Floraison

Some arty shots of flowering in our Carignan vineyard. Taken last week.

Domaine Lou Cayla

So here it is, our first vintage. 100% Syrah, unoaked and bottled on the 3rd May. All 373 bottles of it! Plus the 153 bottles of Rosé that were bottled in March.

It has been a huge learning curve. Not just the viticulture and winemaking but also battling our way through all the paperwork that goes with it. Despite the tiny quantities, we have done it all by the book. One of the most difficult decisions was the name. We chose Lou Cayla (pronounced Kyla) because it is the name of the hill which we can see from our bedroom window and it is right beside our vines. It is a very important archaeological site and you can still see the traces of an ancient hilltop settlement dating back to 900 B. C.

So what are the wines like? The red is deep, inky purple with black cherry and olive on the nose. Rich and full bodied with deep plum and black cherry fruit and firm but not obtrusive tannins. The rosé is a very pretty medium pink with attractive red fruits on nose and palate. Rich and vinous for a rosé (it is over 14% alcohol) it is destined to be consumed pool-side by our many visitors over the summer.

Santé!