Les Vignerons de Terrats Rivesaltes Ambre 2003

Winery Description

Geographical Location
Terrats: Land of legends
Not far from the banks of the rushing Cantarana, there once was a mysterious town by the name of Mirande. The legend goes that Mirande had for a long time been home to fairies and that during the times of King Arthur, it contained magnificent halls where Enchantresses lived. It was there, according to the legend, that they satisfied the joys and pleasures of the souls of the men that they took interest in.


Today, on this very territory, Terrats vintners lovingly grow their vines. Myth or legend, there is still a little bit of magic in these heavenly nectars from Terrassous.

History
Our cellar was founded in 1932 and today there are 70 vintners that cultivate the 700 hectares of our vineyards, combining an age-old craftsmanship with modern vineyard management and winemaking techniques. Since 1972, we have distributed our wines under the commercial brand TERRASSOUS.

The Vineyard
Our vineyards are situated on the "Aspre" terroir which means arid in Catalan. It is made up of hills and large, clay-limestone terraces covered with schist pebbles.
With over 90% of our vineyards classified as AOCs (AOC Côtes du Roussillon-Les Aspres, AOC Côtes du Roussillon, AOC Muscat de Rivesaltes and AOC Rivesaltes), each year we produce between 30,000 and 35,000 hectoliters.

Varietal Types
Red Wines: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
White Wines: Viognier

The Winemaking Storeroom
Our winemaking storeroom is divided into several sectors which each correspond to a specific production (white wine, rosé, dessert wine, and red wine).

The Aging Storeroom
The maturing of our "Pierres Plates red" and "Pierres Plates white" cuvées is carried out in casks in the climate-controlled section of the storeroom.
We age dessert wines in indoor casks or in oak vats at ambient temperature.
All of the bottled wines are stored in our climate-controlled depot.

The Vintner’s Charter
Our vintners have established and adhere to a Charter with the objective of producing the best grapes in order to craft the best wines.
A technical council composed of vintners coordinates the setup and annual revision of the charter.

Their job is to:

• visit and classify the different parcels in the vineyard with respect to the wines that we want to produce.
• organize the planning of the grape-picking during the harvest season, taking into account the different parcels and the ripeness of the grapes.

Integrated Winemaking
Our vintners practice integrated winemaking.
This is a winemaking process that is responsible and respectful to the environment, whose principles consist of limiting the risks associated with the use of products that are phytosanitary for mankind and the environment.

Tasting notes

Color: shiny gold color
Nose: fresh-cut flowers, then angelica and peony
Body: The impression of a soft wine that is full of flavors is given, including a white peach finish.　
Maturing: It spends 12 to 18 months in oak barrels. It can be aged nearly indeterminately.

This wine pairs well with: Fully expresses itself with fois gras, "bleu" cheeses and goes wonderfully with desserts and chocolates.

Serving temperature: to be served cool at 10˚C

Vinification

Languedoc-Roussillon - AOC Rivesaltes