In search of producing quality wines expressing the finesse of their terroirs,
we work to maintain the biodiversity. This includes grassing in young plots, tillage, and planting hedges along our vineyards.
This helped us to obtain the HVE (High Environmental Value) certification at the maximum level (III), which attests that the biodiversity elements (hedges, grass strips, trees, flowers, insects, etc.) are widely present and that the pressure of agricultural practices on the environment (air, climate, water, soil, biodiversity, landscapes) are reduced to a minimum.
Always in search of harmony with the nature, we began in 2019 the conversion to Organic Agriculture with some of our vineyard plots.
We deliberately chose a small-scale farm (15 ha) to allow us to do everything ourselves, to deepen and adapt each of our interventions at each vegetative stage of the vine.
We are slowly renewing the very old and tired vines and restructuring the new plantations by paling them: which allows for easier tillage and sustainable cultivation.
The restructured vines are grassed. This favors the installation of a auxiliary fauna which can find refuge and food, and makes it possible to limit the weeds while fighting against the erosion of the soil.
We replace the dead vines in the course of the year with young grafts to maintain the integrity of the plot and extend its longevity.
Crucial step during the long period of dormancy of the vines. The way we prune our vines allows us to regulate the production and to shape the vines for the future and life of all of our vines.
The vines are historically cut in « Gobelet ». Each vine consists of 5 arms which at the end a renewel spur of 2 eyes.
The new vineyard plantings are cut in « Cordon de Royat » to allow trellising. The vine consists of 2 horizontal arms on each of which there are 2 to 3 courson of 2 eyes.
When the sap rises, it flows along the cut wood. This is normal and does not affect the life of the vine. It is said that the vine « weeps » ; it's the announcement of the arrival of spring!
Soon afterwards the first buds appear to give birth to the new vineyards and 1st growing season. In the sun, it is said that the vines « shine ».
Then follows a very short period to nip the buds too abundant before they do not become too big and release the vine from an excess of vigor that would be detrimental to the quality of the grapes.
The young twigs must be held between the 2 lifting wires of the trellis as soon as possible to protect them from the wind. We go back and forth two or three times as the foliage develops to adapt to the height of the wires to the size of the vines.
Trellising allows us to optimize the height of the feeder foliage of the grapes and thus promote their maturity.
Older vines (from about 40 years old) are grown in « free port ». The vines are cut 2 to 3 times at a height of about 1 m from the ground to prevent the weight of the grapes from making them lie on the ground
The vine is a liana. Vigorous climbing plant, it produces tendrils to attach to any solid support.
The quality of the grapes is essential to making great wine. Thus, we work hard in the vineyards to achieve high quality grapes.
It is the culmination of a year of work. We look forward to this moment and monitor the evolution of the maturity of each plot in order to pick the grapes at the optimum time.
I vinify in the respect of the Beaujolais specificities, unique in the world, while practicing some techniques more Burgundian - such as the partial destemming, pigeage, and the control of temperatures. My wines are vinified naturally, without sulphites; which gives them a real and authentic expression of their terroirs.
After aging for 8 to 10 months in vats, my wines are lightly filtered and bottled by ourselves in the spring before being offered for sale 8 to 12 months later.
