Le Cartel - Grenache Noir 2022
The Cartel is located in Gruissan, at the entrance to Corbières Maritimes in Languedoc . The estate was founded by two oenologist friends: Fredi Torres and Jean-Rémi Mourad . They work two specific terroirs: the Massif de La Clape and Île Saint-Martin . The Clape Massif was an island in antiquity, before being later attached to the continent, following the flooding of the Aude River and alluvial deposits, during the Middle Ages. The Phoenicians already knew it in its island form, which they called “Lycia”. Saint-Martin Island, still currently surrounded by water, is part of the extension of the massif, it was also known during the Roman era as part of the Piplas Islands. The Cartel vineyards are located in the eastern part of Saint-Martin, facing the salt flats, at the bottom of the hillsides, where the soils are a little richer and less arid than on the Massif de la Clape, which is clay-limestone in nature. This part of the island is home to very old, well-established vines, producing deep and complex wines. The vines grow in an atmosphere tempered by the proximity of the salt marshes and the sea.
This vintage is made from a plot of century-old Grenache , planted in 1919 at a place called “Penelos”, on the eastern part of Saint-Martin Island, facing the salt marshes. The plot is planted with a majority of Grenache Noir, a few vines of Grenache Blanc, and a foot of Carignan. The whole, approximately 40 ares, is harvested manually, no mechanization being possible. Vinification is carried out in whole clusters in ovoid vats. Aging lasts 4 to 6 months in the same containers.
Grape varieties: Grenache plantation
