Domaine Dubois Benjamin
I have been taking care of 2.4ha of vines since March 2022 and the pruning season. The company allowing me to produce wine was created in July 2022. It is 1.4ha of Syrah from 1999 and 1ha of Négrette from 1978. The vines are located north of Toulouse in Fronton. Both plots are bordered by acacia and oak woods. The Syrah is slightly sloping facing South-East and the Négrette facing South.
The vines are not under the organic label but I drive them as they are.
To fight against diseases, I use organic control methods, which go beyond the BIO label specifications such as the diffusion of fungus on the ground at the end of winter allowing to occupy the environment before the development diseases (BlackRot, mildew, etc.).
I also use sprays of nettle and dried seaweed to bring some nutrients to the vines.
The rows are 100% grassed, I simply perform mechanical work underfoot using a tractor to limit their development and water competition.
The vines have therefore been conducted in "BIO+" for 2 years, but I have also changed the pruning mode to respect the flow of sap. Pruned using Guyot Poussard, known as "taille douce", the vines have since revealed much more intense foliage and development.
The harvest is done after tasting the berries.
I vinify in the neighboring castle, Château Terre Fauve, themselves in organic conversation since 2021 and using natural methods.
The château's cellar dates back several centuries and is semi-buried allowing natural temperature control.
To allow the maximum expression of the grape, out of 4 cuvées, 3 are sulphite-free and a third with a very low rate.
The fermentations are made with indigenous yeasts, without fining or filtration. Clarification is done through settling and severe underdrawing using gravity and the cold that sets in in winter.
Fermentation and aging take place in concrete vats with pumping over to aerate the must. I also use for the aging of barrels having had 4 or 5 wines to bring a little roundness to the wine, without the woody side.