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MODERN TECHNIQUES
IN THE SERVICE OF ANCESTRAL METHODS
The vineyard is in organic conversion contract controlled by Ecocert.
It is between September 15 and October 15 the annual harvest takes place only for harvesting as the grapes mature, giving them a higher quality.
In the cellar, the material consists of a pneumatic press and seven large tanks stacked stainless steel and thermo-vinification for Whites and Rosés. The Reds are produced by fermentation using the methods of traditional vinification in oak casks of 350 liters each. The grapes are processed by gravity from a sorting table, and all are de-stemmed and lightly crushed and then they undergo a maceration at low temperature before the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation.
The rugged layout of the restanques, the terraces on which the vine grows (with a difference in altitude of 180 metres), maintains the winemaking tradition. All maintenance - deleafing (‘vendanges vertes’) and grape picking (‘vendanges’) - is done by hand. The silica-limestone soil is favourable to wine production: ‘poudingue’, a conglomerate of clay, sand and pebbles, rich in mineral elements and able to filter the precipitation from Mediterranean rainstorms. At an altitude of some 300 metres above sea level, the temperature is milder than down in the Var Valley. The slopes of the estate are swept alternately by wind from the mountains - tramontane - and wind from the sea, creating a very propitious and exceptionally wholesome microclimate.
The estate is farmed rationally to obtain very low yield, on the order of 35 hectolitres per hectare (14 hl per acre).
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The wines are very typical of the AOC Bellet due to its particular grapes varieties as well as its softened climat by the closeness of the sea and always windy due to the proximity of the Mercantour mountain range and to its grounds stemming constituted by the agglomerate of clay, sand and rolled pebbles, rich in mineral elements.
All three ‘Domaine de Toasc’ AOC (‘appellation contrôlée’) wines are ideally suited for the rich culinary tradition of Nice.
White AOC Bellet : 90% Rolle and 10% Chardonnay, two of the most outstanding vine stocks, produce a dry aromatic, very floral wine with a touch of honey and a final citrus fruit taste . It should be served chilled, but not iced, before meals, with fish or Mediterranean cuisine.
Rosé AOC Bellet : 60% Braquet and 40% Grenache grant the pale salmon colour, floral aroma of fine complexity thanks to the iodine touch of Braquet. This is a gastronomic wine par excellence, tasty and gouleyant (lively), to serve at a temperature of 10°/11°C (50°/52°F).
Red AOC Bellet : 65% Folle Noire, 30% Grenache and 5% Braquet, plus some twelve months in oak casks, give this vintage its ‘light ruby’ colour, fresh ripe red-berry aroma with a finish of fine silky tannins of excellent consistency. This wine is racy and refined, worthy of the best vintages and capable of ageing perfectly. It is ideal with tasty meat and sauces and the cheese of southern France.
Many guides, including Hachette, recommend the wines of the Domaine. They have achieved gold, silver and bronze medals at prestigious competitions such as the General Agricultural Competition, the contest of Vignerons Independent or the Mondial du Rosé.
The estate also produces a ‘Vin de Pays des Alpes Maritimes’ in all three colours, with distinctive labels designed by the famous local artist Ben. Under the name ‘Lou Vin d’Aqui’ (the wine from here), these three wines are brimming with joy, sunshine and conviviality for the summer.
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