CHATEAU LA COUTELIERE

When he took over the family estate in 1980, Denis Bocquier restructured the vineyard: uprooting, new plantings, purchase of vines... bringing the estate to 30 hectares, 24 of which are in the Fronton appellation. He successfully launched bottled sales in 1986. His sons, Sylvain and Simon, have recently joined him, one to take care of sales and the other to look after the vines.
Château La Coutelière is situated north of Toulouse on the 2nd and 3rd terraces. The vineyards are planted on fairly dry, poor soils. It is managed according to the principles of integrated pest management, using contact products (copper and sulphur). The soil is worked to limit water stress, with one row grassed and the other ploughed. The vines are pruned with single Guyot and Royat cordon so as to limit yields to around 35 to 40 hl/ha. Disbudding, leaf thinning and green harvesting, where necessary, help to keep yields down.

The reds: Depending on the vintage, they can be drunk young or wait a few years to reach full maturity. These are always pleasant, supple wines, typical of the Négrette grape variety and with varying degrees of body and spicy notes.
Rosé : Made by bleeding. Made mainly from Négrette, Gamay and Syrah complete the blend to give a rosé that is rich in floral notes and supple on the palate (grilled meats, white meats, fish).
La Blanc: A curiosity of the estate, made from Muscat grapes, this highly aromatic wine is ideal for aperitifs and pastries.