The vinification and maturing of our wines...

The wines we produce at Lestrille are traditionnaly vinified, with the utmost care, always keeping in mind the careful handling of the grapes, together with its aromas and structure.

This does not mean that we are "allergic" to modern techniques in order to master more surely the making of the wine. The fermentation of the red grapes, after destemming and crushing, is undertaken between 27 and 30 °C, according to the grape variety, the age of the vines and the plot that is harvested. The same applies to the maceration that follows : it is "tailor-made" with as much delicacy as possible, in order to make the most of what Mother Nature provides us with and all the careful work undertaken in the vineyard throughout the year.

The wines are then matured during one year, either in vats (Château Lestrille) or in oak barrels (Château Lestrille Capmartin), according to their structure. The wines aged in vats are the ones that will give their best when young, whereas the wines aged in barrels will have enough body and tannins so that they will be able to keep for many years.

The necessary oxygen for their maturing is given by regular racking (aeration through pumping from one barrel to another).The wines aged in vats benefit from this aeration every two or three months. Regarding the barrels, this "micro-oxygenation" process makes an exchange of oxygen with the wine in the barrel through the oak pores possible. Racking are hence less frequent, and can vary according to the vintages between none to two or three per year.

The white and rosé wines are bottled during the Spring that follows the harvest, whereas the rest will benefit from a traditional ageing of one year and a half. It is a necessary step in the making of an authentic Red Bordeaux.

At Lestrille the wines are a blend and prepared for the bottling in December. The bottling usually takes place in February, when the pruning of the vines is finished and before the big rush of March to July, when the vineyard grows from just two old branches to a full bush. The wines are then ready to be sold from the first of March.