THE VISAN PLATEAU

Located at the top of a hill east of Visan at an altitude of around 360 meters, the 37 hectares of Domaine de Coste Chaude are divided into 14 hectares of oak forests, mixed with old truffle groves, and:

• 21.5 hectares of vineyards in Visan, planted on south-facing slopes:
  • This exposure allows for perfect ripeness.
  • The altitude, which is on average 3°C cooler than the plains, gives our wines a natural freshness. It also offers a nearly constant breeze that keeps our vines healthy, provides cool nights in summer, and protects us from frost in the spring.
• 1.5 hectares of vineyards in Vinsobres, planted on north-facing slopes amid the woods:
  • This exposure provides greater freshness.
  • The altitude, which is on average 3°C cooler than the plains, gives our wines a natural freshness. It also offers a nearly constant breeze that keeps our vines healthy, provides cool nights in summer, and protects us from frost in the spring.

The soil is composed of yellow, ocher, and brown marls, enveloping Miocene limestone alluvium. These range in size from pebbles to large stones, similar to those found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This soil, both very stony and clayey, is described by oenologist Georges Truc as “one of the most expressive terroirs of Visan.” The ancients understood this well, as the 1582 cadastre already revealed the presence of vineyards in the “Coste Chaude area.”

This qualitative and environmentally friendly approach continues in the cellar, where we carry out controlled and minimally interventionist winemaking:

• For white and rosé wines, the grapes are harvested manually in crates early in the morning when they are at the optimal temperature. After manual sorting on a table, they are directly sent to the press, where a gentle and gradual pressing is performed to avoid crushing the grapes and obtain the clearest and highest quality juice possible. The must is then clarified by natural cold sedimentation and then by racking before fermentation begins. The temperature is maintained between 13 and 14°C throughout the process to preserve fresh fruit aromas. The whites are kept on full lees in double barrels and temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The rosé remains in a temperature-controlled stainless steel tank for only a few months before being bottled. The wine is filtered before bottling, giving it brilliance and clarity without stripping it of its sensory characteristics.
• For the reds, the harvest is done at night and early in the morning, also sorted manually on a table, then immediately put into tanks. The maceration lasts between two and four weeks, depending on the cuvées, with a rhythm of gentle and more or less intense extraction work, aimed at obtaining a charming color, delicate texture, and crisp aromas, favoring a fresh and gourmand profile. The temperature does not exceed 26°C throughout fermentation, always with the goal of preserving this crisp fruitiness and very soft texture. For our two premium cuvées – L’Argentière and La Rocaille – a portion of the Syrah is aged in demi-muids, and a fraction of the Grenache Noir in La Rocaille is aged in a 20hL foudre for a minimum of 12 months. The rest of the fermented musts remain in concrete or stainless steel tanks, where they undergo malolactic fermentation. Here too, to enhance color and remove any impurities, the wine is filtered before bottling.