Firstly, the grapes are sorted in the vineyards during the harvest, before being brought to the vinification cellar in small hoppers. The harvest is therefore dealt with quickly and gently. This sorting of the harvest is very important for the red wines, in order to avoid any leaves, green berries or rotten bunches coming into contact with the rest of the harvest during the maceration and fermentation, thus affecting the vinification process.
The berries of the Syrah and Cinsault varieties are left whole for the fermentation, whilst the Grenache and other varieties are lightly crushed and destalked according to the quality of the year.

 Temperature control is constant in order to ensure that the correct development of the alcoholic fermentation, which can last up to 18 days or more for the old vines selected for the Elisabeth Chambellan cuvée. When the alcoholic fermentation is finished, and after a certain vatting period, the run-free wine is drawn off. The remaining solids are then pressed, which gives us the press wine. The secondary fermentation, known as the malolactic fermentation, then takes place, and which brings about biological stability, an evolution of the taste and a refinement of the wines.

Once these various stages are finished, we can then carry out the first blends. At the end of the vinification, the ageing process can begin. We age our red wines in large, old oak barrels, from a few months for the Côtes-du-Rhône to 12 months or more for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Père Caboche, and 18 months or more for our top cuvée Elisabeth Chambellan.

The vinification of the whites differs from that of the reds not only because of the colour, but also through the composition of the final product. After picking, the harvest is pressed immediately, in order to free the juice contained in the berry. There is therefore no exchange between the solids and the juice itself during the fermentation, which starts after the pressing at low temperatures (between 16°C and 18°C). The wine produced will be bottled early in order to retain all its freshness and aromas.

Our Vins de Pays and Table Wine rosés are produced by a method known as partial bleeding of the tank. The principle is to the fill the tank with the crushed grapes. After a few hours, and before the start of the fermentation, the tank is bled. This involves drawing off a certain volume of juice which has already developed some colour (according to the desired intensity), and then vinifying it separately in another tank following the same principles as the white wine vinification..