Certified AB culture
Gentle vinification: Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts only. No added sulfites.
Tasting by appointment at 0615028831.
The story:
Installation in early 2013 on 8 hectares in Oppède, on the northern slope of the Petit Luberon. I took over 7 ha that were in a cooperative, and 1 ha that I was able to vinify as soon as I settled in. Year after year I built this "domain" by freeing up plots from the cooperative, and gradually increasing my volumes in private cellar. In the 2018 vintage I had, for example, 5 hectares in private vinification and 3 hectares still in the cooperative. Today, all the vines that I cultivate are vinified at the domain.
The soils are sandy on the hillsides, and deeper on the banks of the Calavon (clayey limestone marl, and silty safres). All the surfaces are managed organically. Short pruning with two eyes, significant disbudding, to limit yields and leaf stripping to reduce treatments. Some operations (shoeing and unhoeing among others) are carried out using animal traction, in order to limit soil compaction, and also for my pleasure!
The soil is worked if necessary, in order to guarantee an assimilable nitrogen content necessary for future fermentations. The use of tractors is limited as much as possible. The harvest is manual, in small crates.
The vinifications are "natural" : Only grape yeasts (indigenous), spontaneous fermentations, no filtration, only cold decantations to clarify the wines during the winter, and all the wines have been without added sulfites since 2014. The work being for me in the vineyard essentially, once it is done correctly, we can trust our raw material and accompany it rather than constrain it... The temperature control, the aeration of the juices, the racking of the lees, and other mechanical interventions are reasoned according to the kinetics of fermentation and the desired result. I let myself be guided by my senses and my intuitions, with humility, wishing to preserve a part of "magic".
Balance is a quest, patience is the path.

Information

Domain Name:
Val de Combrès
Winemaker's Name:
Valentin L.
Country:
France
Region:
Rhone Valley
Appellations:
AOP Luberon, VSIG, Vin de France, Vin De France, Vallée du Rhône
Foundation Date:
Jan. 1, 2013
Farming:
Organic (AB)
Number of hectares:
8.0
Plough horse:
yes
Number of bottles:
30000
Soils:
argilo calcaire
Grape varieties:
Gros vert, grenache, Greanche noir, Carignan, Grenache, Syrah Grenache, Grenach, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache Noir, Muscat, Cabernet Franc, Clairette, Ugni Blanc, Grenache Gros, Gris Vert, Gros Vert, Roussane, Lival, Roussanne, chardonnay

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Culture AB certifi&eacute;e
Vinification douce : Fermentation spontan&eacute;e en levures indig&egrave;nes uniquement. Sans sulfites ajout&eacute;s.
D&eacute;gustation sur RDV au 0615028831.
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L'histoire :
Installation d&eacute;but 2013 sur 8 hectares à Oppède, sur le versant nord du Petit Luberon. J'ai repris 7 ha qui &eacute;taient en coop&eacute;rative, et 1 ha que j'ai pu vinifier d&egrave;s mon installation. Année après année j'ai construit ce "domaine" en libérant des parcelles de la coopérative, et en augmentant progressivement mes volumes en cave particulière. Au millésime 2018 j'avais, par exemple, 5 hectares en vinification particulière et 3 hectares encore à la coopérative.&nbsp;Aujourd'hui, la totalit&eacute; des vignes que je cultive sont vinifi&eacute;es au domaine.
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Les sols sont sableux sur les coteaux, et plus profonds sur les berges du Calavon (marnes argilo calcaires, et safres limoneux). Toutes les surfaces sont menées en agriculture biologique. Taille courte à deux yeux, ébourgeonnage important, pour limiter les rendements et effeuillage pour réduire les traitements. Certaines opérations (chaussage et déchaussage entre autres) sont effectuées en traction animale, afin de limiter le tassement du sol, et aussi pour mon plaisir !
Le sol est travaillé si besoin, afin de garantir une teneur en azote assimilable nécessaire aux fermentations à venir. Le recours au tracteur est limité au maximum. Les vendanges sont manuelles, en petites caisses.
Les vinifications sont &laquo; naturelles &raquo; : Levures du raisin (indigènes) uniquement, fermentations spontan&eacute;es, pas de filtrations, uniquement des d&eacute;cantations &agrave; froid pour &eacute;claircir les vins pendant l'hiver, et tous les vins sont sans sulfites ajoutés depuis 2014. Le travail étant pour moi dans la vigne essentiellement, une fois celui-ci effectué correctement, on peut faire confiance à sa matière première et l'accompagner plutôt que la contraindre... Le contrôle des températures, l'aération des jus, le soutirage des lies, et autres interventions mécaniques sont raisonnées en fonction de la cinétique de fermentation et du résultat souhaité. Je me laisse guider par mes sens et mes intuitions, avec humilité, en souhaitant conserver une part de &laquo; magie &raquo;.
L'équilibre est une quête, la patience est le chemin.

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