At their arrival, the grapes are de-stemmed and introduced to stainless tanks. A 12 hours long cold maceration for skin contact, The grapes are then gently pressed, and the juice settles for two days before being racked directly to French oak 50 hl-vats. The white « Pigeonnier du Gouyat » is fermented in those oak vats slowly at cool temperatures (61 to 65°F) to retain varietal characters, unique to Sauvignon Blanc. The wine was subsequently left in barrels on yeast lees for a few months. A gentle lees stirring during the first two months has helped to provide palate weight and refinement.