La Ferme du Cade

Since taking over my grandfather's 8 hectares of vines in 2005, I have perpetuated his expertise (working the soil with minimal pesticides) and by selling to the village cooperative winery. Very early on, the desire to convert my vines to organic farming became obvious to me, undoubtedly due to viticulture courses taught by a professor passionate about biodynamics and her desire to share her knowledge.

But the cooperative manager told me to do as everyone else did, which I did. The low prices I was paid for grapes led me to manage 35 hectares of vines to try and earn enough to live on. The wines from the cooperative winery made from my grapes didn't meet my expectations.

Things changed in 2011 with the meeting of Valentin Valles at the Gressac estate (an organic estate since the 70s) where I took over the management of the vineyard and discovered natural wine and its vinification, with a terroir and grape aromas without artifice.

This is what inspired the change. I continued to take care of the vineyard and the winemaking at the Gressac estate alongside my own vines.

In 2014, with my farm leases expiring, I decided to terminate them and keep only my grandfather's land, which I then converted to organic farming in 2017. The cooperative, unwilling to produce organic wine, allowed me to leave. We started selling grapes to natural winemakers in the region and beyond, such as Valentin Valles and the Soulier brothers…

In 2018, with the encouragement of Charles Soulier and Valentin Valles, we created Ferme du Cade. This was the beginning of our wines made in our garage; it was a small production.

Alongside my wife Vicky, we started to build up a small flock of sheep that we graze in the vineyards during the winter.

In 2022, we moved the cellar into the old family home, transforming it into a proper winemaking facility after several years of renovations. Today, we vinify our 8 hectares of vines, planted with different grape varieties (Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette), producing various cuvées, and we also raise 26 ewes.

We are located in the northeast of the Gard region, in the Cèze valley, near southern Ardèche in Saint Laurent de Carnols. Our vineyard benefits from the coolness of the Cèze at night after the heat of the day.

This unique climate and our work in the vineyard result in balanced, pure wines with a beautiful freshness. Vinification is carried out using indigenous yeasts and without oenological additives, fining, or filtration. We allow ourselves a small dose of sulfites, depending on the vintage and cuvée.