Our vineyards

Located in the northern Rhone valley, 15km north of Valence and close to the 45th parallel, the vineyards extend over 25ha, six communes and three appellations:

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The enormous richness of the Domaine lies in the diversity, the complexity and the quality of its exceptional terroirs.

The Soils

• Clay Limestones

This soil is composed of white limestone clay also known as Kaolin.
The vines can root to great depths to seek out the minerals they need for healthy growth.
Larnage is the only commune in the Croze-Hermitage appellation to benefit from this type of soil.

On this soil we produce the following:

  • Crozes-Hermitage blanc Les Terres Blanches
  • Crozes-Hermitage blanc Roche Blanche
  • Crozes-Hermitage rouge Cuvée Louis BELLE

• Granite

Granite is a rock made up of small quartz and feldspar crystals, which breaks down and cracks, leaving a red-brown gravel on the surface. This type of soil can be found in Larnage, Crozes and Tournon.

On this soil we produce the following:

  • Crozes-Hermitage rouge Roche Pierre
  • St Joseph rouge Les Rivoires

• Galets

Terraces of rounded pebbles (galets), worn smooth by the Rhone and associated with red clay soils are found In the commune of Pont d’Isere in the south of the Crozes-Hermitage appellation.
On this soil we produce:

  • Crozes-Hermitage rouge Les Pierrelles

• Permeable limestone, sand and gravel

Limestone soils with a southern exposure producing our prestigious:

  • Hermitage blanc
  • Hermitage rouge

These different soil types, together with the grape varieties in our appellations, Marsanne and Roussanne for our white wines and Syrah for the reds, allow us to produce cuvees with their own distinct flavour profiles and tannin structures.

Our routine pursuit of low yields (20 to 40hl per hectare) leads us to practice close pruning and the very moderate application of organic manure. Rigorous viticultural practices (mechanically working the soil, reasoned use of natural phytosanitary treatments, leaf thinning, green harvesting when necessary, and manual harvesting) allow the full quality potential of the varieties to be brought to the fore.

A favourable micro-climate allows the grapes to reach a perfect maturity and an excellent quality before harvesting.