The Estate
Our vineyard is located on the heights of Sainte-Foy-La-Grande, between Saint-Emilion and Bergerac, both on the slopes of the hillside and on the plateau, benefitting from superb exposure.
It covers 32 hectares of vines, woods and meadows. Formerly dedicated to mixed farming (of cereals, orchards and vines) the vineyard currently occupies 20 hectares (with 14 hectares in production), most of which is planted with red wine producing vines.
The square courtyard buildings date back to the 18th century and the unsegmented vineyard surrounds them.
Our Vineyard
Since 2003 the planting density if 5,500 vines per hectare.
Grape varieties:
White wine (1 Ha in production)
sauvignon gris : 73%
sauvignon blanc : 27%
Rouges (13 Ha in production)
merlot : 57%
cabernet franc : 19%
cabernet sauvignon : 24%
Since 2011, partial restructuring of the vineyard has been performed, with the choice of seedlings in English graft and mass selection to favour sustainable establishment of the vine and quality production.
The pruning is conducted using the single or mixed Guyot method. All the care lavished on the vines is performed manually. Bud pruning and leaf removal are adapted each year depending on the vintage and on the weather conditions.
The soil is maintained by an alternation of mechanical work under the rows and controlled natural grassing.
The use of green manure (oats, rye, beans, etc.) in winter is regular, thus avoiding soil erosion and fostering airing of the soil.
The application of dynamic preparations (prepared horn manure, silica), plant infusions (using nettles, horsetail, or wicker) and very precise planning of the treatments has made it possible to minimize the doses of copper and sulphur.
Our terroir
The land et the attachment to it
Two types of characteristic and unique soils:
The upper soil:
A loamy-clay plateau, known as boulbène, with manganese-ferric outcrops that can quickly shift from “muddy” to concrete-like hardness. This soil dictates the work, as if the tool must cajole it to be workable.
The lower soil:
Rich, dark earth that “sticks to your boots,” with clay that sometimes pulls off your footwear.
This soil is mixed with limestone and flint—whose friction and scorched scent fascinate children and occasionally perfume the wine. It brings freshness and precision to our wines.
The Cellar
Our cellar is made up of a traditional concrete vat as well as several stainless steel vats which we use to produce cuvees on the fruit and with great freshness. In a second space we have Bordeaux and Champagne barrels as well as a Stockinger foudre in which our wines aimed at ageing can flourish.
We renovated the entire cellar in 2012 in order to have an elegant and functional work tool. We have a process of acquiring premium quality materials for the production of our wines. In particular, we use a vertical press for gentle and controlled pressing of our grapes.
