Whites and rosés wines
At Domaine des Bormettes, most of the white and rosé harvest is done mechanically by night. This nocturnal harvesting helps us to maximize the aromatic potential of the grapes, reduce color extraction, and moderate the use of sulfer. Harvesting machines are now considered essential in the making of Provence rosés.
Grapes are then immediately brought to the winery, centrally located in the vineyard. This harvest is chilled when it arrives, going through a heat exchanger, which brings the temperature down to 12 degrees Celsius. Then, after a short maceration, the harvest is slowly pressed using pneumatic presses. This method allows a slow and precise selection of juices. The Domaine owns two presses: one of 100 hectoliters and one of 50 hectoliters.
The juices are then cold racked for about 48h(around 10°celsius) before being put in fermenting tanks. The Domaine owns a bourbes filter which extracts especially clear and aromatic juices. These pressed juices are then reintegrated with the free-run juices according to their corresponding varieties.
Fermentation is done with a controlled temperature, usually between 15 and 18 degrees Celsius. Each grape is worked differently according to the results of tastings and analysis, with early but measured mixtures, in order to emphasize the best structure of each wine.
At the end of fermentation, most of the wines are aged in concrete tanks, allowing the fine particles to settle. They are rarely bottled before the month of February of the following year.
Reds
Almost all the grapes used for red wine are harvested by hand for an optimal selection. No matter the vintage, our goal is to have smooth tannins, so we use gentle extraction, almost like an infusion. At the end of the maceration, the free-run juices and the press juices are separated. The aging process then begins in our concrete tanks. In our wines, the spicy and almost roasted flavors come from the maturity of the grape : we seldomly use oaking. The fruit, the freshness, and the elegance are our first priority.
