Monteberiot is a 10 hectares (around 22 acres) estate, bought at the end of 2002. It is located at the heart of the Country of Bourg, on the Mombrier municipality. (North Gironde – Right side of the Garonne river)

Terroir

• predominently clay and limestone soils, becoming more sandy near the well orientated (north-east - south-west, east-west) small hills we call "coteaux".

Vineyard

• 7 hectares (15 acres) are currently fully productive

• Mostly black merlot vines ("Merlot noir", 75%), together with Cabernets-Sauvignons (22%) and cabernets-francs (3%)

We have started in 2003 a deep change in structure of the vineyard:

A plot-by-plot analysis has been performed to help us find about the most suited vine and support, the ones that should yield the best quality. As a result, most notably, we have re-introduced a older varietal: Malbec (also called Cot), on 70 ares (1.5 acres).

We also replaced the supporting metallic wires called "palissages", set up more of them and at a higher level, to optimize leaves exposure

Vineyard management

We are focused on putting in fact the word « Reasonable agriculture » : natural grass  between vines - soil work - phyto-sanitary treatments down the a minimum - natural  grass removal in alternance with plowing.

From thinning to harvesting, we do everything to get the highest quality. Our key words… : controlled yields and quest for the optimum maturity of the grapes (leaves removal, thinnings, "green" harvesting).

Harvesting

Again done on a plot-by-plot basis, harvesting is either manual or mechanized depending on the wine it will be used for.

Grapes are cleaned and sorted before getting into the processing tanks.

Winemaking

• controlled temperature all along the fermentation process
• Pre-fermentation cold maceration (3 to 4 days)
• Low temperature alcoholic fermentation (maceration duration is managed in accordance with the vintage characteritics and the desired level of extraction)

Growing process

Winemaking, growing and bottling are all done on the estate.