Domaine Peter Sichel - Ortalecia 2017
Maison Sichel is a Bordeaux merchant . In 1883, Sichel moved from the United Kingdom to Bordeaux and set up an office at 19 quai de Bacalan in the legendary Chartrons district, the historic center of activity for Bordeaux wine merchants. At the time, the company was an acquisitions office that bought wines for the Sichel companies in Mainz, London and New York. The business has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past 50 years, with the purchase of a winemaking facility, the construction of a bottling plant, the acquisition of three estates as well as a vintner trader, and the construction of a safe for the Grands Crus. The Sichel family owns Château Palmer, Château Angludet, Château de Fieuzal etc.
In 1970, Peter Sichel fell in love with the Cucugnan valley in the Hautes Corbières . He bought Château Trillol and produced gourmet and structured wines there for nearly 50 years. Today, it is his grandson Alexander Sichel who has taken over the reins of the estate with the desire to produce great wines there: he has reduced the size of the vineyard to keep only the best plots, uses new techniques of vinification and has initiated an environmental approach which will lead to organic and biodynamic certification. The name Château Trillol has since been changed to Domaine Peter Sichel . The vineyard is located between 250 and 500 meters above sea level. The 20 hectares of old vines are divided into 39 plots and the cool mountain climate allows the grapes to mature gradually and optimally.
Ortalécia is a blend of Syrah (47%), Grenache (37%) and Carignan (16%) whose vines are around 17 years old. The majority of Grenache (62%) comes from the Termenès terroir, which benefits from a cool Mediterranean climate with a slight Atlantic influence. The other grape varieties come from the Quéribus terroir, which has a Mediterranean climate tempered by the altitude. The harvest is destemmed at 81% then fermented. Fermentation lasts 25 to 30 days depending on the containers, with pumping over and some delestage. The other part of the harvest is vinified by carbonic maceration (2/3 Syrah and 1/3 Carignan) with vatting for 12 to 15 days. Part of the wine (57%) is aged in vats . The other part of the wine (43%) is aged in barrels of 1 wine (80%) and in new barrels (20%) for 12 months.
Grapes: 47% Syrah, 37% Grenache, 16% Carignan
