Dear friends, Autumn has got off to a great start! With the wine harvest over, our Château Mamin and Château de Lardiley wines are in the final phases of maturation, promising an excellent vintage. In fact, our vines defied this year’s extreme droughts, helped by the work we carried out on the soil to promote deep roots while capturing the morning dew and rain. A big thank you to Alain Malard, a renowned specialist in agroecological viticulture, who has been guiding our efforts. In this newsletter, you can also discover Demeter biodynamic certification (if you don’t already know about it), a Californian client who is passionate about natural wine, and some curious Landais sheep. All the best to you! Vincent. “Let food be thy medicine” – Hippocrates
An excellent 2022 vintage despite the droughts
Our Château Mamin and Château de Lardiley vines withstood the extreme droughts this year, partly thanks to our groundwork that forced the main roots to go deeper, combined with cover crops that captured the morning dew, reduced soil temperature during the day and helped absorb the little rain that fell.
Recently, we sowed the triticale and forage pea that will boost our biotope and protect the soil in 2023. Harvested on August 22, our Sauvignon Gris is in the final stages of alcoholic and malolactic fermentation with no added sulfites. Maturation on lees with weekly stirring will bring the final touches to this excellent vintage. For the Merlot harvested on September 12, along with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot harvested on September 23, alcoholic fermentation is underway with the cap (the skins, stems and seeds that form at the surface) pushed back into the wine to gently extract tannins with no microbiological risk. Since the grapes were small this year, the volume is lower but the quality remains excellent. Devatting will take place around October 17. See our latest wine analyses
A world-class partner: Alain Malard
For the last two years, Alain Malard has been helping me adapt our vineyards to the challenges of climate change. As a consultant with 30 years of experience, Alain is a leading specialist in agroecological viticulture, as well as a trainer in applied permaculture. This expert in traditional, organic, biodynamic and natural wines works across France and internationally. His vision? As he says in the subtitle of this book Vignes, vins et permaculture (Vines, wines and permaculture): “Take care of the earth, take care of humans and share resources fairly.” An inspiration!
Demeter certification: so much more than a label
Demeter is a voluntary certification program for farmers who are dedicated to biodynamic farming. Although organic certification is a basic requirement, Demeter standards are among the most stringent in sustainable farming. For a wine grower, the focus is on producing the healthiest possible grapes to avoid chemicals or additives during vinification and enable the wines to fully express their origins and vintage. Each vat is certified annually, along with the entire estate, which must use specific biodynamic preparations in line with the rhythms of nature, while adapting to the needs of flora and fauna. Taking our time, listening to nature, promoting soil fertility, paying attention to our animals, food and health, respecting nature and each other… More than a label, Demeter is above all a way of life! See our latest Demeter certificate See a comparison of organic and Demeter-certified wines (in French)
Château de Lardiley Rosé endorsed by Dry Farm Wines
Since the harvest of 2021, BioEthik Bordeaux has sold its Château de Lardiley Rosé wine exclusively to Dry Farm Wines, a Californian company that aims to curate the purest natural wines in the world. Founder Todd White says he discovered natural wines in 2015 while on a quest to improve his longevity and quality of life. Aiming for “conscious consumption,” he decided to drink only wines that were organically farmed, free of sugar and additives, low in alcohol and sulfite, and lab tested. “Wow,” he says, “It was an incredible difference. The taste, the purity, the entire experience.” We’re proud he endorses Château de Lardiley Rosé. Thank you, Dry Farm Wines!
Love it!
Did you know that sheep are both curious and affectionate? In this video, taken in the spring, you can see some of our Landais ewes who always come to say hello!