A quintessential French vineyard with a romantic past and the promise of a loving and caring future

Transcription

1 La vie en rosé

2 A quintessential French vineyard with a romantic past and the promise of a loving and caring future The Léoube estate spreads out over four kilometres of coastline and covers an entire 560 hectares, in one of the most beautiful protected sites in Europe, on the shore of the Mediterranean: the Bénat peninsula. An absolutely unique and breathtaking setting! - 1 -

3 A Château steeped in history Provence claims to have the oldest of France s vineyards. From the 2nd Century BC, the Romans expanded winegrowing in the area, introduced four centuries earlier by the Phoenicians. Then, in the Middle Ages, the monastic orders and noble families came to head up numerous Provencal estates. An era when vineyards were to increase considerably in size and stature. It was probably in the 14th Century when the magnificent Château Léoube was built near the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas, in the Var region. One of the most beautiful vineyards in Provence The Provencal wine-lands are blessed with a superb Mediterranean climate. The summer s dry heat is moderated by the sea breeze making it fresher at night, and winters are mild, with its close proximity to the Mediterranean. The region is often windswept by the Mistral, which helps keep the vines in good health. Domaine de Léoube has a wide variety of soils, schist on the hillsides, more clay on the edges of the flat land and partially sandy along the sea. Natural assets that are a happy match for Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cabernet Sauvignon, the Côtes de Provence appellation s star varieties, which are supplemented by Cabernet Franc and Merlot. This favoured land of rosé wines also produces very elegant white wines and powerful structured red wines capable of ageing. You will also discover an abundance of olive trees in this traditional Mediterranean countryside

4 Château Léoube A new chapter unfolds Seduced by Leoube s history, its beautiful setting and by its potential, a British family decided to buy the estate back in Their aim was to make wines with character, true to their terroir and develop the olive oil production. Combining a quality-orientated and environmentally friendly approach, something which they started successfully in the UK over twenty-five years ago with Daylesford Organic. Implementation of their ethos began ten years ago, with the recruitment of Romain Ott, an Agricultural Engineer specialising in winemaking. He oversaw Léoube s rejuvenation with enthusiasm and great attachment to the family philosophy. His way of doing things, following in his father s footsteps, Jean-Jacques Ott s respect for nature. A commitment that has born fruit! The estate is well on the way to obtaining the wine made from organically grown grapes label certified by the ECOCERT organisation

5 A perfectly restored vineyard In 1997, 45 hectares of vines were tended at Léoube. Vines now cover 62 hectares and should quickly reach 75 hectares. In the last ten years, a huge amount of work has been carried out fixing up the plantings, from ripping up dead vines, clearing up every plot, completely redoing all the trellising and tilling the soil. A great deal of attention was put to new plantations with a rigorous selection of grafted plants. Considerable hard work that now makes Léoube one of the most beautiful estates in Provence. Everything that has been put into place over the last ten years is really starting to bear fruit, which gives the Leoube team an enormous amount of satisfaction. Environmentally friendly viticulture In line with lunar and seasonal cycles, the wine maker knew exactly how to integrate traditional growing methods. Naturally, weed killers are forbidden and only contact pesticides are allowed. There is also an eye kept on yields from the planting stage onwards thanks to an increase in vine density, then de-budding and bunch-thinning. We re also watching closely to keep the average vineyard age at 20 to 25 years. We re always thinking about the estate s future in what we re doing now, the team stresses. To emphasize further the importance in keeping to tradition, grape picking at Léoube, is harvested by hand only

6 LÉOUBE A new flexible hi-tech winery At Château Léoube, if everything started logically with remodelling the vineyards, the cellar was totally rethought. Château Léoube devotes just as much of its time to grape-growing as it does to winemaking and maturation. To do this, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks were adopted for fermentation, as well as new concrete vats and casks used for storing wine. Simple modern materials with adapted volumes. Just like this new, deliberately flexible winery, which is an indispensable and very useful piece of equipment

7 Precision winemaking This new cellar was also designed to maximize gravity to keep the bunches intact right up until crushing and pressing. Pressing, takes over two hours at low pressure to get clear and clean juice, which then spends between 12 and 48 hours in tank, at low temperature, before starting their fermentation cycle. An essential phase when we regularly check the density and temperature. The aim is to extract the best of the grapes aromas. To make more stable and rounder wines, the alcoholic fermentation is followed by a malolactic fermentation and then the clarification, all of which is done naturally. Wines true to their terroir Before blending, all the different vats are regularly tasted. If quality is, of course, our priority, consistency is also essential. Even if each vintage is different, it s important to look for regularity. The most difficult thing to achieve is managing to reproduce the same wine style each year. Leoube achieve this and are proud that their Mediterranean wines have a true sense of place. Production breaks down as follows. AOC Côtes de Provence : - 70 % rosé - 20 % red - 10 % white Additional to the Estate Château Léoube s olive oils 4700 trees are grown across 20 hectares. This surface area could eventually reach 40 hectares

8 Château Léoube s Collection Rosés, reds & white: Château Léoube s rosés are the core range but premium reds and a white are also produced. The total estate grown and bottled production reach is about pear year vintage sees the launch of the new design

9 Refreshing cheery wine really showing those sea influences, its slightly floral and citrus aromas help keep that summer feeling alive. Léoube s management is adamant you can drink it all year round as a perfect dinner party wine, aperitif or with shellfish, lobster, grilled vegetables, fish and lightly spiced exotic food. The blend: Grenache 40%, Cinsault 40%, Syrah 10%, Mourvèdre 10%. Vinification: To obtain a perfect sorting, harvesting is manual only. The grapes are transported directly to the winery where they are pressed directly. The juice extraction is slow and delicate. Fermentations, alcoholic and malolactic are made in stainless steel tanks. The bottling takes place in the spring after clarification. Château Léoube Rosé Tasting notes: The colour is clear and delicate, The nose fresh: a blend of exotic fruits with light spice flavours. The palate is supple and elegant without being in breach of liveliness. Under his pale colour, the Château Léoube rosé unveils a full complex wine. Age of vines: 22 years

10 Here s a Secret worth discovering in style under a picture postcard sky. Thanks to an extra dose of Cabernet lending polished yet powerful tones, Léoube s other rosé is perfect for real food-lovers having a three-course meal; matched with red meat, delicate fish dishes and fruity desserts. Its great palate length bears out its subtle elegant blend. The blend: Grenache 40%, Cinsault 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%. Château Léoube Secret de Léoube - Rosé Vinification: To obtain a perfect sorting, harvesting is manual only. The grapes are transported directly to the winery where they are pressed directly. The juice extraction is slow and delicate. Fermentations, alcoholic and malolactic are made in stainless steel tanks. The bottling takes place in the spring after clarification. Tasting notes: The colour is delicate clear and bright. The nose offers a bouquet of subtle flavours. The palate is elegant and full. Age of vines: 30 years

11 The fruit of textbook blending, you ll never get tired of this red thanks to its deliberate light touch gently dancing across your taste buds. Always just as good in summer as winter, drink it anytime and especially with red meat, barbecues, farmhouse cheeses and a mixture of salads dressed with tasty olive oil. The blend: Syrah 60%, Grenache 20%, Cinsault 20%. Vinification: To obtain a perfect sorting, harvesting is manual only. The grapes are transported directly to the winery where they are placed immediately in temperature controlled vats. The fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks with 9 days skin contact. Its natural development and conservation is happening in concrete tanks for 9 months minimum. Château Léoube Rouge Tasting notes: An intense colour and a beautiful clarity. The nose is very pleasant and the fruits well represented. The taste is round and silky. An extraction well controlled for a good balance. Age of vines: 20 years

12 Full of sunshine and intricate flavours, its rounded mouth-feel makes it the perfect dinner wine; firm tannins, elegant, modest and without any aggressive edges. Picture a winter in the mountains, a real fire after a long walk, a Christmas with loved ones to free yourself of any worldly prejudices and savour this excellent wine with some game stew, chocolate desserts or a handful of hot chestnuts. The blend: Syrah 25%, Grenache 25%, Cinsault 25%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%. Château Léoube Les Forts de Léoube - Rouge Vinification: To obtain a perfect sorting, harvesting is manual only. The grapes are transported directly to the winery where they are placed immediately in temperature controlled vats. The fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks with 12 days skin contact. The clarification, the malolactic fermentation and aging for 9 months minimum is made in wooden casks. Tasting notes: An intense colour and a beautiful clarity. The nose is complex and ripe fruit flavours of the maquis. The palate is full and silky, both powerful and enjoyable. A nice balance. Age of vines: 30 years

13 Ripened overlooking the sea on the Château s highest hillsides, our best parcels of Rolle and Sémillon enhance this first-rate white wine; made by gentle pressing and nonetheless enchanting on the palate. Its pure colour is ideally suited to menus based on white meat, green vegetables and fresh asparagus and artichoke. The blend: Semillon, Rolle equally. Each brings its qualities: freshness aromatic Rolle, roundness and structure for the Semillon. Vinification: To obtain a perfect sorting, harvesting is manual only. The grapes are transported directly to the winery where they are pressed directly. The juice extraction is slow and delicate. Fermentations, alcoholic and malolactic are made in stainless steel tanks. The bottling takes place in the spring after clarification. Château Léoube Blanc Tasting notes: Nice pale yellow. The aromas are complex, floral and mineral with white fruit well represented. The marriage of Rolle and Semillon is successful. The white Château Léoube is round and fresh at the same time. Age of vines: 15 years

14 Extra Virgin olive oil Terrain Planted in a mixture of hardy schist and clay soils and caressed by sunshine and sea breezes, the olive trees at Léoube have their roots in over 2000 years of history trees grown from three successive generations produce two kinds of oil from the same varieties; unfiltered, moulded by light and warmth. Château Léoube s Olive Oils Premium Azur Two blends - The first blend (premium), made from an autumn harvest, gives a lively, perfumed, light green oil in the style of Tuscan oils. This precious nectar is best served neat; with local goats cheese, a salad with purple artichoke hearts, plate of crunchy vegetables with grated Parmesan on top or even a slice of toast rubbed with garlic! - The second blend (azur) reveals a smoother and very fruity oil, whose green walnut and artichoke flavours linger even after cooking; proving that you really can heat and cook with olive oil, as all the best Provence chefs suggest. Varieties: classic Provence varieties, such as Olivette, Aglandau, Cayon and Bouteillan, are joined by two Italian varieties; Frantoïo and Pendolino, giving very fine oils. The grove With ambitious environmentally friendly farm management across over 500 hectares, the Léoube estate is best suited to traditional growing methods based on a purely natural approach: comprehensive working of the soil in line with the seasons, no artificial or deep-penetrating chemicals, picking the crop using nets and vibrating tongs for fast delivery to La Londe Mill. Each stage results from on-going trials to get the production balance right in perfect harmony with the laws of nature. Characteristics Sourced from rotating harvests and skilled blending, Léoube s oils are crystal clear, naturally clarified. Tasty from the moment you open the bottle, their aromas really come out as you use them with lots of lingering flavour

15 Léoube Contact Details: Mobile: +33 (0) , route de Léoube Bormes-Les-Mimosas France Tel (0) Fax +33 (0) info@chateauleoube.com Château Léoube is open all year around Printed on recycled paper