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Dating from the epoch when the landowner, the Seigneur de la Guerche, received by way of rent the best quarter of each year’s yield, the white Chenin , is cultivated with wisdom, harvested with patience, and elaborated with passion.
Techniques have advanced, but they nevertheless remain faithful to the traditional expression of the soil. Each vintage maintains its own character, and whether simply tender and mellow or opulently sweet and rich, they all exhibit the elegance and finesse which, combined with an exceptional longevity, are the true marks of a great wine.
Figures and technical data
L’Echarderie : approximately 10 hectares; soil of brown schist and sandstone ; hillsides oriented south/southeast. Due to the proximity of the Layon stream, early morning mists in late season favour here more than elsewhere the development of botrytis cinerea, the “noble rot”. Moderate production : average 15hl/ha. Manual harvesting via successive sortings; long fermentation (often 6 months) at low temperature. Bottling, when possible, before summer in order to preserve the wine’s fruity character..
Château de l’Echarderie : Quarts de Chaume
The soil and the wine :
Area : 9,80 hectares
Soil : schist and sandstone
Vine-plants 100% white Chenin
Average age of vines 25 years
Grass-planted rows ; short pruning (taille guyot double)
Harvesting and grape processing :
Manuel vintaging by successive sorting (October and November)
Slow pressing ; fermentation in barrels at low temperature
Checking of musts at low temperature
Filtration and bottling under controlled atmosphere
Average yield 15hl/ha (2000 bottles)
The blends :
- Clos des Quarts : an assemblage of vintages originating in vineyards containing the youngest vines, those not yet vigorous enough to support grapes up to an extreme maturity.
- Château de l’Echarderie : masterpiece of the production, presenting an optimum balance between finesse and concentration.
- Clos Paradis : true to its name, reuniting the vintages of this ideally situated spot and allowing the “botrytised” grapes to concentrate gently under the conjugated effects of autumn’s winds and sunshine.
 Harmony of wines and foods : foie gras fresh or pan-fried, blue cheeses, Roquefort, fourme, Stilton, gorgonzola, iced desserts, vacherin, Norwegian omelette, frangipane, custard (crème anglaise)
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