Location
Nestling in the heart of the Faugères appellation, our vineyards cover just over 23 hectares on the foothills of the Cévennes overlooking the village of Laurens. The vines, planted at an ideal altitude of 180 meters, are between 30 and 60 years old and naturally produce low yields.
Grape variety
100% Carignan : the vines are over 50 years old
Soil
The soil is dominated by the sandstone schist of Laurens-Cabrières, like the neighbouring areas of the Faugérois Hills. This type of soil presents a fragile structure which is slightly acidic and can be difficult for the vines, but when treated with adapted cultivation methods, provides well balanced vines.
The climate in 2020
An early vintage, largely due to heavy rainfall in October and November 2019 followed by a very mild winter. The rains in April then stimulated a quick start to budding and great care was required to counter attacks of mildew. The hot, dry summer allowed the berries to ripen well and to remain in perfect health. The month of September was marked by a few stormy episodes which forced us to split the harvest, fortunately without affecting the quality of the grapes.
Pruning and yield
Short goblet style pruning for low yields of 25 to 30 hl/ha.
Vinification
Hand harvesting of very ripe grapes.
The idea was to create a cuvee purely from this variety, with a short maturing time to preserve the fruity characteristics.
We therefore chose to combine carbonic maceration (50%) to contribute aromatic flair and texture on the palate with traditional vinification (50%) to maintain fruity freshness and purity. We have produced 3,800 bottles of this new wine.
Tasting notes
Our work since the creation of the estate has enabled us to bring back the good old Carignan.
And this 2020 vintage expresses the remarkable potential of this grape.
A beautiful deep purple color. Aromas of black berries, Ente plums, slate and rockrose.
Fresh and full-bodied on the palate with a wonderfully rounded finish.
Our story
The 1998 harvest yields only 45 hectolitres of wine, on an area of 2.5 hectares of vines. It's not much, but it's very good! It will be the reference vintage, with the will to progress each year. Modest in size at the beginning, the estate has gradually grown to reach 23 hectares today. The grape varieties are those of the Faugères appellation: syrah, grenache, lledoner pelut, carignan and mourvèdre, plus some very old vines of grey grenache planted in 1958!
Other little stories
On a qualitative but demanding terroir, the yields are always voluntarily low, around 25hl/ha. Rigorous, demanding and perfectionist, Thierry Rodriguez knows from experience that the soil gives back what it is given. No good wine without beautiful, healthy and ripe grapes. No cultivation without respect for nature. Here, there is no revolution, but common sense on the part of the farmers and practices that respect the environment and biodiversity. The landscape is hilly, the vines are surrounded by natural hedges, woods and forests of holm oak, cork oak and garrigue (strawberry bush, cade, rockrose, heather, broom, thyme). In 2016, the special care taken in the vineyard earned the estate HVE (High Environmental Value) certification. Built in 2013, the cellar is modern and functional. The vinification equipment was chosen to preserve the quality of the harvest as much as possible. The harvest is manual, the grapes are sorted in the vineyard and then brought whole to the cellar. The ambition is to produce great wines, expressive, fruity, with soft and silky tannins and yet with good ageing potential. As soon as fermentation is finished, the wines are put into French oak barrels to mature for 12 to 18 months.
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