Terra Vita Vinum: Wines
The fruit is picked by hand and transported to the cellars in small cagettes. Once arrived the bunches are delivered to a newly installed reception area. The reds go directly into the vats, while the white varieties are pressed using a Williams pneumatic press. The white juices are fermented principally in stainless steel vats, with élevage in a mix of vessels, including terracotta jarres and 600-litre barrels. I was surprised to here of Bénédicte’s preference for terracotta over the more commonly encountered stoneware, because I tend to find terracotta has an oxidative influence, but Bénédicte Petit finds the results with stoneware too reductive. This is at odds with her preferences in barrels, where she favours larger barrels for their thicker staves.
While the portfolio of wines includes at least a couple of cuvées which are made in conventional as well as version libre styles (the latter is a no-added-sulphites version) Bénédicte says she is committed to the use of sulphites. I find this approach eminently sensible; the sulphite-free version is there for you if you value that, but most of the cuvées have been protected.
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