Domaine de la Marotte - Julie Thelen & Xavier Auboux
We have been established as independent winemakers since 2021. For many years, we made wine in our garage using grapes from abandoned vineyards. Subsequently, we completed several training courses in the wine industry.
Our La Marotte estate is located in the Hérault department, north of Béziers, near Bédarieux. Currently, we cultivate 4 hectares of vines in the foothills of the Caroux mountain in Clairac, in the commune of La Tour-sur-Orb.
The vines are cultivated using organic farming methods (Ecocert) and the grape varieties are very diverse. Two-thirds are old goblet-trained Carignan Blanc and Noir, Cinsault, Œillade, Ugni Blanc, Aramon, Terret (all three colors), Grenache, Vermentino, Mourvèdre, Morastel, Alicante, Clairette, Grand Noir de la Calmette... One-third of the vines are younger, trained on wires, using the Royat cordon system with Carignan, and the Guyot system with Grenache and Merlot.
We use manure, organic fertilizers, and green manures to promote soil life. One year, our friend Fifou came with his horse Falco and his sled to help us spread the manure and work the soil. We have a tracked vehicle and a quad bike for all our treatments and soil work. We care for the vines with plant preparations like nettle manure and horsetail teas, and we also have to use sulfur and copper, but always in small amounts. We trained in "gentle or physiological pruning" with Marceau Bourdarias, and we try to respect the vines as much as possible, making as few large wounds as possible to support their resilience.
The winemaking process takes place in a village cellar where an old vertical hydraulic press dating from 1930 has been restored to working order. Winemaking is carried out without any additives from start to finish. Stainless steel and fiberglass tanks are used for fermentation and aging.
In 2022, 2023, and 2024, we produced several cuvées focused on finesse, fruit, and lightness. To bring out the fruit, we destem by hand using a traditional grape-felling tool and a good deal of manual dexterity for a good portion of the grapes. We perform punch-downs and pump-overs as needed, but always gently. We carry out one or two rackings depending on the year and the wines' needs, ideally by gravity, as our cellar with its additional floor allows, otherwise we use our helical pump, always with care. Bottling generally takes place from the end of February to March, in clear weather, when the good weather returns, and also according to the lunar calendar.
Finally, following the good advice of our winegrower friends/neighbors, we made the choice to put a large part of our wines in capsules, even the so-called "still" wines, for ease of work and to ensure that the CO2 protects them from oxidation...
(Text credit: grain cave à vin)
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