Terroir & expertise

WINERY OWNERS,
MANAGERS AND
CRAFTSPEOPLE

Château Rasque’s soil is rather unusual. The property is part of one of the last upthrusts of the Alps. Oak trees, pines, broom, cistus and blackberry bushes all coexist on the land. The soil of clay and limestone, atop a natural outcrop at an altitude of 260 metres, is favourable for growing grapes. That type of soil, which is characteristic of great Côtes de Provence wines, brings out the fruity and floral aromas in white and rosé wines. It also adds strength and delicate tannins to reds.

see steps

PRUNING
Debudding
Harvesting
Winemaking
Bottling

PRUNING

Grapes grow on vines that need to be pruned and trellised if they are going to produce more fruit than wood. There are different methods for pruning grapevines, but Cordon de Royat was chosen to be used at Rasque. The result is consistent maturity of the grapes, as they are all at the same level and receive the same exposure.

This is a key phase that both strengthens the vinestock and controls its yield. In other words, it determines whether or not the next harvest will be a success. Sophie looks after the plants herself until they are four years old – the time when the vine has definitively taken root and begins to bear fruit.

Debudding & trellising

Debudding takes place in the month of May. This process involves removing any buds that have not borne fruit and that are growing on the old cordons and could divert sap away from the buds that are actually producing fruit. This operation will determine how the vines grow, so it’s best not to make any mistakes! It also helps to regulate the future production of grape clusters and to control the yield.

Next comes trellising, which involves separating the branches and holding them in place by means of wires and hooks. The idea is to help the vines grow and the grapes ripen by maximizing the leaves’ exposure to sunlight.

Harvesting

Harvesting is when the grapes are picked to make wine, but it means more than that to us: harvest time marks the end of a year of work for the winemaker and the teams.

Here at Rasque, we don’t use any machines. All our grapes are picked by hand. Once the tractor driver has brought the crop back to the loading dock, the work can begin at the winery.

Winemaking

Wine is made by means of “vinification”. Each winemaker brings their own knowledge and equipment to the table when it comes to crafting each individual wine. At Rasque, although we use modern equipment, we still employ gentle, traditional winemaking methods that respect the fruit and enhance and extract the best possible expression of the soul of the terroir. If you want to learn our winemaking secrets, be sure to stop by for a visit in September!

Bottling

Once fermentation is complete, we blend our wines in the perfect combinations.

We begin bottling our rosés and whites the January after harvesting. Our red wines are meant to be cellared and so are only bottled after a few years of ageing.

Bottling is a very delicate operation that demands a few weeks of rest for the wine. Although some wineries race to release their latest vintages, consumers should not rush to drink them too early. Remember, good things come to those who wait!