9 hectares of vines , including 4.5 in the Minervois appellation

20 hectares of fields and 20 hectares of woods in “the hill” surround the Château Armoria.
It is this unit, conducted in organic farming , which allows work on biodiversity.

A diverse terroir

Located in Laure-Minervois , on the foothills of the Montagne Noire, the estate offers, over a small area, varied soils:

• Very clayey on certain plots,
• Clayey-limestone or sandy on others.

Thanks to this terroir, freshness is the main characteristic of Armoria wines.

An agroecological approach

I work in harmony with the living , with an agroecological approach. Everything is done to allow the balance and life of the soil:

• Plant cover with cereal and legume grass,
• Respect for the soil with a minimum of plowing ,
• Pastoralism , welcoming sheep and their lambs on all plots.

Nest boxes have been installed for tits and bats, and trees and shrubs have been reintroduced into the hedges around the vines.

Heritage and atypical grape varieties

The majority of the vines are made up of old grape varieties emblematic of the region:

Carignan , Grenache , Mourvèdre , complemented by Syrah (40 to 65 years old).
Alongside them, the young plants of white Carignan , gray , white Grenache , white and gray Terret will be the future white vintages.
An atypical grape variety in Minervois, Ugni (from the South-West), adds a touch of originality to the range.

A cellar between tradition and modernity

The large cellar is the memory of 7 generations of winegrowers .
Magnificent stone arches, remains of old casks, stand alongside concrete vats and stainless steel vats.
The play of light and shadow brings a special magic to this space.

Respectful winemaking practices

Our ancestors did not have the technology, but they had common sense and respect for good practices:

• No pumping or crushing of the harvest,
• A work in gentleness and fluidity , respecting the natural principle of gravity .

The press, hydraulic and vertical, remains an old craftsmanship respectful of the fruit .

Creative micro-vinification

No industry here: in the cellar, we micro-vinify on the plot , in traditional vinification or in carbonic maceration.
The underlying idea is creativity , offering maximum possibilities when blending wines.

The use of sulfites

• No sulfites in winemaking, only during bottling, except for the Filante sulfite-free and Ancrage vintages using the natural method .