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o£ Libourne. This district produces wines of a
more generous character than the Mddoc. They
are often called the Burgundies of the Gironde.
6. Cotes and Palus. The Cotes wines are those
from hillside vineyards in different parts of the
Ddpartement of the Gironde, and the Palus wines
are those obtained from vines planted in rich
alluvial soil adjacent to the banks of the Gironde,
Garonne, or Dordogne.
Clarets are the most natural wines made, and owe
nothing to any artificial aids to improve the wine.
The colour, body, flavour, and alcoholic strength
are all due to the species of grapes used in making
the wine, to the nature of the soil, the aspect of the
vineyards where such grapes arc grown, and the
natural fermentation of the wine.
As soon as the grapes are ripe they arc carefully
picked, and all unsound berries removed. After
being pressed the juice of the grape is left to ferment
in large wooden tubs, whence after a short time the
wine is withdrawn into hogsheads.
Development proceeds naturally for two or three
years, and the wine is occasionally " racked," or
drawn off into fresh hogsheads.
The wine is then put into bottle, and will continue
to improve in bottle for a length of time dependent
on the quality of the wine and the characteristics
of the particular vintage when it was produced.