Working With Nature
Frédéric further explains how his thoughts about organic viticulture evolved: «It became an obvious
question to me, how could wine, which originates from an organic source, nurtured by a soil
chemistry replete with living natural organisms, cope with introduced inorganic fertilizers and
pesticides?
It is only thanks to a better knowledge of soil and wine chemistry that it becomes possible to
develop harmonious viticulture and to produce wines that benefit from the synergy of the plant and
its terroir. We have to work with nature and not against it.»
Organic wines: between tradition and modernity
From 1984 to 1990, Frédéric produced exclusively Frontignan Muscat.
In 1990, driven by the need
to create a range of wines, he started using small-berried muscat to produce dry white wine, then
sweet wine and finally « vendanges surmûries » wine or wine from late-harvested grapes.
In 2000,
he planted red grape varieties, including syrah, mourvèdre or grenache to produce high-expression
red wines, some of which were aged in oak casks. In 2011 more white varieties, such as white
grenache or vermentino, were planted in order to offer another type of dry white wine.
Traditional
close-to-the-ground « gobelet pruning » is applied to the vines, with trellising to maximise grape
quality. The soil is lightly tilled to force the roots to go deeper for water in periods of drought.
Manual work—planting, grafting, pruning, hoeing and harvesting—is favored, since it is more
respectful of the delicate nature of the plant and the soil. For example, Mézenc, a Comtois draft
horse, is used instead of a tractor to work some narrow and old vine plots and at harvest time, he
carries the crated grapes.
