Thirty five years ago we cleared a 2,8ha triangle of land previously ignored, because it was not “good” enough. Too rocky and nearly too steep, infested with thorns, with the odd abandoned ox wagon under some trees. It was Cabernet Sauvignon and our thirst for it that drove us to this forsaken place.

Our vines did grow, struggling at first – virtually no soil, roots had to creep past rocks; they took much longer to bear than others, but eventually did. The miracle was in the fruit. Tiny berries – intense in colour and flavour, this meagre crop was vinified in the traditional way. No crushing of berries, no yeast but that from their skins, no fining- additives and no filters. Wine made by itself, kept for two years in the best new French-oak barrels, fit for this wonder.

Finally we could bottle, but the agony was not yet over. After three more years’ wait for maturation in bottles we reluctantly released the first Méthode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 vintage. So long had we lived with this wine, that to trade it for money was painful. It was a piece of our history, our passion, labour and luck we were selling. It is our finest expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the best we can do. Will age for another 15-20 years.

How the wine is made:  Harvested at full seed ripeness Cold macerated uncrushed in open fermenters for 10 days Punched through 3 times daily Fermented uncrushed in 100% new Seguin Moreau 300l barrels 100% spontaneous Malolactic fermentation in barrel 24 Months barrel maturation 4 years bottle maturation at 14°C Maturation 2 years new barrel maturation, 4 years bottle maturation Bottling Unfiltered, unfined, unstabilised Analysis Alcohol: 13.20% Sugar: 2.8 g/L FSO2: 40mg/L at bottling Total acidity: 6.0 g/L pH: 3.60 Terroir Slope: Very gentle, southerly Soil: Very rocky, 70% quartz, 30% soluble Climate: Moderate summer with low night temperatures, cold winter Wind: South Easterly (summer)