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The Human Aspect
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The
Red Wine
The rules which govern the viticulture and winemaking at Château
Les Charmes Godard and at Château La Prade are the same
as those at Château Puygueraud and are inspired by those
used by Nicolas Thienpont at the properties he manages in
Saint Emilion.
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| Nicolas Thienpont’s other sites |
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The
White Wine
In a very short period of time, the dry white wine produced by Les
Charmes Godard has earned an enviable reputation and a place amongst
the great whites of Bordeaux. At the start of the 20th century,
the Côtes de Francs were well-known for their white wines,
both dry and sweet. It is the dominance of Semillon (70%) that separates
this wine from the standard we have come to expect from the Sauvignons
of Bordeaux. |
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Work in the vineyard begins
with pruning, in order to control yields, followed by de-budding
in spring and then leaf-thinning and green harvest during the summer,
the aim being to keep the bunches well-aired and free from disease.
A good level of maturity is looked for, with even the Sauvignon
Gris (15%) reaching a certain over-maturity with notes of candied
fruit preferred to those of boxwood.
The grapes are hand-harvested and sorted, then pressed in a pneumatic
press. The extracted juice undergoes a first sedimentation (without
the use of enzymes), followed by a second, to obtain a must of average
turbidity.
Inoculated with yeast, the must is put into barrel to undergo fermentation
between 18 and 25°C. The careful use of new oak (about 25%)
adds structure to the wine without damaging its fruit character.
At the end of alcoholic fermentation, the wine remains on its lees,
which are stirred regularly (as necessary), for up to eight months.
Malolactic fermentation is avoided and it is, as always, regular
tasting which decides how long the wine remains in barrel.
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