DOMAINE DES HERBAUGES, France

The vineyards benefit from an exceptional microclimate; the warmth of the Atlantic brings spring early, while the huge Lac de Grandlieu acts like a giant storage heater through growing season. Fourth generation winemaker, Jérôme is committed to the sustainability of the vineyards as well as to the health of the vineyard workers he has even grassed over 100% of the vineyards to reduce the vigour of the vines and to soak up rain at harvest. Each terroir of Domaine des Herbauges expresses its own subtle nuances, and reveals specific particularities and characteristics of the AOC Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu Sur Lie appellation.

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.