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The
vineyard of the Mas d’Intras spreads on 23 hectares and
contains 22 parcels.
NATIVE
GRAPE VARIETIES FROM OUR REGION
The
three major grape varieties of the Ardeche are Grenache, Syrah
and Carignan. You will find these grapes in almost every wine
from the Côtes-du-Rhône. In addition there is the Cinsault,
a grape that is mainly used for Rosé-wine and hardly found „pure“.
GRENACHE
Grenache
is the most popular grape variety in the valley of the Rhone.
It produces wine with a high percentage of alcohol (up to
15%), it tastes very fruity and lively, has a light red color
and is easy to drink. Below you can see our Grenache-plot
called “Trace Nègre” from 1970. It has won numerous prizes
in Paris: a gold-medal in 2000, 2005, 2007 and 2010, plus
silver in 2006.
  
SYRAH
The
Syrah is the true grape of the northern Côtes-du-Rhône (Cornas,
Saint-Joseph, Hermitages, Crozes-Hermitages, Côtes Rôties).
It produces very deep, dark red wines. Below you can see our
plot of land called "La Souche" in the year 2008:
it was planted in 1969, and after 40 years it received a gold
medal in Paris 2006.
   
CARIGNAN
Many
winegrowers don’t like to plant the Carignan because it produces
a very large yield and sometimes contains only an insufficient
level of alcohol. For us instead this means we can use the
Carignan to make light wine which is perfectly made for drinking
in warm summertime evenings (that’s if you know how to limit
the yield).
These beautiful photos of the Carignan plants were taken in
2008, a year when the ripeness of the grapes happened very
late and the leaves had already turned red before the harvest.
What is typical for the Carignan? It gives the wine a taste
of morello cherries and a purple color, but after all it is
mainly characterized by its leaves turning red in autumn,
which means you can spot the Carignan plants already from
far away in that period.
   
  
CINSAULT
The
Cinsault is an old grape which – like the Carignan - produces
a lot of juice per hectare but sometimes contains only
an insufficient level of alcohol. Because of its round
and warm subtleness we use the Cinsault as an interesting
component in our Rosés. Although most of the winemakers
in the Ardeche are tearing down their Cinsault plants
(like the Carignan), we not only kept our field from 1972
we also planted a small new one in 1987.
Below
you can see more photos of 2008, which is easy to tell,
because the grapes are not harvested yet while the leaves
already turned red..
   
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""NEW"
GRAPE VARIETIES WHICH ARRIVED IN THE ARDECHE AFTER 1970
Some
grape varieties from other regions have arrived in the Ardeche
in the 70s and 80s and developed well here. We concentrate on
our native grapes but we have to admit, that these new grapes
sometimes add an interesting flavor to our region.
MERLOT
The
Merlot comes from the Bordeaux region. We planted our first
field in 1982. The Merlot makes very fruity wines with a deep,
dark ruby red color and a nice bouquet of black currant and
more red fruits.
CABERNET-SAUVIGNON
Originally
also from the Bordeaux region, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape
gives the wine a robust, deep and dense taste, which calls
to mind blueberries and adds a little note of vegetables.
It’s very characteristic for Cabernet Sauvignon (and Merlot)
to find the exact taste of the grapes in the finished wine.
  
Below:
The white grape varieties Chardonnay and Sauvignon at "La
Montagnère", a steep parcel we planted in 1988.
The field had not been cultivated
since 1914, when our granduncle Alphonse TOURNAYRE died in Verdun.
As you can see in these photos, the view from "La Montagnère"
is breathtaking.
In the foreground you can see the field of "La Montagnère".
The Mas d'Intras is right below.
 
CHARDONNAY
The
white Chardonnay grape originally derived from the Burgundy,
but perfectly adapted to the soils of the Ardéche. It produces
very round and rich white wine of an almost golden color.
Chardonnay matures best in oak barrels.
SAUVIGNON
The
origin of the Sauvignon grape lies in the valley of the Loire
and there especially in the famous regions like "Sancerre"
or "Pouilly Fumé". It produces very fresh, fruity
and elegant wines, perfect with fish and seafood.
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