Viticulture

In vines

We are fully committed to respecting the terroirs, landscape and traditional grapes varieties

For our family estate located in the far northeast of the appellation, on limestone and marl hillsides, the most important work is done at the vineyard. Throughout the seasons, we favour manual and traditional work in order to preserve this richeness that allows us to make great wines.
Welcome to the heart of a preserved ecosystem where old vines, garrigue scrubland and holm oaks have lived side by side for many years.
Our vineyard is on average over 45 years old guaranteeing a very high quality. The old vines of the domain correspond to the first plantations of our grandfather. With less than a bottle per vine stock, these old vines require even more attention. We value manual and traditional labor, from cutting to harvest to make sure they get the best care.

To preserve carefully our old vines

The vineyard of Romane and La Machotte is planted according to the natural hillside topography of the estate. It is run as naturally as possible and steep slopes are equipped with drainage or ground covered to limit the erosion.  Yields are limited (about 30 hectolitres per hectare) for an optimal concentration of aromas.
To obtain an optimal grapes maturation we do not hesitate to take time to thin out leaves and to select bud. Grapes are harvested by hand for a perfect sorting.

Since the 2023 vintage, our IGP Viognier Clairette and AOC Gigondas wines are certified organic.

Maintaining and Sustaining the Vineyard

Since 2019, plantation work has been underway on the heights of our vineyard.

Planted in the 1950s, the oldest part of our Gigondas vineyard requires restructuring in some areas. The highest plots of the estate located at 500 meters altitude and composed of Syrah, are particularly affected. Every year since 2019, we undertake uprooting and planting in small clusters.

In 2023, we conducted trials of “in-place grafting.” This technique involves initially planting the rootstock and then inserting the scion one or two years later. The main advantage of this type of grafting is to benefit from a functional root system, allowing for earlier and more vigorous grape production.

In 2024, 1.63 hectares of Cinsault from mass selection were added to the grape varieties. Since March 2023 and the new appellation decree, Cinsault becomes in Gigondas a complementary grape variety like Syrah and Mourvèdre. This approach is a desire of Gigondas winemakers because Cinsault offers the advantage of being drought-resistant in a context of climate change. It should therefore thrive on this high-altitude (475 m) plot on north-facing slopes, with a dry and arid limestone soil. However, it will still be necessary to wait for its 4th year to harvest its fruits and see its potential expressed.

Concerned about the quality and originality of our vineyard, we have made mass selections for our future plantations. Instead of buying young vine plants, we chose our scions by cutting shoots from the beautiful vines of the estate. This technique allows us to preserve the genetic diversity of the vineyard and thus the quality of our production. It is particularly interesting because our estate has very old vines well adapted to our terroir, which constitute a viticultural plant heritage to be preserved.

Plantation gigondas pierre amadieu

Our expertise in winemaking

Discover our vineyard in spring time