DOMAINE DES HERBAUGES, France

Winemaker Jérôme is as committed to this as he is to the sustainability of his vineyards. Once harvested, he ferments at low temperatures to conserve the natural aromas of the fruit, then matures the wine on the lees from 8 to 14 months with regular bâtonnage. Bottling takes place straight after fermentation, leaving the wine with a light, natural spritz.

Viticulture

To allow the terroirs to better express their particular characteristics through the wines, the choice was made over 30 years ago to turn towards Sustainable Agriculture, towards clean and environmentally responsible farming. The perfect balance between modern intensive agriculture and organic agriculture techniques, the innovative Sustainable Agriculture methods provide a guarantee of optimum quality in perfect harmony with the environment. They practice natural grass control which allows an excellent regulation of the soil moisture and of the yields obtained from the vines. Pioneers in this regard, they intentionally seek to reduce yields in order to obtain the highest quality.

Winemaking

The must is cooled and maintained at a temperature between 7 and 9°C for up to 48 hours of cold-settling. The goal is to preserve the maximum expression of fruit and terroir. The heavier particles descend to the bottom naturally by gravity and the clear top juice is decanted. This process is called cold racking (débourbage à froid). After another 3 to 5 days of cold-settling, fermentation starts very slowly and is continually and carefully temperature controlled to maintain the bright aromatics and freshness specific to each of our varieties and terroirs. It takes between 15 to 18 days for natural yeasts to convert the sugar into alcohol.