how is aix rosé made?

Harvesting the ripe grapes happens once a year, in Provence we start mid September and it can take up to 4 weeks to get all the grapes into the winecellars.

At Maison Saint Aix we start harvesting very early in the morning when it is still fresh outside and to finish before noon when it gets warmer. Harvesting the grapes at cool temperatures ensures optimal freshness and the conservation of the most delicate aromas.

The harvest is done manual and mechanical. We pick by hand at the more difficult and steep parts and by machine at the more regular parts of the vineyard.

From destemming we will go to pressing, the crushed grapes are pumped to the tubular exchanger to chill down to 4°C to ensure the preservation of the most delicate aromas and a better control of the colour of AIX Rosé.

From the tubular exchanger, the grapes go to the pneumatic press. We gently press from the inside to the outside for three hours, pressing the fruit slowly and gently will avoid oxidation and the short skin contact allows the juice to get its beautiful colour.

Rosés pick up their colour from the skin of the grape and Rosés are made from red grape varietals only.

We let the temperature rise to some 14°C and the fermentation will start. The total fermentation process takes between ten to fifteen days, during which period the natural sugar from the grape juice will be converted into alcohol. The wine is only ready when all sugar is converted into alcohol. At the end of the fermentation we leave the wine to settle for a few weeks. After this period, we separate the final wine from the remaining lees.