Domaine du Collier: Vineyards
The vineyards are situated in Brézé, and the domaine has increased in size a little since Antoine’s first purchase of vines in 1999. There are now about 6 hectares planted. Chenin Blanc dominates at a little over 5 hectares, with Cabernet Franc in the minority, with just less than 1 hectare. The Chenin Blanc vines generally range in age from 20 to 75 years of age, although there are some vines more than one hundred years old, particularly those in La Charpentrie, a clos acquired by Antoine and Caroline in 2004; the fruit from these vines is channelled into a more select, site-specific cuvée. The soil underfoot is siliceous clay, although there is surely limestone too.
As you might imagine considering Antoine’s education at Clos Rougeard, this is no industrial, chemically-driven, ‘manufactured’ wine. The scale of work is artisanal, the materials and methods honest and rooted in tradition. The vineyards are worked using organic methods, tilling the soils to control weeds and to remove surface roots. Antoine eschews all suggestions of chemical fertilisers or herbicides. Although it is not widely publicised, the domaine has full organic certification, from Ecocert.
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