Terroir, Grape Varieties &
Vine Training
Respecting and
enriching our heritage
Our wine-growing heritage began with our family in 1900. This plot is half composed of old Grenache vines, planted between 1945 and 1965, while the Syrah and Mourvèdre plantations mostly date back to the beginning of the 1990s.
Since 2005, our plantations have favoured “accessory” grape varieties, both white and red (Cinsault, Counoise, Carignan…), which result in wines that are more acidic with less alcohol content. Today we work with about fifteen grape varieties; this diversity, for which the region is known historically, guarantees the personality of our wines.
The majority of our vines are pruned using the goblet method, a traditional vine training technique in the south of France, particularly adapted to the Mediterranean climate. This system makes it possible to aerate the grape bunches without exposing them to the sun. The mechanisation of goblet-trained vines is very difficult, which explains why this method of vine training has become increasingly rare.
Culture
Guiding rather than forcing
Throughout the entire year, our activity is driven by manual work. It determines the yields and ageing conditions or, in other words, the quality of the grape. Pruning (from the end of November to the end of March), disbudding (May-June), leaf thinning and green harvesting (July-August) and of course the grape harvesting (September)… We do all of this ourselves and we strive to have as much control as possible over each of these very important processes.
In order to maintain our vines, we alternate between tillage and grass covering; not a single chemical herbicide is used.
For phytosanitary protection, we only use products of natural origin (sulphur and copper) to help prevent fungal diseases. Intervention is reasoned and rarely necessary, thanks to the Mistral, the dry wind which protects our vines from most diseases and damage caused by pests.
Vinification
Bringing out the character of each terroir,
each grape variety,
and each vintage
The grapes are picked exclusively by hand. They are then transported in crates, and the fermentation process begins naturally as a consequence of the presence of indigenous yeasts. The wine is matured in used oak barrels or concrete tanks, allowing the terroir to express its full potential.
We bottle the wine ourselves at the estate, concluding a whole process which does not involve anyone else but us (and we wish to continue in this way).
