Julien et Clément Raimbault: Vineyards
Today Julien and Clément Raimbault tend approximately 21 hectares of vines, all within the Sancerre appellation. Most of their vines are planted on the slopes around Maimbray and Sury-en-Vaux, with some slightly (very slightly) further afield in Verdigny and Menetou-Ratel. Of these, there are 16 hectares planted to white, and 5 hectares for red. The soils are of course, broadly speaking, clay and limestone. Being specific, 70% of the Sauvignon Blanc is established on terres blanches, in other words Kimmeridgian marl, while the remaining 30% is on caillottes, limestone from the Oxfordian era. As for the Pinot Noir, 60% is planted on iron-rich clay and limestone, while the remaining 40% is established on clay-heavy marls. They have no vineyards on flint at all.
The approach to viticulture here is best described as is conventional, although the brothers do have some leanings towards viticulture raisonnée or organic methods. They plant grass between the rows to compete with the vines and absorb water, whereas they work the soil beneath the vines, removing superficial roots and controlling weeds. A large component of the work in the vineyard is carried out by hand. Says Clément, “we are not organic, but we work the soil and use no herbicides, and we use some organic products, but if the disease pressure is high we will use treatments. But perhaps we could move in a more organic direction in the future”.
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