Uncompromising quality management in the vineyard and meticulous work in the cellar: this is what Dr Riccardo Cotarella stands for. For the oenological consultant and co-designer of the winery, quality is paramount. Intensive manual vine and soil care, strict yield limitation through thinning, analytical tests and tastings before the harvest as well as oak barrels exclusively from France’s best cooperages – the wine magician leaves nothing to chance to ensure the highest wine quality.
The wines of “Comte de Thun” are ambassadors of the south-west French wine landscape. Their style is very different from the other wines produced in the region today – at the same time, they are typical of the region, as they represent the “Gaillac terroir” and the successful vinological epoch of the “Vin de Coq” and revive great wines.
Before the harvest, the exact time of harvest is decided – grape variety by grape variety and for each parcel individually. The grapes are also fermented separately so that each base wine reflects the different facets of its parcel of origin: the soil, the microclimate and, of course, the grape variety. The wines are then matured in selected barriques from the best French tonnelleries. The two visionaries’ top priority in vinification: their wines should unmistakably express the elegant, fruit-driven style of the respective grape variety on the “Comte de Thun” terroir. The wines are only released on the market when they are ready to drink after a long period of ageing.
The wines produced at “Comte de Thun” depend on an uninterrupted sequence of important decisions in the vineyard. This includes, for example, yield reduction: the vines are consistently thinned out throughout the year in order to maximise the quality of the harvest. The yield per hectare of cru wines is around 25 hectolitres.