Arrogant Frog is experiencing the “Luxe Rural” adventure. In 2007, he settled down in a small village called Gaja & Villedieu, close to Limoux at the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. Don’t expect to see a pretentious Château, because for us, a Château means much more: first, it must have a great vineyard, with meticulous management to get the best grapes, and second, it must be a house with soul and history.
We have 20 hectares of vineyards planted with Grenache, Merlot, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Chardonnay and Cabernet.
Grape varieties : 55 % Merlot , 25 Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 % Syrah
Limoux-Appellation d’Origine Protégée
The vine
Soil types : Cabernet: Clay and limestone (24 year-old)
Merlot : Limestone and gravels (27 year-old)
Syrah : Clay and limestone with gravels (20 year-old)
Harvest : partly hand-picked, partly mechanical
Average yield : 45 hl/ha
The wine
– Alcohol: 13.8 %
– Sugar: 1.5 g/l
– Total Acidity: 3,10 g/l (H2SO4)
– pH : 3.70
Vinification
Grape destemming, separated-vinification for each variety. Fermentation at 25°C. Skin contact (10 days for cabernet, 12 days for Merlot and Syrah) at monitored temperature. Wines are blended in November, before putting in barrels.
60% of the wine is then aged for 8 months in oak barrels. We use 60% of American oak barrels and 40% of French oak barrels. The other 40 % are stainless steel-aged.
Tasting notes
Colour : Deep purple with ruby tints.
Nose : Refined and complex, with black fruits, spices and plum flavour, then you have a spicy vanilla and liquorice finish.
Palate : Good balance with soft but present tannins . Persistent length on cacao notes.
Food pairing : Serve at 16°C, with pasta, BBQ, poultry, game, your best red meats, game, terrine, and cheeses.
Cellaring : In good conditions, you can conserve it more than 5 years.