If you pick up one of our bottles and turn it over to read the back here is the translation of what it says, what we want you to know about our wines:
" All of our wines are the fruit of old fashioned working methods. We prefer to work by hand always focused on a clean quality product. We do not use herbicides nor insecticides and avoid all chemical treatments. Our vines are raised in a manner in that our children can freely play amongst them and eat their fruit with out any risks. We choose to work a small surface and production for a better quality wine."
When we say 'all' of our vines....we mean all of our vines, we do not have a few select vineyards that we rear in a particularly thoughtful method and then use machinery, chemicals etc for the rest. We have chosen to work a small surface in order to work each vine in the labour intensive manner we deem necessary in order to produce high quality wines. A good wine starts with a good healthy vine and that vine requires a good healthy soil. We are seriously dedicated to rearing the best grapes we can each step of the way. All of our grapes are harvested by hand and if the vintage demands our grapes are sorted selecting only the best bunches. In the cellar Christophe's vigilance and passion continues. The grapes are pressed by a manual press in order to preserve flavours by not over pressing, the wines ferment in concrete cuves, perfect for temperature regulation and aged in resin tanks or oak barrels depending on the wine. In all cases in every step of our wine making quality always comes ahead of quantity.
and so drum roll please....more on our three wines below, highlighted is my totally un-professional(but very practised!) opinion of each of our wines.
La Benita
year : 2009
variety : grenache
# bottles : 6000
This rich fruity wine is made from 100% grenache grapes that grow at the top a south facing hill surrounded by forest and *garrigue. The grapes are harvested by hand and at full maturity giving the wine its strong flavours of fruit and hints of spice.
The vinification is traditional, with stalks at a temperature of 28°C. A period of fermentation and maceration lasts for 18 days after the harvest.La Benita is best served decanted at a temperature of 18°C.
La Benita can be aged for up to 7 years.
*garrige-the wild scrub land of southern France
e down yet! I love my little La Benita moments, like a quiet glass while I am cooking dinner or a silky summer evening sharing a bottle with friends in the court yard.
La Boufanelle
year : 2009variety: shiraz/grenache/cinsault
# bottles : 2000
The grapes from this rich and velvety wine grow on a small hill overhanging a pond. The vineyard is bordered by pine forest to the south east and is exposed north west.
Boufanelle isn't a word easily found in a dictionary, it being neither really french nor occitain but 'patois' from the local dialect. It is a beautifully made bunch of pruned wood from the vines. It used to be common place to take the wood out of the vines in these bunches and use it as fire starter or wood for the bbq through the year. Well we still do take the wood out of the vines, some of it we burn through the year and some of it we compost. This wine is so beautifully named for it has a naturally slight woody flavour. The fruit from the grenache is layered by the heavy shiraz to produce a wonderful velvety wine perfect for a winter stew or evening around the fire.
The grapes are harvested by hand at full maturity.
The wine making is traditional, with stalks at a temperature of 28°C. A period of fermentation and maceration lasts for 20 days after the harvest.
The wine making is traditional, with stalks at a temperature of 28°C. A period of fermentation and maceration lasts for 20 days after the harvest.
La Boufanelle is a blend of Shiraz and 30% Grenache (la Benita)
La Boufanelle is best served decanted at a temperature of 18°C. and can be aged for up to five years.
Boufanelle isn't a word easily found in a dictionary, it being neither really french nor occitain but 'patois' from the local dialect. It is a beautifully made bunch of pruned wood from the vines. It used to be common place to take the wood out of the vines in these bunches and use it as fire starter or wood for the bbq through the year. Well we still do take the wood out of the vines, some of it we burn through the year and some of it we compost. This wine is so beautifully named for it has a naturally slight woody flavour. The fruit from the grenache is layered by the heavy shiraz to produce a wonderful velvety wine perfect for a winter stew or evening around the fire.
Escapade
year : 2010variety: cinsault
# of bottles : 2500
Escapade is made from 100% censault grapes grown on a small isolated vineyard lined by a small wood and river.
The grapes are harvested by hand at full maturity.
Cinsault gives a very fine, light and fruity wine often used in the production of rosé.
The wine making is traditional, with out stalks at a temperature of 26°C. A period of fermentation and maceration lasts for 15 days producing a fresh wine that can be consumed young.
Escapade is best served decanted at a temperature of 18°C and can be aged for up to five years.
As much as I fell instantly head over heals with La Benita Escapade took it's time with me, we shyly flirted with one each other the first few tastings. Being a total wine tasting novice (i am getting better) I had never tasted anything quite like this wine, it is light and fruity and absolutely delicious. Censault is a variety generally used to make rose, it produces a light and fresh red wine. It's lightness is by no means a trade off for intense sometimes peppery flavours. Escapade goes very well with spices, curry's and chillies making this a truly perfect adventure.
for more information, or to order one of our wines you can contact us by mail at lacombedujardinier@free.fr or through our website www.lacombedujardinier.com or come
by the tasting room for a chat and a taste.
12 rue bacchus 34210 Beaufort France.
