Vignobles Bonfils - Château Villerambert - Opéra 2018

Description

Opera delights the eye with its glimmering ruby robe. Complex fruity notes of strawberry, raspberry and blackberry lifted by a hint of spice reveal this to be a wine of immense character.

Awards

89 pts The Wine Advocate Points

14 pts Bettane and Desseauve

Gold Concours General Agricole

Gold Vinalies Internationales Medal

Silver Selections Mondiales du Vin

Bronze Concours des Grands Vins de France Macon

Commended Decanter Medal

Vinification

VINIFICATION The grapes are night harvested, lightly crushed and passed into vats for a maceration period of 4 weeks, and up to 6 weeks for the most mature Syrah and Grenache. Made in the traditional manner, with the grape varieties being vinified separately, pumping over and racking . The wine is aired and the lees regularly stirred during the whole post fermentation maceration period for greater richness and to soften the tannins. The Grenache is vinified in stainless steel tanks protected from the air, whilst the Syrah and the Carignan benefit from micro-oxygenation to preserve all the fruit aromas. The final blending takes place in June.

Vineyard

The vineyard of Château Villerambert stretches over 100 hectares in AOP Minervois. Gallo-Roman traces which were found around the property lead to believe that the first vines were planted in the 4th century AD. According to archives, Château Villerambert already owned a vineyard in 1231. Since 1858, 6 generations of the Julien family have successfully run the property, which is part of Vignobles Bonfils since 2014.

TERROIR The vineyard is composed of a mosaic of terroirs, it gives mineral characteristics to the wines. Planted between 190 and 260m above sea level, the different climate brings freshness and complexity to the wines. We count 11 different terroirs at Villerambert: Red earth, flint clay and limestone, marl, clay and limestone magnesia, clay and limestone, marble, lime sandstone, graves clay and limestone, clay, sand and schist.