LAVAUX VINEYARDS TERRACCES

GENESIS

The Genesis of our winery is the story of love for the wine passed down from generation to generation to make each tasting a unique journey in the heart of our vineyard.

TERROIR

Great wines, great terroir. A natural logic.

The canton of Vaud, located in the western part of Switzerland, is home to one of the most important viticultural regions of the country. Rich in nearly four thousand hectares, it is divided into four zones distributed at the four cardinal points. Rising east of the Vaudois capital, one of them - Lavaux - dominates Lake Geneva like a belvedere hanging between heaven and earth. Contemplating this show is worth more than a detour: the experience deserves the trip!

We must shape these steep terraces, flagship of the world's natural heritage, the work of Cistercian monks. Formerly established in the abbey of Haut-Crêt, near Oron, these fervent and industrious religious will begin at the request of the Bishop of Lausanne an important work of clearing the uncultivated lands of this corner of the country. From the year 1141 and for nearly two centuries, it is their tireless effort that will forge the magnificent silhouette of the vineyard of Dézaley, located in the heart of Lavaux.

The landscape of Lavaux is a geology book open on some stages of the life of our planet. 30 million years old, the molasses of the subsoil are next to schools of pudding and marl a little more recent. These benches streak the vineyard and form the skeleton. Yet it is the glaciations that will determine the landscape. These repetitive phenomena begin 2 million years ago and finish here 10'000 years leaving traces very visible. The Rhone glacier has dug the trough of Lake Geneva and deposited its moraines, the land of our vineyards.

Highly influenced by the lake, which moderates the temperature differences, the climate of Lavaux is hot in summer, but without excessive drought. Sometimes harsh in winter, it alternates the cold with periods of thaw. The average annual temperature is close to 10 degrees. If it can go down to -7 degrees in January or February, the thermometer will show 25 degrees or more for 30 to 60 days each summer. The westerly wind brings the humidity of the Atlantic, that of the north-east, the bise, a stable and dry weather.

The vineyard benefits from the generosity of the sun thanks to the very favorable orientation of the slope. The heat accumulated in the walls and that reflected by the mirror of the lake in September also contribute to obtaining an optimal maturity of the grape.Bel example of landscape built by the man, Lavaux hangs his vineyard on the slope, between the sky and lake. The vines are not an element of the landscape, but the landscape itself thanks to the innumerable walls constituting terraces superimposed by tens.

REQUIREMENTS

Sensitized from our youngest childhood to respect the values ​​of nature, we operate with conscience, love and enthusiasm the vineyard that is in our hands. The most demanding technicity reinforces the dynamism of our team: human and technical skills are the cornerstones of our field, which can not afford the slightest relaxation. Constantly, we must see, plan, care, monitor, innovate ... Throughout the year, the passionate work of the winegrower comes to perfect the natural gifts of the soil. Promoting quality, bringing it to its highest level of expression, is the noble ambition of the daily efforts made by our field.

The traditional work of soil has been taken over to promote the development of microbial life: plowing, decompaction. Soil tests have resulted in a fertilization plan which, by adding organic matter, provides the necessary balance for a regulated diet. Autumn subsoiling favors better root exploration, thus freeing up all the potential of the terroir. Controlled weeding is practiced on certain plots in order to compete with the vine. It is by limiting the vigor of each vine that one obtains grapes of quality, rich in flavor and in intense perfumes. Planting densities of up to 8,000 plants / hectare, low grape vine load, moderate manure, limited nitrogen input, low vigorous rootstock selection, have no other purpose.

Our vineyard is rich in a millenary history and a multitude of specialties. There are all the varieties of kings of the Lake Geneva - Chasselas, Gamay, Pinot Noir - as well as Diolinoir, Gamaret and the very local Plant-Robert known also under the name of Robez. In addition to our passion for Chasselas, we have a soft spot for the beautiful red wines from our old vines. To date, our grape varieties are made up of a third of specialties.