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Our Quality Charter
The ‘terroir’, The Work of Man, The Cave
All year round, vine-growers and œnologists work together to create the best possible wines.
The ‘terroir’…
The Cave de Labastide makes its wines from lands which spread across the Albi– Gaillac – Cordes-sur-Ciel triangle.
The variety of soil types, climate and exposition, known as ‘terroir’, enable us to produce wines from the appellations IGP Côtes du Tarn, IGP Cunac, IGP Comté Tolosan and AOP Gaillac, and to propose a wide range of products: red, rosé, perlé, dry whites, primeurs, sweet and sparkling wines. Known as the “terroir of 7 wines” our Gaillac vineyards are well named.
The vines require constant attention and many different operations throughout the year.
The Work of Man….
We, vine-growers and all those working at the Cave de Labastide, have put together a 10 point charter to guarantee the quality of our wines whilst respecting the environment.
The starting point is evidently the work of the vine growers, who take care of each parcel of vines, identify those that are best suited to the production of our Selections, and who scrupulously respect the specifications laid down by the cooperative in order to obtain the best possible products.
But this teamwork relies also upon the technical backup provided by our technicians and specialists, which allows the vine-growers and the Cave to evaluate the quality of the crop during the entire growing season.
The grape varieties of great character that constitute the Gaillac vineyards are the object of regular checks all through the year to ensure optimum quality grapes which will produce rich and concentrated wines.
Thanks to technical expertise, yield estimations and many control measures, the vine-growers and the Cave are able to achieve the objectives that are fixed at the beginning of the season.
At the same time conservation and environmental issues are foremost in the minds of our vine growers. We organize regular information sessions to keep them up to date with evolution in the regulations.
We also study different possibilities for reducing our impact on the environment.
Since 2001 we have been actively engaged in what is known as ‘reasoned’ agriculture. Regular observation of the vines, the use of models and the taking into consideration of meteorological conditions mean that phytosanitary treatments are kept to a minimum.
And, in order to further take into account society’s and consumers’ concern for the environment, we decided to develop a range of wines made from ORGANIC grapes, the first vintage of which was commercialised in 2011.
Changes in working methods are taken into account via regular training to ensure that this profession, which is also a passion imbued with tradition, can continue to evolve.
Today the vine-grower attached to the cooperative plays a key role, actively contributing to the dynamism and the quality of the Gaillac appellation.
But all this hard work would come to nothing without the part played by the cooperative
The Cave…
The grapes are sorted depending on their quality, maturity and condition to obtain the best product for the consumer.
This quest for quality which begins in each vine parcel continues all throughout the winemaking and blending process. Each parcel is identified, and selected grapes are fermented separately to guarantee the traceability of each wine.
The vine-grower participates in tastings organised by the Cave with the objective of constant improvement and to ensure a forward thinking approach.
Efforts made to improve quality are encouraged by a payment structure which rewards quality and valorises parcel selection.
Particular attention is paid at all stages, therefore, to the quality of the wines that we produce.
And, as a guarantee of our engagement to respect the quality charter, we are audited by an external organism which certifies our system according to the certifications NF V01-005 and ISO 9001
Finally, we have a Quality Control Manager whom you can contact at any time on qualite@cave-labastide.com.
