Know-how
It all starts in the vineyard.
Terroir
Our family places great importance on respecting flora and fauna. We till the soil mechanically, working with nature and avoiding chemical weedkillers. Each vine is planted on the soil that suits it best, so it can take full advantage of what the terroir has to offer. To produce rich wines that express the characteristics of our terroir, we must manage our yields carefully.
…Grape varieties
The vineyard covers around 30 hectares.
Half of that area is devoted to the Melon de Bourgogne grape variety : Muscadet, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, and Cru Clisson. The rest is planted with grapes used to make white, rosé and red PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Gris, Cabernet, Merlot, Abouriou and Gamay.
From vine to cellar
Grape ripeness is of vital importance during the harvest. Before picking begins, many bunch samples are taken to determine the sweetness and acidity levels of each plot.
The results of these analyses, which differ from year to year, then guide the winemakers as they decide when and where to harvest the grapes at optimum ripeness.
Vinification
Everyone is on high alert ! The team of pickers starts early while the weather is still cool, so the harvest is better protected against oxidation. Once they are taken to the cellar, the white grapes are pressed very gently to extract only the best juice. A few hours of maceration are all the red grapes need to be made into rosé wines. For red wines, the grapes are placed directly into tanks, and fermentation occurs over around two weeks with the berries still intact.
Each tank is monitored very carefully as the must becomes wine. It takes a lot of time, patience, and pampering to craft the family estate’s future vintages.