Vinification and ageing

Vinification

Type of vats: 80 and 100 hl temperature controlled, double-walled, truncated stainless steel vats. Purchased in 2012. Also full vinification in 500 litre barrels.

Vinification procedure

Pre-fermentation maceration

The vats have a large interior exchange surface area which allows us to manipulate the temperature of the harvest quickly.

Alcoholic fermentation

The vat's internal temperature rises and the fermentation of the alcohol begins. Several extraction techniques are used depending on the timing and desired result such as pumping over (with air or in the absence of air), cap-punching and rack-and-return.

Post-fermentation maceration

This stage can last for 3 to 4 weeks. The temperature is maintained between 28 and 32°C depending on the vats and timing circumstances.

Daily tastings allow us to choose the appropriate time to run off the free-run wine. The marc is then pressed in a pneumatic press to produce the press wine which will be aged separately in barrels.

Malolactic fermentation in barrels

This fermentation takes place in barrels. The temperature in the cellars is kept at around 20°C.

Ageing

All of our wines are aged in French oak barrels. The barrels have a 225-litre capacity for the first wine and 500 litres for the second wine.
Our barrels are produced by around ten different barrel-makers. Each year, we purchase 60% new barrels and use 40% one-wine barrels.

The ageing process lasts from 16 to 18 months. We opt to carry out very little racking during this period.

Blending takes place at the end of the ageing process, 2 months before bottling.

We then decide if fining and filtering are necessary. The last two winters in barrels resulted in good natural clarification.

Bottling

Bottling is carried out at the domaine by an external service provider.

Château La Marzelle was fitted with a new labelling line for bottles in 2013, which allows us to prepare orders one by one as they arrive.

When the Sioen family took over in 1998, La Marzelle was given a new avant-garde blue label for orders on this cru.

In 2009, La Marzelle reverted to a more traditional label, encompassing the label from the 1925 vintage and featuring the font style from this era.

The label for Prieuré La Marzelle has also evolved along the same lines.

Every bottle of La Marzelle and Prieuré La Marzelle now has a stamp of authenticity and guarantee.

Annual production at the domaine is in the region of:

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