Cortil Braco 2022

Château de Bioul

Vanessa Vaxelaire and Andy Wyckmans have opted to "tell stories" through their wines, and my goodness, they succeed. Theirs is the story of a modern couple tired of hectic city life who withdrew to the Namur countryside with their three children. The story of a dream that came true thanks to the promising land of Bioul, (pronounced Biou), preserve of the Vaxelaire family for over a century. Vanessa and Andy apply the principles of biodynamics and permaculture and are gradually establishing the identity of their vineyard, which now covers a total of 12 hectares. (read more)

Cortil Braco

This is the only red wine from Château de Bioul, so far produced in 2016, 2018 and in 2019. The Cabaret Noir plot used to prepare Cortil Braco lies right in the centre of the village of Bioul and is marked by a vein of carboniferous schist. This enables heat to accumulate in the ground, promoting the ripening of the grapes.

The manual harvest of Cabaret Noir (an interspecific grape variety derived from Cabernet Sauvignon) was carried out at the end of October. The grapes were de-stemmed and crushed before a gentle maceration of a few days. Alcoholic fermentation is carried out using only indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation was completed the following spring. The wine was matured for one year in stainless steel vats and in the estate's own egg vat, with regular rackings.

   Ruby colour with a beautiful intensity.

   Nose of red fruits, with a mineral touch brought, as often in Belgium, by the granitic soil.

  Greedy mouth where the fruit (wild strawberry, cherry) expresses itself without restraint. 

   Poultry and roasted meats. The must: a chocolate and red fruit dessert.

   15-16°C

   With a total of 50 mg/l of SO₂, this wine contains three times fewer sulfites than the dose authorised by the EU for conventional red wines.