With this wine, we have put all our traditional savoir-faire into the crafting of a prestigious Côtes du Rhône. This is an elegant wine with a typically big character, which celebrates the traditional grape variety, the king of the Southern Rhône Valley: Grenache Noir.  In order for this varietal to express its full potential, the soil is worked sustainably with a rigorous pruning of the vine in the winter and green harvesting and leaf thinning to reduce the yield. The grapes are harvested when they reach the right level of maturity.

Appearance – Deep red hue with slightly tile-red tints.

Nose – In its early youth, the nose is fresh and very open with aromas of small stone fruit. After a few years of ageing, it acquires aromas of fruit in brandy, spice (pepper, thyme) and garrigue scrubland.

Palate – Soft, silky, full and elegant with very fine tannins. Notes of undergrowth and liquorice accompany aromas of wild red fruit and black cherries on the end-palate.

LOCATION

The grapes are sourced from small wine producers in the Rhône Valley, all of whom have been working in partnership with Maison Brotte for several decades. The winemaking process is where Brotte shows all its savoir-faire and expertise when it comes to the regional grape varieties.

TERROIR

The selection of Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre provides complexity and concentration to a blend of mainly Grenache grapes that grow on well-exposed clay-limestone and sandy soils.

VINIFICATION & AGEING

Vinification is traditional: after a light crushing, the grapes go into a lined concrete tank with the temperature at a constant 28°-30°C where they remain for 15 to 20 days. Two pumping over operations per day, rack and return and a stirring of the lees (bâtonnage) are carried out during the alcoholic fermentation. The malolactic fermentation is followed by 8 to 12 months of ageing in 100-year-old oak foudres and concrete tanks. Bottling takes place in the autumn or winter of the year following the harvest.

SERVING

Serve at 17°C.

FOOD PAIRINGS

Enjoy with a fresh mushroom omelette, a fillet of beef, a homemade burger, veal stew or couscous. Try it with a creamy cow’s cheese such as Romans d’Isère

Name: Esprit

Brand: Brotte – La Collection

Classification: AOC Côtes du Rhône

Type: Red

Region: Rhône Valley (France)

Grape Varieties: A majority of Grenache Noir complemented, depending on the vintage, by Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre.