Domaine Des Rutissons - Laurent Fondimare et Wilfrid Debroize
The Estate, located in St Vincent de Mercuze, borrowed its name from the inhabitants of the town: indeed, they are called the Rutissons.
The valley of Grésivaudan, and in particular the slopes of the right bank have always welcomed the vine culture. At its peak, the production of wine could amount to 100,000 hl. The valley has counted up to 5 cooperative cellars.
The town of St Vincent de Mercuze has hosted one of these wineries, and the presence of the vine is rooted in its history. Thus, in the communal archives, from 1780, appears the notion of harvest ban. Then, in the communal archives of July 3, 1786, are we talking about "... floats and carts up to the neighboring vines ...". Finally, is not St. Vincent the "boss of winemakers"?
The vine is grown organically while respecting the natural balance of the vineyard.
Interventions are measured and reflected according to the needs of the vineyard, but also according to climatic constraints and parasitic constraints.
Any operation is limited to its strict necessity to promote a harmonious growth of the vine, but not excessive, while impacting at least the flora and microfauna of the vineyard. The estate is currently undergoing reflection to change its working methods towards biodynamics.
In general, winemaking is carried out as naturally as possible, without any external additives. The goal is to preserve the intrinsic character of each variety and its terroir.
Thus, the harvest is exclusively done by hand, selecting the healthiest grapes. This first sort eliminates berries that can be infected or sick. This operation is important since it allows the use of sulphites to be moderate.
During fermentations, no external yeast is added. Fermentations are made with native yeasts, naturally occurring on the skin of grapes.
The wines are aged on their lees, some are in oak barrels. All the wines evolve between a few months and a year in the cellar, in order to refine their character.
The vinifications are conducted in such a way that they highlight the originality and typicality of each grape variety.