Terroir and vineyard


Terroir


With fast-draining gravel soils and the quick-warming air brought about by the surrounding urban environment, the vine-growing season starts early. 

The fast-draining nature of this terroir encourages the vines to delve down into a healthy, almost infertile sub-soil that enables a deep rooting system.

The best exposed plots are planted with the Cabernet-Sauvignon variety, which can attain high levels of ripeness here.  



Vineyard

  • Soil and sub-soil: a layer of Günz-type Pyrenean gravel.
  • 22.50 hectares (56 acres) planted with red grape varieties: Cabernet-Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 35%, and Petit Verdot 5%
  • 3.25 hectares (8 acres) planted with white grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc 90% and Sémillon 10%
  • Average age of the vines:  25 years
  • Density of plantation:  Between 6,900 vines per hectare and 10,000 vines per hectare.

Vine-growing methods


Since 2018, the vineyard has gained HEV certification (High Environmental Value), an undertaking reflecting our concern to protect biodiversity and the health of our vine-workers. Biocontrol products are thus applied, while we have banned from use all so-called CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic) products.

•    Traditional ploughing.
•    Mixed Guyot and Single Guyot pruning.
•    De-leafing on the east-side of the row at the beginning of July.
•    Crop thinning at the beginning of August at veraison.
•    Hand-harvesting spread out over a period of around 6 weeks.
•    Harvesting in small crates for the white grapes.