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Domaine Pierre Marchand, France

Eric Marchand spent his childhood in the vineyards helping his parents, instilling in him a love for the land. He went on to study viticulture then after graduation he and his brother, Pascal, took over from their father.

Across their 17 hectares they practice minimum intervention as well as conducting a green harvest and debudding in the spring to improve quality further. This allows them to create a concentrated example of Pouilly Fumé with well balanced, crisp gooseberry and blackcurrant leaf fruit overlaid with hints of citrus and minerality.

Viticulture

On this family owned 17 hectare Estate the system of minimum intervention is practised. The soil is analysed to determine if fertiliser is required or not and treatments only carried out if essential. The vines are on average 25 years old and are trained guyot simple. Each year there is green harvest and debudding in the spring in order to improve quality. The vine vigour and yield is reduced further by use of cover crops.

Winemaking

Combining traditional and modern winemaking practices, using a pneumatic press for more finesse because the pressing is long and soft. The wine is aged in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats where it remains until around Easter, the date when it will be bottled and sold at the winery.

Highlights
  • Recover trimmed vine shoots to grind and use as a natural fertiliser. Grass allowed to grow in the rows to help control yields.
  • Minimum intervention methods as well as conducting a green harvest for purity of flavours.
  • The soil is analysed each vintage to determine if fertiliser is required or not and treatments only carried out if essential.