Winemaking at Domaine Sainte Rose

At Domaine de Sainte Rose the overriding aim is to create authentic, affordable, handcrafted, family-made varietal and blended wines in very limited quantities. The 2002 harvest was the first vintage for the new owners. They took over the Domaine in June 2002 and in order to process the grapes themselves they had to significantly renovate and redesign the winery, which had not produced wine for about 10 years. Over a quarter of a million Euros has now been invested in order to create a controlled wine production facility with state-of-the-art equipment that is capable of creating top quality wine.

The state-of-the-art equipment includes a pneumatic press, a sophisticated cooling and heating system and the very latest stainless steel tanks. General renovation of the existing facility included relining the concrete tanks with Epoxy resin and complete electrical rewiring. (Click here to learn more)

Some of the old traditional features such as the concrete tanks have been restored, but they will be used in conjunction with modern winemaking techniques, i.e. applying New World standards of hygiene and sterilisation in their upkeep and maintenance. Stainless steel tanks will also be used for optimum temperature control and stability.

Some grape varieties benefit from barrel fermentation and/or aging in oak barrels.  Aging in oak creates a more intense nose and length on the palate. It creates a wine that is full bodied and full of complex flavours. Fermentation in oak produces flavours such as vanilla, coconut and toast. The length of time spent in oak varies according to the grape variety, but also according to the type of oak used and the age of the barrel.

At Domaine de Sainte Rose a variety of different oak barrels are used for aging the wines.  Each year we purchase a few new oak barrels, however we prefer to use one and two-year-old barrels, which impart less aggressive oak characteristics to the wine.  We also use different sizes of barrels, some holding 225 litres and some holding 300 litres.  Finally we use two different types of oak.  The majority of our barrels are French oak, which is softer and more subtle than American oak.  We use a small number of American oak barrels with grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, which better suit the stronger grain and flavour.  This selection of oak has provided the winemaker and the owners with a variety of options as to the type of wine they want to create. The barrels are used both for fermentation and for aging. The oak-aged wines usually remain in barrels for between 10 and 12 months for maximum benefit. The barrels are stored in a temperature-controlled barrel room.

More Information:

Our winemaker

Winery Redesign Project

The 2002 Harvest

Languedoc Reputation