Pierre Martin: Vineyards
The domaine is located in the heart of Chavignol, surely the most famous of all the wine villages that surround the town of Sancerre. Pierre Martin has control over 18 hectares of vineyards, of which 14.5 hectares are dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc, and of this 80% is planted on the slopes around Chavignol; this includes vines in both Les Monts Damnés (the slopes below, although not clearly seen in the early-morning haze, are those that run up the slope behind Pierre’s house) and Les Culs de Beaujeu, two of the region’s most exalted vineyards. The vines on Les Monts Damnés are on a very steep slope, are aged between 30 and 80 years, and account for 0.8 hectares of the vineyard. His vines in Les Culs de Beaujeu are on a steep, south-east-facing slope (with a gradient up to 55% in parts) looking towards Sancerre itself. He has just 1 hectare here, planted in 2004. The remaining Sauvignon vines are scattered elsewhere around the commune.
The remaining 3.5 hectares is planted to Pinot Noir, and these vines can be found around Vinon (to the south of Sancerre) and Verdigny (to the north-west). Across the domaine the soils are the typical limestone (caillottes) and Kimmeridgian clay-limestone marl (terres blanches) of the appellation, and with many vines planted on the hills around Chavignol Pierre finds himself working vineyards with plenty of slope. This is one reason why most of the worked is achieved by hand. Pierre adheres to organic methods when tending the vines, the vineyards currently in the process of certification. He works the soil to control weeds, and attains low yields by strict pruning, as well as a green harvest if necessary. In keeping with his organic beliefs he uses no chemical insecticides or chemical anti-fungal treatments. He uses a little fertiliser, but always prepared following biodynamic methods, there being a light sprinkling of biodynamics here to complement Pierre’s organic philosophy.
