Val de Combrès - Valentin Létoquart

• Certified organic farming
• Gentle winemaking: Spontaneous fermentation using only indigenous yeasts. No added sulfites.
• Tasting by appointment at 0615028831.

The story:

I established my vineyard in early 2013 on 8 hectares in Oppède, on the northern slopes of the Petit Luberon. I took over 7 hectares that were previously owned by a cooperative, and 1 hectare that I was able to vinify immediately upon arrival. Year after year, I built this "estate" by freeing up plots from the cooperative and gradually increasing my production in my own cellar. In the 2018 vintage, for example, I had 5 hectares under my own vinification and 3 hectares still with the cooperative. Today, all the vines I cultivate are vinified at the estate.

The soils are sandy on the hillsides and deeper on the banks of the Calavon (clay-limestone marl and silty sandstone). All the land is farmed organically. Short pruning to two buds, significant bud thinning to limit yields, and leaf removal to reduce treatments. Some operations (hilling and under-hilling, among others) are carried out using animal traction to limit soil compaction, and also for my own enjoyment!

The soil is worked as needed to ensure sufficient nitrogen for the subsequent fermentations. Tractor use is kept to a minimum. The grapes are harvested by hand, into small crates.

The winemaking process is "natural" : only indigenous grape yeasts are used, fermentations are spontaneous, there is no filtration, only cold settling to clarify the wines during the winter, and all wines have been sulfite-free since 2014. Since my work is primarily in the vineyard, once it's done correctly, you can trust the raw material and guide it rather than force it. Temperature control, juice aeration, lees racking, and other mechanical interventions are carefully considered based on the fermentation kinetics and the desired result. I humbly allow myself to be guided by my senses and intuition, hoping to preserve a touch of "magic."

Balance is a quest, patience is the path.