The Cellar

The Chateau Tour des Genets cellar was erected on our wine estate during 2005..

We undertook this construction to be able to control every aspect of the production, from the vineyard’s maintenance, the harvest, crushing the grapes and putting the wine into vats for the vinification. We are fully responsible for our products and we can guarantee their quality. The Dentelles de Montmirail (North-West) and the Mont Ventoux (North-East) give the building an exceptional Provencal character.


 

This choice to build a tower adjoining to the main building has both practical and sentimental reasons. From the glass-fronted gallery inside the tower, visitors can comfortably observe our work, without disturbing the wine-making and storage areas. You will notice that the tower is reminiscent of the old “gardes” that were scattered all over the Provencal landscape when throughout its history the locals had to protect the Comtat Venaissin from invasions.

fûts de chêne et cuvesCuves - remplissageles cuves – domaine de la Tour des Genêts

The cellar equipment

The equipment we are using in the cellar of the Château insures the quality of the grapes and the wines. Therefore it requires more handling and care, but we are well aware of this, handcrafting is the key for a quality production.

vendange: raisins mis en caissettes

Harvesting Baskets

Their low capacity (8 to 10 kg) avoids the damaging of the grapes..

arrivée des vendanges

Grape Selection

All baskets of grapes are put together on a tractor-trailer and taken to the cellar to be sorted by hand on the sorting table to ensure a high quality of fruit selection.

échangeur avant mise en cuve

Exchanger

Before putting the grapes in vats, they are systematically cooled down (down to 10°C) in order to extract a maximum level of desirable aromas.
cuves destinées à la vinification .

cuves destinées à la vinification

Vats & Tanks

Concrete tanks are used for the vinification of our red wines...

cave en « gravité » du domaine

Gravity process

This process is used throughout the wine making thus preserving the grapes avoiding oxidation, and catching the aromas.

pressoir

Pressing


The pressing stage consists of separating the grape juice from the grape skins. A gentle pressing (4h15) is used for the white wines. For the red wines, the same pressing is used one month after vating (3h to 3h30 pressing).

filtrage naturel par fagots de tiges de genêts

Bundle of genets (broom) stems

This year, we are using a natural filtration. The juice goes through the bundle of genet (broom) stems and gets clarified with a floral flavour added.

fûts de chêne

The barrels

Our top wines are aged in oak barrels.