The Clos des Cazaux domaine was founded in 1905 by Gabriel Archimbaud. The Archimbaud and Vache families are among the oldest ones in Vacqueyras, dating back to 1635. The 98 acre estate is currently run by Jean Michel and Frederic Vache.
The vines are cultivated with utmost respect to the environment. Only Bordeaux mixture (anti-fungal agent consisting of a solution of copper sulfate and quicklime) and sulfur are used in the phytosanitary (pertaining to the health of plant) and vineyard treatment. At all times, the vineyards are manually tended, including manual harvest. To ensure optimal quality, only the best grapes are selected during a green harvest in Summer which eliminates at least 20% of the production.
Each grape variety is picked at its optimum maturity and vinified separately. The whole clusters are placed into specially equipped bins with a screw in the bottom that allow the grapes to fall into the tanks without any crushing. This near-carbonic fermentation period depends on the grape varieties and the conditions.
The maturation takes place first in stainless steel tanks for the juice to settle, then in concrete or enamel tanks. The wines mature in the cellars for at least 2 years before bottling in order to offer the optimum ripeness to the consumer.
