L' Empereur - Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec // 75 cl // 13.5 %

Domaine La Louviere

The wolf was widespread in France, as in the rest of Central Europe, until the 19th century and man has always been fascinated by it. At the foot of the Pyrenees, it is said that the wolves of the region met on a mountain to look for prey. This mountain is located in the Malepère region, close to the Mediterranean Sea. At the Louvière (French for »wolves’ place«), the vines of the »Domaine La Louvière« stretch out today. The soil on which the vines thrive is of a very unique nature. It consists of clay, sand and limestone as well as large boulders. On the »bad stones«, the »males pierres«, the vines have to fight for nutrients and water and grow their roots deep into the soil through stony ground. This gives the vines a distinctive mineral taste. The exceptional climatic tension between a lukewarm breeze from the Mediterranean and the harsh climate of the Atlantic coast and the Pyrenees, influences the ripening process and allows vines to thrive that would not otherwise stand the coastal heat: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and classics like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. They also store the warmth of the sun, which shines here on around 300 days a year, and release it back to the plants during cool nights. Magically attracted by the charm of the region, Klaus Grohe and his four sons acquired the small and inconspicuous domaine in 1992. The Grohe family and Australian cellarmaster Jem Harris, have been committed to traditional winemaking methods from the very beginning. They consistently rely on organic viticulture and completely do without pesticides and chemical fertilisers. Instead, natural means are used to promote biodiversity and to create and maintain a healthy soil, full of life. This ecological concept is underlined by the installation of self-built insect hotels and a specially constructed worm farm, which is essential for biodiversity in the vineyard. The vines are carefully harvested by hand and brought to the winery by a short route to prevent the grapes from overheating or decaying. 50 hectolitres is the maximum volume harvested per hectare. After the gentle and careful pressing of the grapes, the wine is partly matured in oak barrels or stainless steel tanks. This results in white wines with a unique minerality and freshness, or intense red wines with high storage potential.