Chateau des Erles. In Villeneuve-les-Corbieres. Fitou. Languedoc. Spectacular view vista over the hilltop vineyard dominated by schist. France. Europe.
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Chateau des Erles, Domaines Francois Lurton, Fitou, Languedoc, France, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine — This is only a selection of samples. Use Image SEARCH to find more photos — Chateau des Erles is a wine estate in Villeneuve-les-Corbieres in the Fitou region in the southernmost part of Languedoc in the south of France. It is managed and part-owned by Domaines François Lurton. The vineyards extend over some 80 hectares in several different plots. Some are on very harsh and barren schist soil. Most of the vines are in the Fitou appellation but some are in the neighbouring Corbieres. In addition to the slate/schist there are plots with ferruginous clay and limestone. The grape varieties that are used at Chateau des Erles are the traditional Languedoc varieties: grenache, carignan and syrah in equal parts. Harvest yields are modest, around 35 hl/ha. Sun shines for 250 days each year. Summers are hot and dry.
Chateau des Erles uses manual harvest (a given, since the vines are trained in gobelet / bush vine). Careful sorting is done when the grapes arrive at the winery. For some wines they may use maceration carbonique and they have also used cold soaking of the grapes. Fermentation is at a relatively cool 27 C. The must is fermented in concrete vats and then aged for some time in oak barrels or demi-muids.
Chateau des Erles makes several different cuvées: Le Rose des Erles, Les Abrigans, Cuvée des Ardoises, and the top of the range wine from the Fitou appellation that is simply Chateau des Erles. The prestige cuvée from Corbieres is called La Recaoufa.
All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.
Languedoc Fitou Chateau des Erles – stock photo samples – Images by Per Karlsson