2004 vintage we used mainly French barrels from 3 different coopers. Although more expensive than American, we have found the French oak  provides better integration of the tannins and fruit. The wine is tasted at least every 3 months and, if necessary, racked to clean the barrels.

Bottle Storage

After bottling we now transfer the wine to an specialised entrepot near us, where the temperature is maintained at 14 degrees C. The labeling and shipping to clients is carried out from there.

We usually keep the wine for 3-4 years after the vintage before releasing it. Rouquette tends to be a tannic wine which is typically only ready for drinking about 3-4 years after the harvest. It will continue maturing for more years than a typical Bordeaux Supérieur.