Description
When, in 1740, one of the sons of the lordship of Montclar bought the Soujeole, he paved the way for nine generations of owners. The last direct descendant, Mgr Bertrand de la Soujeole, rector of the Saint-Nazaire basilica in Carcassonne, vowed to guarantee the integrity of the estate and had to choose a successor. In 2012, when Gerard Bertrand visits la Soujeole, he experiences a feeling of fullness that is due to the nature of the place: “the landscapes are hilly and picturesque, with trees of high forest. Sometimes, time goes weightless. Calm and silence bring us back to a state of consciousness, strengthen our convictions and priorities, and reveal the way forward. “A dialogue begins with the bishop, who has found his successor. Since then, Gérard Bertrand has converted the estate to biodynamic farming, introduced working the land with horses and invested in the vineyards and the winery in order to reveal the quintessence of this terroir.
Vinification
Here, the South turns to the West and claims subtle and powerful wines, magnified by the Cabernet Franc, which expresses itself in a unique way in the Cathar terroir. It is the basis of the blends of the Great Wines, both rosé and red. Coming to full maturity in the Languedoc, it does not have the vegetal notes of blackcurrant buds and green pepper that can be associated with colder terroirs. At La Soujeole, it retains its freshness and elegance while developing tasty notes of blackberry and smoked paprika. In red, it offers a generosity of fruit, a depth of colour and a firm mouthfeel that calls for a solid gastronomy. The French Paradox starts here, between the wines of La Soujeole and the cassoulets of Carcassonne and Castelnaudary. The grapes are hand-picked in two stages: first the youngest vines of Cabernet Franc and Merlot are harvested, whose grapes are destined for the Grand Vin rosé. It is matured in barrels for 6 months to reveal its unique and great character. Then, from the end of September to the end of October, the grapes from the old vines of merlot, then malbec and finally cabernet franc are harvested, destined for the Grand Vin red. After 12 months of maturing, the grape varieties are blended and the wine is bottled on a fruit day of the lunar calendar, in accordance with the precepts of biodynamics.
