The grapes are pressed and their juice sent to barrel for 100%
barrel fermentation. Yeasts indigenous to the vineyard and
winery perform the fermentation; nothing is added to the grapes
or juice prior to or during fermentation. The wine is fermented
and aged in all French oak. The idea is to open and disturb the
barrels as little as possible, and to leave the environment
inside the barrel integral and self-regulating. This regime
exposes the wine to small amounts of oxygen when it is at its
youngest and most vigorous stage; this is a kind of inoculation
against later oxidation.
The wine is strong and will age slowly and well. The long,
undisturbed period in barrel allows a graceful and extended
contact with the lees and allows anything clouding the wine to
settle out so thoroughly that filtration becomes unnecessary.