Ferrandiere Malbec

The vines are planted on
the old saltwater marsh of Marseillette and on the hillsides of Saint
Frichoux. Deep beneath the clay soils lies a bed of salt and we are able
to remove the salinity using the very specialised technique of flooding
the vineyards in winter. This also protects the vines from frost
damage. As these soils are not susceptible to phylloxera, we can plant
ungrafted vines. The estate, covering 100 ha, benefits from a
Mediterranean climate but due to the relief of the terrain, there are
large variations between day and night-time temperatures.

18 grape varieties, very, typical of the
Languedoc-Roussillon region, are produced on the estate such as Grenache
and Grenache blanc, Pinot gris, Alicante, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet
Franc, Merlot, Marselan, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon blanc,
Chardonnay, Vermentino, Riesling and Viognier.

The vines, aged between 7 and 25 years old are machine
harvested and trained using the Cordon de Royat and Guyot simple
methods. The estate is farmed sustainably and is certified by Terra
Vitis, producing wines classified as IGP Pays d’Oc and Coteaux de
Miramont. The yield is around 65 hl/ha with a planting density of 5400
vines per hectare. The estate’s top wines are the Grand blanc
(Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon blanc and Pinot Gris) the Grand Rouge
(Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Marselan and Petit Verdot), the Riesling
and the Pinot Gris Frisante.