1997 Leroy Les Vignerondes

Making the most careful selection by hand of the grapes when picking, the grapes are brought to the cave in small baskets in refrigerated trucks. The grapes are then carefully sorted on two large sorting tables (not moving conveyor belts) with many eyes watching carefully, to choose only the best and healthiest grapes. Fermentation in large wooden barrel without any de-stemming or crushing to avoid any oxidation and to preserve the precious native yeasts which are present on the skins of the grapes. “Pigeage” (pushing down the cap). “Remontage” consists of moving the fermenting juice from under the cap and bringing it on top of the cap. Slow fermentation and a long maceration.

After pressing the wine, the wines go down to the first underground cave. Here they stay until the end of their malo-lactic fermentation. After pouring the juice off of the lees, (“soutirage a la sapine”—when no pumps are used only gravity); the wines then go down to the second, deeper and colder cellar. This is where they stay until they are bottled.