The diversity of our terroirs, or soils, has led us to adapt a whole range of farming techniques, both time-honoured and modern, to obtain the finest grapes, with the greatest of respect for the vine and the environment. With experience and according to the season, we work the soil or employ natural seeding or sowing. Systematic weeding was abandoned long ago and the residual excluded from our treatments, because environmental protection is a top priority here at the domain. For many years now we have been employing the “integrated pest management” method, which, to a large extent, calls on close observation of the vines and a perfect knowledge of the biology of disease. Thanks to this method, only environmentally sound, or “green” products are used on our vines, products that have no persistence in the soil.

Trellising at Clos de la Dioterie

In the same way, we replant and replace vine stocks with massal selections from our own vines only (propagation by cuttings from old Clos de la Dioterie and Clos du Chêne Vert).

Limiting yields is also one of our major concerns. Vital for producing healthy and highly concentrated grapes – and requiring all the experience and expertise of the vineyard team.

These tasks are in fact always difficult, often long and even rather tedious, to say the least!
But they are essential and every year, apart from a short winter pruning, we debud the top of the vines and get rid of the laterals, before destemming and green harvesting.
To this is added thinning out the vine leaves by hand, an operation aimed at exposing the grapes to the sun and air for enhanced ripening.

With manual harvesting, we can ensure a last, but absolutely vital, qualitative sorting.


Description of the Vines:

Plateau de Beaumont en Véron - Le Coin Mesnier		The terroir of Beaumont-en-Véron The 10 ha of vines planted in 1988 on this siliceous plateau located between the Loire and the Vienne form the estate's most consistent plot. Average yield: 45 hl/ha (or 1,820 litres per acre).
Sazilly - Bois de Jaunais		The left bank of the Vienne river On this tight stretch of what was once the Vienne riverbed and hence on alluvial soil, the 12 ha of vines that were planted between 1969 and today, lie between the communes of Anché and Sazilly. Average yield: 45 hl/ha (or 1,820 litres per acre).
Sazilly - Le Clos de la Cure		Le Clos de la Cure In 1974, there were 2 ha of vines planted on this gravelly soil with clayey subsoil, which corresponds to the high alluvia of the Vienne river. This plot, on the left bank, just in front of Sazilly church, has an average yield of 45 hl/ha (or 1,820 litres per acre).
Sazilly - Les Varennes du Grand Clos		Les Varennes du Grand Clos At the foot of the gravelly terrace formed, in part, by the erosion of the limestone slope, this very particular silico-clay and silico-calcareous terroir lies on the left bank of the Vienne, in Sazilly. These 4.5 ha (10.8 acres) of vines planted between 1962 and 1976 have an average yield of 40 hl/ha (or 1,620 litres per acre).
Chinon - Le Clos du Chêne Vert		Le Clos du Chêne Vert This is one of Chinon’s most legendary sites, actually located in the town itself, at Haute Olive, on the right bank of the Vienne. The very steep slope of the small two-hectare south-west facing vineyard and its clay and silico-calcareous soil explains why it is one of the oldest "crus" (growths) of the appellation. The site owes its name to the monumental chêne vert (green oak) that stands proud at the top of the plot. This tree is the new growth of an eight hundred-year-old tree planted by the monks of Bourgueil abbey in the 12th century. Average yield: 30 hl/ha (or 1,210 litres per acre).
Sazilly - Le Clos de la Dioterie		Le Clos de la Dioterie Next to the winery, it dominates the Varennes du Grand Clos. This vineyard of over a little more than two hectares boasts incredibly old vines (70 to 80 years), highly calcareous clayey soil and north-east exposure, everything needed for perfect grape maturity. These very old vines, with a low yield (30 hl/ha – or 1,210 litres per acre), are given all the care and attention they need to flourish.
		Les Varennes du Grand Clos Franc de Pied This one-hectare plot of non-grafted vines was planted in 1982, in conjunction with INRA. Half of the plot was replanted in 1992 and 1995. Produced from the same terroir as Les Varennes du Grand Clos, Les Varennes Franc de Pied is vinified separately in vintages that seem to best distinguish their typicity. This experiment should produce all the typicity of "pre-grafted" Cabernet Franc, but there is a risk, however, of phylloxera resurfacing. We limit the yield of this plot to 30 hl/ha (or 1,210 litres per acre).
St-Germain-sur-Vienne - Le Clos de la Plante Martin		Le Clos de la Plante Martin (A.O.C. Touraine) The argilo-calcareous soil of this magnificent slope on the right bank of the Vienne, on the edge of the A.O.C. Chinon, is exceptional for growing Chenin Blanc. That is why, to reveal the identity and complexity of this variety to the fullest, we chose the soil over the appellation. Today, it extends over a little more than three hectares (planted between 1994 et 1999). Average yield: 20 to 30 hl/ha (or 810 to 1,215 litres per acre), sometimes less.