Producer Profile

It is often said that there are more people who have travelled to space than there are Masters of Wine, and while that may be very true, there are many more MW’s than there are cosmic cats. In a uniquely Gallic surge of innovation, 1963 witnessed France entering the feline space race via a cat named Félicette. Now immortalised on a wine that pays homage to those that think outside the box, Felicette is for all those who dream to be a little different. The range consists of two wines, an elegant supple, succulent and aromatic Grenache Rouge, and a mineral, crisp, fresh and almond like Grenache Blanc, both IGP Pays d’Oc and indigenous to the region. Both have been carefully crafted to be subtle, sassy and food friendly.

Viticulture

The vineyard is planted on the plains and foothills in the south of France, between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean Sea. The area benefits from two distinctive climates that allow the production of a large diversity and styles of wines: the Mediterranean climate for ripe and juicy wines and the Atlantic climate around Carcassonne for more structured and mineral wines. Clay – limestone soils, vines trained Cordon de Royat, a plant density of between 4000 and 5000 vines/ha, yield of 75 hl/ha.

Winemaking

The grapes are machine harvested, destemmed and go through different processes to ensure maximum colour and fruit extraction. Some are gently heated to get a beautiful dark red colour and some are cold fermented to get the best possible varietal fruit extraction. The fermentation is then conducted at controlled temperature with gentle pumping overs to extract only the better tannins. The different pressings are then blended before Christmas and are aged in stainless steel tank to preserve fruit and round tannins.

Oak Treatment

No oak treatment.

Tasting Note

A bright red colour with purplish reflections. A powerful nose of violets and red fruits. Very tasty in the mouth with raspberry and plum aromas. Medium-bodied on the palate, soft and juicy.

Food Matching

Pasta dishes in tomato sauce, oriental and thai dishes