Jean Astruc often dreamed of owning his own winery as he rattled his horse-drawn carriage through the unpaved roads of the Limoux region. In his old age, he gathered together everything he had saved and founded Domaine Astruc in 1862.
Domaine Astruc was acquired by Jean-Claude Mas in 2002 and has since become an established name among wine lovers. He runs the winery with respectful gratitude. The winery is located in Limoux, where it benefits from both Atlantic influences and the Pyrenees. Limoux is also the region where, according to modern history, the first sparkling wine in France was made. The soil consists of gravel and calcareous marl, and the grapes enjoy a cooler microclimate, resulting in fresh wines of exceptional elegance and finesse. The vineyards for this wine face south to fully enjoy the sun.
The Merlot for Astruc comes from various vineyards around Limoux in the Languedoc region. While the climate is Mediterranean, the vineyards benefit from the cooling Atlantic Ocean. The vines are 18 to 26 years old. After harvest, the grapes are rigorously selected, as only the finest juice makes it into the bottle. After harvest, the skins are macerated for three days at ten degrees Celsius. The must is then fermented at 25 degrees Celsius for five days. After this, the juice remains on the skins for another ten days to extract more color and flavor. Only the juice from the first pressing is used in the wine. Finally, twenty percent of the wine is aged in new American barrels for four months.
This Merlot pours a ruby red with purple hues. On the nose, the red wine is opulent and fruity, with notes of mocha, blackcurrant, and plum. On the palate, it's full-bodied with dark fruit and ripe tannins. As with the entire Astruc series, these are beautiful wines with excellent value. They are delicious wines to simply savor.
