Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/859549
8 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER first press is due to be refurbished and some striking new packaging and a website aim to propel Peyfaures to new heights. The vineyards are planted princi - pally with Merlot, with a few plots of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, in soil that is a mixture of limestone and clay with the occasional vein of sand. Enherberbement (growing grass) occurs in every row to provide competition for the vines, but there's no deliberate policy of restricting the yields, which naturally come in at about 45 hectoliters per hectare for the majority of the estate and at 35 hectoliters per hectare for the older plots—both comfort - ably within the maximum of 53 for the appellation Bordeaux Supérieur. Besides, as Godeau points out, some of the best vintages come from years when nature was relatively generous: 2005, 2010 and 2016, for example. Harvesting usually takes place in October. Grapes are sorted twice before a pre- fermentation for three days to a week in stainless steel vats at 6 degrees Celsius, dur- ing which time the cake is very gently agitated (remontage) a couple of times per day to extract and preserve the best of the aromas and flavors. The temperature is then allowed to rise to around 18 degrees to start the alcoholic fermentation, followed by a pause while the temperature is increased to 28–30 degrees for up to a week, while more remontage is done to continue the extraction process. In total, the time in vat (cuvaison) can last from 30 to 35 days. Next stop is the barrel room, where the wines will spend between 12 and 24 months aging in an impressive array of barrels of varying ages, supplied by three of four coopers, with a variety of toasts. All these possi - ble permutations add complexity to the task of the winemaker, but Godeau embraces this multi-faceted jigsaw as an essential part of the process and another step on the road to the lofty objectives that have been set out for Château Peyfaures. And what of the wines themselves? On such a hot day, it was hard to ensure that they were tasted at the 18 degrees he rec- ommends as ideal, but both wines impressed. Currently only two are produced, both reds, although a white and perhaps a rosé are under consideration. Château Peyfaures comprises 85 per - cent Merlot, with roughly equal parts of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2010 has lovely soft tannins on both the nose and palate, with a hint of menthol mingling with cherries and licorice, plus a long, smooth finish. For Dame de Coeur—a wine from older vines in selected plots—the blend is almost all Merlot with, in some years, a little Cabernet Franc. It's aged longer in oak with a greater percentage of new oak, so the 2012 is still a relative youngster, with a deep, red color with hints of dark blue. The nose is full of cloves and vanilla to begin with, but the oaky notes soon give way to a rich fruitiness. A big, complex wine with a lot of aging potential. If these are anything to go by, it's safe to say that Château Peyfaures is heading to even higher ground. Stainless steel tanks at Château Peyfaures allow for a long, slow fermentation with precise temperature control. Dame de Coeur comes from older vines in selected plots.