the cellar and its secrets

The oldest part of the cellar (1560) was dug directly in the safre; it harbors barrels and the "vinothèque", which holds the private reserves of some of the greatest French and international restaurants. Here there are also stone tanks with walls measuring 1.20 meters thick, now lined with epoxy resin.
Another part of the cellar dating back to the 18th century still conserves its vaulted gothic-style arches and contains large wooden barrels, as well as smaller barrels, the fûts. This is the aging cellar.
The cellar reserved for the vinification of wines was renovated and outfitted with modern equipment in 1986.
The grapes, brought into the cellar on a conveyer belt that leads to the destalking machine, are sorted by hand. Next, depending upon what type of vinification the grapes will undergo, they are sent to the appropriate vat-room.
For the red wines, the stemmed grapes are sent to the fermentation tanks. Following an ancestral method that consists of immersing the skins in the must to facilitate the extraction of tannins and aromatic substances, the cap is regularly punched down depending upon the richness of the grapes. This technique is called pigeage. A sign of the times, since 1995, Château la Nerthe has been equipped with wood vats specially conceived for this punching down process.
Next comes the ageing in barrels of fine-grained oak from the forests of France's Allier region. Thank you Colbert ! (A minister under Louis XIV's reign, Colbert planted oak trees in order to have wood for building ships.)
For white wines, the grapes are carried down by gravity into a pneumatic press: then the "juice" will undergo maceration in stainless steel tanks or in casks.