We are convinced it is necessary to produce robust wines and feel concerned about being in harmony with the laws of "alive". That's why we were granted the "Agriculture Bio" label for organic farming (AB) and the "Demeter" one for biodynamic agriculture.
These certificates were obtained in 2003 by Quality France for the AB label and in 2005 for the international Demeter one.
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Here are the essential elements of our method as seasons go by:
1 - The relation with the soil:
In order to maintain fertilization we enrich the soil with fresh humus It also has an effect on the activity of the nematodes which constitute the fungal link between the “mycorhization of the soil and the sap of plants.
a - Compost: We spread 45O tons of animal manure on the soil ; it is degraded by the salivary flow and the stomach chyme of the cattle and mixed with residues of distilled marcs and fresh straw. It is worked all year round to be spread in autumn on 70 hectares.
b - The pulverisation of horn dung is the key element of the Steiner method: In the autumn equinox the cow dung is put inside dead animals horns and buried until the spring equinox. This way, we obtain a strong humic concentration (500 bacteria per gramme labelled as 500 p). The pulverization of 7 grammes per hectare stimulates growth in spring, delays the descent of sap in autumn and favors the setting up of the wintry lawn.
c - The pulverizing of silica "liqueur of life": (quartz powder revitalized and pulverized by 5 grammes per hectare with addition of valerian) regulates the growth of plants, drains humid soils during the spring rains which are responsible for the development of "plasmapora viticola" (mildew fungus). The valerian reduces the stress provoked by the wind which blows very strongly in the area and can contaminate the plants with "érisyphe necator" (oidium fungus). 4 pulverizations of silica are generally made on the vineyard.
d - The stimulation is made by the preparation of homeopathic medicine according to the Hanemann method.
It consists in reducing the superficial tension of rainwater or of water from the well which acts as a catalyst on the preparations that are permanently diluted.
Valerian regulates thermal and hydric stress.
The yarrow has a link with phosphor and increases the effect of sulfur on the treatment of downy mildew.
The stinging nettle stimulates fertilization and provides the plant with the iron necessary to photosynthesis. It is also the case with horsetail and wicker which stimulate the defenses of the plant cell against the organic enemies and the cryptograms.
e - Milk and whey: as from 2005, we joined the association of wines produced from organic agriculture to test the efficiency of milk or whey on the treatment of oidium. The active ingredient is lactoferrine, the enzyme which cleans the ferrous substratum on which the fungus develops. However, lactoferrine has no effect when isolated from its organic connections. What is needed is full cream milk or whey diluted by 20 %.
2 - Ploughing:
In autumn, earthing-up decompresses the soils pressed down by the tractors and favors the setting up of “micorhization” on the rows. As time goes by, thanks to the sowing of buckwheat, other cereals and carefully selected leguminous plants, lawn grows and is left uncut in one row out of two until spring.
On the one hand, the life of the soil is stimulated by the presence of worms and nematodes. In organic agriculture, 1 ton of worms per hectare moves 6 tons of earth. In a 100-day life cycle, 600 tons can be cultivated easily.
Our lawns are set up from primary plantations - buckwheat, spelt. Indeed, we prefer seeing a thick bunch of rootlets on “common raygrass” to an ear of rye growing from selected grain.
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| Photo of a plant of and its bundle of rootlets compared to a stalk of rye. | ||
In spring, work is inverted by the earthing down and the cleaning of the vine stock either mechanically or manually.
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| Mechanical and manual cleaning | |
The old Carignan stocks, an ancestral grape variety grown on the property cannot stand up to the de-earthing machines, that is why, we resort to using horses : Havana, Percheron, which belong to Nicolas Fabrié, who works as a provider on the property.
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| Old vine trunk | Boby Franc-Comtois grazing on the hills of Malavieille. |
3 - Crop and winemaking:
When the grapes reach their optimal maturity, they contain the best concentration of polyphenols and flavonoids. Thus, two ways or harvesting are in use : manual and /or mechanized harvest
Besides, the Demeter label not only imposes maceration from indigenous wine yeast but also puts restrictions on the use of fermentation additives and limits the quantity of sulphurous anhydride to 30 % of the traditional dose.
All this tends to show how concerned we are about the selection of the grape berries as we know that the bloom which covers the pulp stores the aromas and fermentation yeasts.
We are also pay attention to the lunar calendar (our active memory) and to the revolving of planets and constellations of the solar system, the network of interconnections which transcend time and space.
The continuation of the biodynamic method meets the analytical requirements which make wine and flavor the most studied products in agriculture.
In Malavieille, grapes ferment in concrete tanks, three of which, the most ancient ones, are inserted inside the rock : they date from the 15th century.
We pay attention to the control of temperatures because of the long macerations (lasting 22 and 24 days) during which we extract fruit and aroma.
Punching and reassembling are done twice a day, as well as tasting and analyzing. Afterwards , press juices are separated from grape pomace and put into barrels in the underground wine storehouse. There, malolactic degradation develops thanks to the stirring of the lees.
The white grapes are directly pressed, the must settles and the grapes ferment in the barrels. The temperatures are controlled in order to suppress the woody taste.
4 - Description of the wines:
The 17 grape varieties of the property offer a wide range of aromas and subtle bodies.
White grape varieties:
- Grenache, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Viognier, Roussane, Vermentino, Chenin, Terret Bourret, Carignan blanc, Petit Manseng.
Red grape varieties:
- Carignan : 60-to-90-year-old vine plant,
- Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Portan, Merlot, Cabernet Franc.
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| Carignan | Sauvignon | Chardonnay | Petit Manseng |
All the grape varieties grow on the soils of the Languedoc region, only the old ones can benefit from the AOP label (French top quality wines). As for the others , they will be assembled in a special reserve called Pays d'Oc - IGP (Protected Geographical Indication).
