Discover the
Vinification
& Ageing

At the very core of the vinification

the imprint of the terroir shines through.

Vinification

The restructuring of the vineyard, carefully designed to match the vines perfectly with the terroir, was followed up by an overhaul of the winemaking equipment to ensure that the very high standards we had set would be perfectly met.
Thus, in 2015, the winemaking facilities were given a makeover with the vat room and cellars being entirely redesigned. The user-friendliness and functionality of the new facilities further enhanced the technical precision in our work and enabled the greater part to be carried out using a gravity flow system.

To match the individual plots of the Kirwan vineyard during the vinification, we installed 37 Italian made-to-measure concrete vats. Designed in minute detail, the temperature control network of each vat is wholly incorporated within the vat’s walls. Beyond their aesthetic aspect, these elegant, tulip-shaped vats offer an enhanced, less hands-on control of the fermentation process, ensuring a gentle, even flow of temperature throughout the whole of the vinification time and, as a result, the gentlest winemaking possible.

During the first days of October, at the earliest opportunity, the wine is transferred directly into barrels, where it begins its happy marriage with oak. The blending, a crucial part of our winemaking savoir-faire, takes place 3 to 4 months after the wine has been run off the skins and undergone its first racking. By this time, the individual character and aromatic balance of each vintage can be clearly perceived. Time then continues its work, and the wine opens out and evolves on a constant basis.

Blending

Blending has always played a special role in the making of Bordeaux wines. At Kirwan, the “assemblage” of the estate’s grape varieties is a key part in the winemaking process. During this phase, time seems to stand still for a few hours, and once the process has been completed, the vintage takes on its definitive character. If the ageing process can be defined as the marriage of the wine with its oak barrels, the blending then is the engagement ceremony. A successful blending demands excellent teamwork, which at Kirwan is performed in tandem with Eric Boissenot, our consultant œnologist since 2007.
The blending process at Kirwan thus combines the 4 grape varieties that have been historically grown in our vineyard: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Each plays its part in the performance to achieve a wine of complexity and balance.

Ageing

For the ageing process, the marriage vows between the wine and the oak barrel are never written in advance.
Prior to its ageing in barrel, the wine is like a rough diamond. It’s only after months and months of tender loving care, helped by a large dose of humility and patience, that this diamond acquires its final form and polish.

The role of the barrel is to help the wine develop its aromas, its complexity and a capacity to mature over many years.
At Kirwan, French oak barrels, half of which are new, are used in every vintage.
The barrel cellar tasks are carried out in simple fashion. Over a period of 18 to 21 months, depending on the vintage, the barrels are simply racked by gravity-flow, from barrel to barrel, without the use of pumps.