Manual Grape Harvest

For Chateau Pas de Loup’s Cremant wine it is required by the appellation that the grapes are picked by hand.

A team of workers will assemble at the foot of a parcel of vines and with hand secateurs and hand buckets will carefully select bunches of grapes and snip them off into his or her bucket. A team leader will then collect these buckets and empty them into a ‘pallox’ which will contain up to 180kg of grapes and these are then loaded onto a vine tractor which in turn loads them onto an articulated trailer capable of loading 60 pallox’s.

One of the reasons Cremant must be hand picked is that the whole bunch, including the stem, must be pressed in its entirety to create the must. An advantage of this is that grapes can be picked throughout the day as oxidization is not an issue as the berries remain whole, unlike when harvested by machine and many will bust letting the juice escape.

The grapes for Cremant are harvested earlier than for still wine, with a potential alcohol content of 11 degrees and a higher total acidity of 6.5g/l (H2SO4/l) this is to allow for the second fermentation in bottle where additional alcohol will be produced and acidity consumed.

Grape Pressing

Pressing is the process where the juice is extracted from the grapes with the aid of a wine press, by hand, or even by the weight of the grape berries and clusters. Historically, from ancient through to Roman times intact grape clusters were trodden by foot to extract the juice. Then in the 19th Century basket presses were invented where the berries where loaded into a ring of vertical staves with gaps then a wooden plate is lowered down over the grapes and a ratchet is used to slowly apply pressure to the grapes.

Today at Chateau Pas de Loup we use a pneumatic press where the grapes are loaded from the top in batches of 4 tonnes that will through the process produce 20 hectolitres of must. Inside a pneumatic press is a membrane mounted on one side of the press horizontally between the two ends. On the opposite end is a drain screen that allows the released juice to drain through into the waiting press pan. A pre-programmed cycle applies external pressure by pumping pressurized air that gradually inflates the membrane that gently presses the grapes against the drain screen. The advantage of this style of press is the gentle pressure and minimal movement of the grapes, which minimizes the amount of tearing and scouring of the skins and seeds. This limits the amount of suspended solids and extracted phenolics in the pressed wine. Also, as the press is fully enclosed it reduces exposure to the air and any potential oxygenation.

The membrane beings pressing very gently at around 0.1 bars but then gradually increases in steps to 2 bar of atmospheric pressure, then returns to 0.1 bar and step build back up again. For the Sauvignon the pressing takes 2.5hr per press cycle and for Rose 2 hours, the reason the time is slightly shorter for the Rose is to avoid too much colour being extracted into the final wine.

Approximately 60% of the available juice within the grape berry comes through as free-run juice, the remainder is released through the crushing process. During the process the wine maker has to be very careful to not over press the berries as the final juices will have higher pH levels, lower titratable acidity, potentially higher volatile acidity and higher phenolics than the free-run juice, all of which can produce a more astringent, bitter wine.

Winery

The winery is located in a limestone cave deep underground the vines behind the Chateau. Originally excavated for stone extraction to build the Chateau and its surrounding buildings, today it houses Chateau Pas de Loup’s winery.

The Cave produces a perfect 15oC year-round temperature ideal for making and stocking wine. All the tanks are made from high grade stainless steel which is inert to the chemical reactions through the wine making and storing process. The main bank of tanks consists of 4 tanks each with a capacity of 45 hectolitres (each tank holds the equivalent of 6,000 bottles !). To compliment this there are a range of tanks with floating lids including 30 and 20 hectolitre capacities and a range of smaller 10 hectolitre tanks.

The other primary equipment consists of a wine pump with piping, a wine refrigeration unit, testing equipment and a karcher high pressure cleaner.

Wine Making

Archaeological evidence suggests that the Romans planted the first vineyards in the Loire Valley during their settlement of Gaul in the 1st century AD. By the 5th century, the flourishing viticulture of the area was noted in a publication by the poet Sidonius Apollinaris.

In his work the History of the Franks, Bishop Gregory of Tours wrote of the frequent plundering by the Bretons of the area's wine stocks. By the 11th century the wines of Sancerre had a reputation across Europe for their high quality. In the High Middle Ages, the wines of the Loire Valley were the most esteemed wines in England and France, even more prized than those from Bordeaux.

The concept of Terroir, which refers to the unique combination of natural factors associated with any particular vineyard, is important to French Vignerons. It includes such factors as soil, underlying rock, altitude, slope of hill or terrain, orientation toward the sun, and microclimate (typical rain, winds, humidity, temperature variations, etc.).

The Loire River has a significant effect on the mesoclimate of the region, adding the necessary extra few degrees of temperature that allows grapes to grow when the areas to the north and south of the Loire Valley have shown to be unfavourable to viticulture. The vineyards of Pas de Loup rest on gentle south facing coteau’s on soils of tuffeau limestone which lend a chalky and mineral quality to its wines a hallmark of Loire Valley wines.

Cremant Blanc

Chateau Pas de Loup’s award winning white sparkling wine is made from a blend of 60% Chenin Blanc, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Cabernet Franc.

The word “Crémant” is used on bottles of bubbly wine from France that are made outside the designated Champagne area, but that employ the same methods as those used in Champagne to make their wines sparkle. Several sparkling wine appellations in France were given the use of this word in the 1980s with an agreement that they would no longer use the term “méthode champenoise” on their labels. “Méthode champenoise” has now been replaced with the term “méthode traditionnelle,” or “traditional method.”

Crémant wines must adhere to other strict wine-making rules: the grapes must be picked by hand and whole bunch pressed, yields must not 70 hectolitres per hectare and the wine must age for at least 9 months on its lees before the wine must pass a compulsory tasting panel.

Following pressing, the wine undergoes its first fermentation to create what is known as the ‘vin de base’ which is the same process as producing a dry white wine. The wine is then poured into the bottle and a small amount of yeast and sugar added. This matures in a cool cellar where a second fermentation process begins and more alcohol and Carbon Dioxide are produced.

Because the bottles are sealed during this second fermentation, the Carbon Dioxide cannot escape and becomes trapped in the wine. While this fermentation is a slow process, it eventually leads to an increase of pressure within the bottle to six atmospheres.

During the second fermentation, the yeast eventually use up the available supply of nutrients and sugar and die. This marks the completion of the second fermentation and the beginning of the maturation process. Our Cremant is then aged for 18 months and this is when the true aromas and flavour of the Cremant come together. Decomposition of the dead yeast cells add interesting flavour nuances including the toastiness often associated with Cremant.

At this stage the dead yeast cells need to be removed while retaining the carbonation within the bottle. It involves tilting each bottle towards the neck and rotating it often to collect the yeast just under the cap. The tip of the neck is then flash frozen and the cap removed, the dead yeast cells and deposits removed and the final cork fitted.

The wine has a brilliant pale straw yellow robe, very fine bubbles forming a nice persistent crown. After swirling, its bouquet is an explosion of fruits with lively aromas of citrus zest, crunchy apple, fresh mint, freshly baked brioche and ground stone. On the palate, the first enticing impression is a tamed sparkle which caresses your tasting buds with lingering savours of fresh quince, pear, litchi and almonds. Beautiful finish enlivened by a fine mineral character.

To place an order, please contact reservations@azura-retreats.com.

Cremant Rose

The Cremant Rose is made with 100% Cabernet Franc, following the same careful two-year process as the Cremant Blanc.

A beautifully balanced wine with a brilliant robe showing delicate and subtle salmon-pink hues, with vibrant bubbles. On the nose the meeting of red berries as well as wild blue flowers of iris and violet, typical flavours of the Cabernet Franc. A pleasant hint of hazel nut and flavour of brioche comes from the secondary fermentation in bottle. On the palate it is soft, fresh and crisp with notes of acid drops and red berries reinforcing the impression of youth and temper its structural liveliness.

To place an order, please contact reservations@azura-retreats.com.

Rose de Loire

A dry Rose created from 80% Cabernet France and 20% Pineau d’Aunis, a grape varietal unique to the Loire Valley. The Rosé is produced using red grapes that are pressed after 24 hours of skin contact. This process called maceration where phenolics such as the anthocyanins and tannins that contribute to colour as well as many flavor components that leach from the skins, seeds and any stems left in contact with the must. In addition to adding color and flavor, these phenolics also serve as antioxidants, protecting the wine from degradation of oxygen exposure. The grapes are then pressed and the juice pumped to a tank for fermentation to then begin.

Chateau Pas de Loup’s rose has a clear robe, from pale pink with glints of grey, to raspberry pink with orangey hints. A very aromatic nose, with notes of small red fruits (strawberry, raspberry, redcurrant), of wild flowers and English candy. It is light, supple, delicate and refreshing on the palate.

To place an order, please contact reservations@azura-retreats.com.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc, literally translated as ‘’wild white’’ given its early origins as an indigenous grape in France, is one of the Loire’s most famous grape varieties. The parcel of vines from where the wine is produced is located on a bedrock of tuffeau limestone giving the wine it’s mineral complexity while its western facing position opposite the Chateau allows the grapes maximum exposure to the long summer days to produce a rounded soft maturity.

Chateau Pas de Loup’s Sauvignon Blanc, cuvee L’Etoile, is crisp, elegant and fresh with a balanced acidity. On the nose gooseberries, nettles, crushed blackcurrant leaves and litchi prevail, while on tasting a round butteryishness with hints of grapefruit, passionfruit and elderflower come through on the pallet.

To place an order, please contact reservations@azura-retreats.com.