Just
as with work in the vineyard, winemaking at Camensac is done with great
attention to detail. Tasting plays a major role. The many options now
open thanks to modern technology (especially temperature control) help
to keep a close eye on the wine, without detracting whatsoever from the
human element.
As a general rule, the grapes at Camensac are sufficiently ripe to provide good extract. The wine is left on the skins at temperatures that are never too high so that all the goodness can be slowly and gently extracted.
At Camensac, it is not rare for the wine to be left on the skins for 25 days, or even longer in great years. However, it is difficult to generalise because all the parameters obviously change according to the vintage. The winemaking team at Camensac looks above all for fine structure and complexity, though this in no way precludes round, soft tannin. Only the best vats are sold under the Camensac label.
The others are used to make a second wine, La Closerie de Camensac. This is also a way of separating wines from various parts of a vast vineyard, and not just those made from young vines. Château Camensac is barrel-aged in the traditional Bordeaux way. Great attention is paid to the quality of the oak and the degree to which it is toasted.
Experiments are conducted on a regular basis. Tests were also made with malolactic fermentation in barrel, and these have shown that this practice is undoubtedly beneficial to the wine. It was finally decided to use barrels made from oak that is naturally seasoned, and medium-toasted. Several suppliers are used to make sure that no one style has the upper hand. Not only kind of wood comes into play, but also the percentage of new barrels and the length of time the wine ages in oak.
This depends on the vintage. Camensac uses from 35 to 70% new oak (the rest consisting of barrels that have been used for one single vintage), and the wine spends from 17 to 20 months in barrel.
As a general rule, the grapes at Camensac are sufficiently ripe to provide good extract. The wine is left on the skins at temperatures that are never too high so that all the goodness can be slowly and gently extracted.
At Camensac, it is not rare for the wine to be left on the skins for 25 days, or even longer in great years. However, it is difficult to generalise because all the parameters obviously change according to the vintage. The winemaking team at Camensac looks above all for fine structure and complexity, though this in no way precludes round, soft tannin. Only the best vats are sold under the Camensac label.
The others are used to make a second wine, La Closerie de Camensac. This is also a way of separating wines from various parts of a vast vineyard, and not just those made from young vines. Château Camensac is barrel-aged in the traditional Bordeaux way. Great attention is paid to the quality of the oak and the degree to which it is toasted.
Experiments are conducted on a regular basis. Tests were also made with malolactic fermentation in barrel, and these have shown that this practice is undoubtedly beneficial to the wine. It was finally decided to use barrels made from oak that is naturally seasoned, and medium-toasted. Several suppliers are used to make sure that no one style has the upper hand. Not only kind of wood comes into play, but also the percentage of new barrels and the length of time the wine ages in oak.
This depends on the vintage. Camensac uses from 35 to 70% new oak (the rest consisting of barrels that have been used for one single vintage), and the wine spends from 17 to 20 months in barrel.
