Syrah – Grenache – Mourvèdre - Merlot
Domaine La Garelle produces four red wines: Merlot (100% merlot) as a Pays de Vaucluse (IGP), the Cuvée du Solstice (50% syrah, 50% grenache), the Réserve (60% syrah, 40% grenache) and the Grande Réserve (70% syrah, 30% grenache) as AOP Luberons.
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The choice of grape varieties, the selection of plots as well as the types of vinification and maturation determine the distinct characteristics of our red wines.
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The grapes are worked by variety and by plot for the same variety. The moment the grapes arrive at the winery they are removed from their stems and the best grapes are sorted by hand.
The grapes are then vatted for the maceration phase of 14 to 21 days where the grapes leach in their own juice.
The first juice is extracted and the solids (pulp and seeds) are gently squeezed in our pneumatic press. This juice is put back into the vat to start its malolactic fermentation.
During this critical period of the transformation of our wines, we monitor them from day to day and analyse their evolution vat by vat.
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With this last fermentation completed, the Cuvée du Solstice and the Merlot finish maturing in stainless élevage in steel vats. We put our Réserve and Grande Réserve cuvées into French oak barrels for six to 12 months and bottling happens in August.
Syrah – Grenache – Merlot
The Domaine de La Garelle produces two rosé wines: Merlot/Syrah (40% merlot, 60% syrah) for the IGP Vaucluse appellation and the Cuvée du Solstice (60% syrah, 40% grenache) as an AOP Luberon.
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It is in the first hours of the morning that the grapes for the production of rosés are harvested. Everything is organised so that the pressing is done the moment they reach the cave.
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Rosé wines are not a mixture of red and white wine and in fact they are quite delicate wines to make, and it is the art of the winemaker to achieve harmonious and balanced vintages.
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Our rosés are a blend of 15% saignée juice (the first liquid extracted from the red varieties) and 85% juice from the direct squeezing of the grapes.
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The juices destined for the rosés undergo the same transformation phases as for the white wines: settling in a refrigerated environment, alcoholic fermentation, racking off the lees and then ageing in refrigerated stainless steel vats.
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Then it is up to Frédéric Blanc to blend the pressed wines and the saignée wines, to give the La Garelle rosés the beautiful notes of red fruit and English sweets that characterise them.
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As with the vinification of white wines, it is the careful monitoring of the vats and our ability to anticipate their evolution that enable us to produce these rosés with their delicate and elegant flavours, reflecting Provence.
Please note: rosés should not be served too cool, so as to preserve the fullness of their aromas.
Viognier – Vermentino – Roussanne – Chardonnay
As with the rosé wines, the harvest of La Garelle's white grape varieties begins in the early hours of the morning.
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The freshly picked grapes are pressed as quickly as possible to preserve the finesse and richness of the aromas of our grape varieties. The bunches of grapes poured into the pneumatic press are squeezed gently, then more strongly, in cycles based on the cépage and quality of the harvested grapes.
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The resulting grape juice is then transferred to our refrigerated vats for the settling operation, which clarifies of the juice by decanting the suspended solids.
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After settling the clean grape juice is transferred to the vats and alcoholic fermentation begins. This is where Frédéric Blanc's expertise comes into play: for each harvest he works to maintain the constant balance of aromas and flavours that is characteristic of the wines of our estate. This allows each vat to properly express its qualities and personality.
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Our floral wines (Viognier and Chardonnay/Vermentino) are aged on the lees in traditional vats. The white AOP (Vermentino and Roussanne) will finish its maturing in French oak barrels for four months with regular stirring. Throughout the winter, our wines are monitored, tasted and analysed to ensure each barrel or vat reveals its full potential.
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Thanks to this supervision, we are able to carry out the gentlest possible filtration before bottling, and thus optimise the full richness of the aromas obtained.
