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Chateau de Pitray label
Chateau de Pitray bottle

Chateau de Pitray 2012

Red Wine

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Item# 10038-12

Maturing

After running-off and pressing the wine-making process is completed by malolactic fermentation. Racking of the must and sulphating follow. Then the maturing process begins, in vats or in oak casks, until the wine is bottled 18 months later.
Maturing in vats :
For wine matured in vats, repeated racking is carried out, the wine is then fined with egg-white before blending (respecting the ratio between Merlot and Cabernet).
Maturing in oak casks :
Wine matured in barrels is casked partly in December, partly in early spring. 12 months later, the totality is returned to vats for fining and for completion of the maturing process.
One in three oak casks is renewed every year. The entire crop is château-bottled.

Soil composition

The Pitray vineyards are located on the plateau of Gardegan, which enjoys a favourable southern exposure. The parcelles stand on a variety of clay-limestone top soils, the sub-soil being a continuation of Saint- Emilion’s eastern calcareous floor.

The wine making

The grapes are de-stemmed and sorted before being brought to the fermentation tanks.
For the Merlot grape, natural yeast fermentation begins after a period of 4 to 8 days. The wine is then pumped up twice a day for the first days, then once a day until maceration is completed, lasting 18 to 30 days depending on the years.
For Cabernet Franc, the pre-fermentation period is shorter. Maceration follows for 15 to 20 days, while pumping up in the same way as for the Merlots. During this period, temperatures are maintained below 30° C. The wine ‘vin de goutte’ is then run off, and separated from the ‘vin de presse’ which is made from pressing the grapeskins. Each parcelle of vines, of which there are many, is vinifed separately.