Domaine des Forges: Wines
Because a significant part of the portfolio at Domaine des Forges is sweet wines, the yields are naturally low, with less than 25 hl/ha across the entire domaine being typical. As a general rule the fruit is hand-picked in several tries, up to three or four would be quite normal. Interestingly, this is true of both dry and sweet wines.
The Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernets are fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel vats, subterranean cuves or in barrels. The Chenin Blanc, meanwhile, is vinified in small parcels, on a plot-by-plot basis, either in vats or in 400-litre barrels aged between one and three years. These wines may undergo partial malolactic fermentation, as well as time on the lees, possibly with bâtonnage. The exact process depends to some extent on the cuvée.
There is a single cuvée named L’Audace produced, from dedicated parcels, as described on the previous page. The fruit is harvested by hand just as the ripe grapes begin to show the first signs of botrytis; this is the poil de lièvre (hare fur) stage, when the grapes are covered in small black dots, but are free of advanced botrytis attack. Grapes at this stage are selected through the carrying out of three or four tries, the freshly-picked fruit put through both alcoholic and then malolactic fermentations. The élevage takes place over 11 months in 400-litre barrels, the wine held here on the lees, with regular bâtonnage.
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