Our Vines and their Secrets

The point is ...

With wine, it is important that you like what you're drinking and that it suits the occasion. Our moods are ever changing and sometimes, depending on how we feel, one wine can seem better than another. Each wine drinker has a unique experience every time they raise a glass and the important thing is, not only to enjoy the moment, but to share your experiences of different wines with others.

Out in the vines

Initially I sought out north-facing old vine blocks with local grape varietials, planted on a selection of diverse soils (schist, limestone, gneiss). Today I have 17 different blocks, containing several white and red grape varietials, and planted on multicoloured schist soils ranging from reddish brown through shades of silvery gray to slate.
These blocks are situated in 4 communes within roughly a 25 km of the winery :
• Calce (grenache blanc)
• Estagel (carignan, grenache noir, syrah and muscat petit grains)
• Maury (grenache blanc, gris and noir)
• Caudiès (syrah, merlot, maccabeu)

The entire vineyard is worked manually (weeding, hoeing, staking, tying down, spraying, dis-budding, harvesting). When the slope is too steep (common to Estagel) we use a mule to cultivate the soil; elsewhere a caterpillar tractor (90 cm wide) takes over where possible.

Since the very beginning my vineyard has been organically farmed. Aside from the sulphur used to prevent disease, natural plant infusions are sprayed on the vines to increase their natural defenses against drought, heat, etc.

We've been certified as Agriculture Biologique (AB) since 2009.

  Discover our wines

Secrets of the Winery

Our red wines :

Carignan noir, king of the grape varieties, is taken from vines over 50 years old. Small bunches with thick skins give powerful flavours of black cherry, blueberry, blackberry. With rounded tannins these grapes produce wines, both fresh and suave, with power and smoothness.

Grenache noir, totemic of wines of the region this grape gives wines roundness, power, finesse, and length when harvested at maturity.

Syrah - universally known and used in all blends this varietal gives the wine finesse and charm when used sparingly.

After harvesting by hand, the different varietals are destemmed back at the winery and fermented together, so as to refine the wine's aromas and integrate the different flavours. Several of the wines are then matured in separate tanks or wooden vats for 6 to 12 months. This is followed by manual bottling without fining or filtration, manual corking, and then the wine is laid down to allow the slow maturation of flavors in bottle.

Each vintage has its strengths and weaknesses: this is truthfully reflected in the final wines.
My goal is not to make standard, boring wines. I prefer to use as little sulphur as possible (depending on the year) to maintain the integrity of the grapes (bringing out the finesse and purity of fruit), letting nature choose the flavour of the wine.

Wine is always a living product, and should remain so ...