Status Feed

גיט שבת 🌹

With winemaker Victor Mottet in front of Château La France 🇫🇷

Before becoming known as *Château La France* the estate was known as
*Château Quinsac*, with its history tracing back to 1635, during the reign of Louis XIII.

In 1930, the estate changed its name to Château La France, and still keeping it's original name quinsac as well for a rainy day ;)

A name that sounds almost too grand to belong to a single wine estate. Yet it has been the name of this Bordeaux property for almost a century.

The big magnum bottle in the vineyard was a gift from a Chinese importer in 2010.

The differences between the three wines are the aging process and the blend:
- Tradition, 3+ months.
- Prestige, 6+ months.
- Gallus (Reserve), 9+ months.

The Grand Reserve (Cuvée Gallus) comes in a wooden box of 12.

- Tradition
- Cuvée Prestige
- Cuvée Gallus (Grand Reserve)

At the château La France, built in the 17th century, is still operational and is now used as a beautiful hotel overlooking the vineyard.

Tasting the wine 🍷

The grapes are from the 2026 harvest and are still in the fermentation and blending process. They will age for at least 12 months in amphorae, after which they will be tasted to determine when they are ready. They are expected to be on the market in 2028-29 🤫🍷

A first look at a new La France High Cuvée - unreleased!

A special blend to be aged in amphora - a clay vessel dedicated to kosher wine 🤫

What's this 👀 👉

Some old bottles dating back to 1982, not kosher but really interesting and informational.

Going down to the wine cellar of Château La France with the owner.
The temperature is always stable, winter or summer, so the wine can age peacefully.

Château La France 1995: not kosher, but really cool to see up close🍷

What's inside...

The winemaker explains why they use concrete tanks instead of oak barrels:

- More consistent temperature.
- Larger capacity.
- Easier for kosher production, as one large tank can be made kosher instead of multiple barrels.

For the oak influence, they add toasted oak staves inside the concrete tanks whenever needed. According to the winemaker, it achieves the same result as aging in oak barrels.

We've also seen several experienced winemakers using this same method throughout our visits!

Victor's father, the owner of Château La France, explains the grape sorting process, keeping only the best and ripest grapes 🍇

The Mashgiach rides in the cabin, operating the controls while the driver maneuvers between the vines.

Why? The weight of the grapes releases juice, creating a חשש of יין נסך. To avoid this, a שומר תורה ומצוות must operate the controls.

Winemaker Victor Mottet explains how this smart clever machine works its way between the vines, shaking them very strong to harvest the grapes while separating the best berries, all without damaging the vines!