Along with the terroir, the varieties of vines also contribute to the typical taste of Côtes du Rhône wines. At “Coste Chaude” you can find the “Grenache” variety, which provides a rich and rounded off taste; “Syrah” for colour and aroma; “Mourvèdre” which gives body and lastly “Carignan” that is relatively rich in alcohol, extracts and tannin.

The vines are cultivated according to the "Cordon du Royat” system, which controls the growth of the vine.

Voluntarily restricted production levels (which sometimes involves eliminating some of the grapes early in the season) and limited use of chemical products (notably weed-killers) is the philosophy for vine cultivation at “Coste Chaude”.

Hence the reason why grass is allowed to grow between the vines.

This normally takes place towards the end of September and lasts for about two weeks, but not before grapes from the different types of vine have been carefully checked for maturity. The choice of the areas to be harvested is, of course, determined by the degree of maturity and the phenolic acid level of the grapes, and also by the type of wine to be produced.

The fact that the wine cellars are in close proximity to the vineyards ensures that the grapes are quickly transferred to the vats to avoid any risk of oxidation: the grapes being carefully sorted and selected beforehand and stripped from the stalk.

Alcoholic fermentation occurs at temperatures not excee-ding 30 to 32 degrees centigrade and fermentation normally lasts at least fourteen days. Once or twice a day the run off juice is pumped to the top of the vat over the cap in order to extract a maximum of substance from the grapes and to keep the head as moist as possible.

Following this first fermentation the run off juice is transferred to concrete vats to undergo malo-lactic fermentation.

The low temperature at the beginning of the year encourages crystallisation and precipitation of deposits. Then, and only then, does the art of refining and blending begin, in order to produce the wines that are so specific to “Coste Chaude”. Lastly, the quality wines are placed in tanks or in oak casks to mature for about twelve months.