The Estate

Viticultural Area
The estate covers 65 hectares in the town of Donzac in the “Entre Deux Mers” region, on hillsides overlooking the right bank of the river Garonne.
A very hilly vineyard gives a favourable natural drainage and well-exposed vineyards receiving maximum sunlight.
The rational making of grape varieties according to the nature of the soil and the exposure of plots is composed of 2/3 of red varieties (60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc) and 1/3 of white grapes (80% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon).

Monitoring Vineyard
A rational mode of culture in the service of the quality of grapes, respecting vineyards and environment as much as possible :

- Maintenance of soil vineyards: shiftinf from tillage to grass growing on the rank;
- The practice of Bordeaux pruning with 2 fruit-bearing woods, for the best balance of the stump;
- Rational pest control based on parasite pressure;
- Stripping of one side (facing the rising sun or north face) when the cluster is formed to allow the grapes to be ventilated and sunny for a better maturation;
- Maturation is monitored plot by plot.


Grape harvest
Setting a schedule of harvest for each plot and each variety to harvest at optimal maturity.
Harvesting usually begins with sparkling wines, with hand harvest in small crates to preserve the integrity of berries until the filling of the grape-press.
Then comes the time for white wines and rosé wines, which are harvested mechanically.
Then, the mature red Merlots are harvested by machine.
This is the end of September when the morning mist added to the sunshine of the day, allow the development of noble rot (botrytis) on Semillon grapes for the production of sweet wine.
First manual sorting of grapes : only the grapes affected by noble rot are harvested.
Finally, the mature Cabernet Sauvignon are also harvested mechanically.

Winemaking
Since the early stages, the winery has followed evolution : coated concrete vats, stainless steel tanks, insulation, temperature control, pneumatic press, ...
Thus traditional methods of winemaking combined with modern and efficient equipment, optimize the aromatic expression and quality of wines from every land.
After a few months of aging, the wines are clarified, assembled and bottled at the estate by our own hands.


Annual production
450 000 bottles