Viticulture

The Agly Brothers vineyard, a tiny 3-hectare plot of bush vines, was established in 1902 on soils of glacial remains originating from the nearby Pyrénées in the upper reaches of the Agly Valley . Situated at an altitude of 800 ft, the vineyard is planted to Carignan and Shiraz , occupying the north-facing slopes of gneiss, and Grenache, favoring the south-facing schist and limestone slopes. Biodynamic principles have been adopted to allow the vineyard to recover from a likely regime of heavy fertilization over the last five decades.

The blend dictated for this region by AOC law specifies a maximum of 80% Carignan with the balance consisting of Grenache and Syrah. One of the most widely planted grapes in the world, Carignan is generally regarded as a producer of aggressive, tannic wines of no particular finesse. It is the belief of the Laughtons and Chapoutiers that, granted sufficient attention and care, this variety is capable of producing wines of great distinction.

Heathcote's treasured Cambrien soils are over 500 million years in age and occur in a narrow North/South strip between two parallel faults. Predominantly red/brown gravelly loam over a Basalt bed rock, the deep soils support low-vigor vine growth without the need for irrigation. Positioned at an elevation of 1000 feet, the Cambrien vineyards benefit from cool evenings which temper Heathcote's warm days, typical of this continental climate. Biodynamically farmed and dry-grown, these hand-tended vineyards are nurtured with the Laughtons' own organic compost, and naturally produce yields of around 1 ton per acre.

Winemaking

The shared winemaking philosophy focuses on preserving the inherent flavors and natural balance present in both wines. Minimal intervention is key, thus the wines are nurtured to find their own path, rather than interfered with. Acid adjustments, yeast additions and nutrients are not necessary, ferments run their natural course without cooling, malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously and the wines are bottled unfiltered. Put simply, the wines make themselves, resulting in a pure expression of terroir reflecting the two very unique regions from which they are borne.

In the upper Agly Valley in late September, dry-grown Carignan, Syrah and Grenache grapes are hand-harvested and sorted before being transferred to the winery where they are 100% destemmed. Winemaking techniques follow the biodynamic principles adopted in the vineyard, with fermentation carried out in small cement tanks and soft pigeage practiced for optimum extraction. Extended maceration is employed for up to 4 weeks dependent upon tannin profile, and malolactic fermentation is completed in barrels. The wine is then matured in 1 to 3 year old French oak barriques for 16 to 20 months.

In the Southern Hemisphere, Cambrien Shiraz fruit is hand-harvested on a propitious biodynamic ‘fruit day' in late March, gently destemmed then fermented using indigenous yeast in open concrete vats. The lightly pressed wine is then cellared in Jasper Hill's underground cellars for 12 months in new French oak barriques of diverse cooperage, with one racking after spontaneous malolactic fermentation occurs.