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Vineyard - La Demoiselle, Les Oliviers, Le Four, Le Petit Nice...

Fontsainte is many vineyard parcels, each with its own particularities. Our most celebrated is La Demoiselle (the official geological survey name), which gives its name to our wine La Demoiselle - its Carignan vines celebrated their 100th birthday in 2004.

 

Fontsainte's diversity of parcels allows us to maximize the affinities between soil type, aspect, micro-climate and grape variety - to make great terroir wines. Recent replantings - including Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache Gris - have all benefited from exhaustive geology studies of Fontsainte's various parcels' soil structure.

Since Fontsainte's establishment in 1971, vineyard work has been environmentally-sustainable and driven by the credo: "great wines are made in the vineyard". So, we apply a policy of strict pruning to the gobelets (right), while new vines are trellis-trained; treatments are restricted to a minimum (about half of what's typical), localised and not systematic; harvesting is entirely by hand, using small crates.

Vineyard work follows Vitealys specifications, with monitoring by Bureau Veritas.

Bruno Laboucarié explains what Fontsainte's unique terroir adds to the special character of our wines: "early morning - in early summer - there's an aroma in the humid air, warming the vineyard, of pine resin and pollen, cistus in flower, rosemary, thyme, spicy garrigue heath, and woodland undergrowth." Asked what this tastes like in the glass, the usually loquacious Bruno is silent: "that's the indescribable flavour that makes our wines special."

Fontsainte - at a glance

  • Surface area: 51 hectares (La Demoiselle - 5.8 ha)
  • Grape varieties: Old Carignan (60% - av. 70 yrs), Grenache (20%), Syrah (5%), Mourvedre (5%)
  • Soil: Silica-clay-limestone; gritty with some pudding stones.
  • Altitude: 90 metres
  • Aspect: South south-east

 

  
 

 

Domaine de Fontsainte

Route de Ferrals - 11200 Boutenac - France

Tel: +33(0)4 68 27 07 63 - Fax: +33(0)4 68 27 62 01

Email: sep.laboucarie@tiscali.fr

www.fontsainte.com