Nos Grands Vins, Icoon, AOC Rasteau, Rouge, 2011

Plunging their roots in the pebble hills of the Southern Rhône Valley, the robust vines of the Rasteau vineyard, swept by the mistral, with grapes ripened in the gentle heat of the pebbles, produce wines that are both powerful and elegant. Ico (o) n, where a drastic selection of grapes with a dedicated cellar and a high concentration of aromas and power.

The local Mediterranean climate, warm and windy, favors a healthy and dry microclimate around the clusters, conducive to the practice of reasoned viticulture.

Grenache from the famous Saint-Didier, Girards, Chaberte and Crapons districts, with typical yellow clays - vines aged 40 to 90 years. Syrah with small, perfectly trellised clusters, with different exposures, to bring a little complexity on various maturities, and on deep clays: the Encostes and Combe Julière districts exactly meet these criteria - vines aged 15 to 40 . The Mouvèdre, this other lord of the Mediterranean, must also bring his touch to the blend: it was at Blovac Nord, on a dry gravel covering deeper marls, that he was selected - vines aged around twenty years. Seven plots and six winemakers participated in the assembly.

Syrah and Mourvèdre are trained in trellised mode, in Cordon de Royat, allowing maximum exposure of the foliage, thus optimizing the synthesis and concentration of polyphenols in grape skins. As the harvest approaches, the ripeness is checked twice a week, on the classic sugar-acidity parameters and of course when tasting the berries, the most important.

Harvest entirely by hand, in crates containing 10 to 12 kg maximum of grapes. Rapid transport to the winery without crushing, whole bunches. First vibrating sorting table with whole bunches, traditional destemmer, second vibrating sorting table bay by bay (manual sorting). Modular plugger (and modulated during filling). Peristaltic harvest pump (gentle pumping). “Anti-gravity” vatting (from the bottom of the tank, pressure and crushing limited.)