A NEW APPROACH

We are convinced that we must move away from the monocultural system of recent decades, with its uniform cultivation methods that favour the use of numerous additives and its agricultural management techniques that maintain standardisation.

We believe in an evolution to a new agroecological system of production on a case-by-case basis, according to the site, its pedo-climatic conditions and socio-economic fabric, and its specific terroir, that is to say the triangle of Soil/Climate/Man. For us, this approach is essential to making good, healthy wine whilst generating environmental, social and, ultimately, economic benefits.

 

A HEALTHY TERROIR

Our practices entail the use of very little inputs, well below the levels authorised in organic agriculture.

Taking care of the terroir today means drawing on ancestral skills and knowledge, but also using the best of cutting-edge technology, whether it be modern equipment or advanced technological applications.

The aim is to combine various techniques and approaches to be in the greatest possible harmony with the earth.

Thanks to a global management strategy that takes into account all the parameters of the natural world, we have assisted in the reinstatement of biodiversity to its natural role of ensuring the equilibrium of the biosphere.

After the study of 200 pedological trenches and a series of full microbiological analyses, combined with physico-chemical studies of the soils, we now have a precise picture of the specific needs of our parcels.

We use natural methods of protecting the vines against pathogens, with the preventive use of UV-C light flashes (100% physical), which are totally harmless for the environment, as a biological elicitor to trigger the plants’ own natural defence mechanisms.

OBSERVE,

UNDERSTAND,

ACT

 

“I work for those who will come after me”

 

THE RETURN OF BIODIVERSITY

We are developing targeted actions to improve the autonomy of the soils and combat the phenomenon of desertification (loss of life and organic matter in the soil) that results in degradation of the earth.

These include the sowing of cover crops between the rows of vines according to the needs of each parcel and the type of wine profile desired.

Grass grown in the parcels that enters into symbiosis with the vines also has multiple positive repercussions. It contributes to the fertility of the soils by providing vegetation rich in useful nutrients.

And earth that is rich in organic matter is more resistant to erosion and drought.

This also enables us to limit the effects of surface runoff and erosion which impact the vineyard during the violent rainstorms that are characteristic in the Mediterranean basin.

Grass cover improves the penetration and retention of water in the soil. It also slows down evaporation, but above all, it sequesters carbon in a completely natural way by assimilating the CO2 in the air.

The cover crops that we sow between the vine rows are a source of green fertilizer which attracts wildlife and creates ecological niches. It is a positive benefit that is a key part of our actions to transform our environment and encourage the return of biodiversity across the whole of our estate.

EQUIPMENT THAT SERVES NATURE AND OUR WINE

For its part, the investment in specific equipment in the cellar has been instrumental in protecting the grapes once they have been harvested, both from a sanitary and a qualitative point of view, and also helps us to reduce our energy consumption and carbon footprint.

In 2020 we embarked on an ambitious renovation project of our cellars, from the grape reception area to the vat room. Scheduled over a period of five years, it is designed to improve the quality of our wines whilst being mindful of our resources. Our objective is to obtain ever greater precision in our wines, for the totality of our production. The concrete vats have been renovated and lined with an epoxy-based coating which will also reduce the amount of water needed for cleaning, and improve hygiene.

We have also acquired several amphorae in which to age our wines. Terracotta allows for natural, controlled micro-oxygenation, with no tannic transfer, to produce a wine profile that is the most authentic possible expression of its grape varieties and their terroir of origin. With, once again, the benefit of greater hygiene and minimised water consumption. We aim, ultimately, to cut our water consumption by 50% during the whole winemaking and ageing process.