Les Vignes Herbel: Vineyards
Les Vignes Herbel is located south of Angers, near Rochefort-sur-Loire, and amounts to a single 3-hectare plot of vines planted on clay soils, over purple schist. Here there are 1.4 hectares of Chenin Blanc, planted in 1920 and 1921, and also 1.6 hectares of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, planted in 1974.
Work in the vineyard was already organic when Laurent (pictured) and Nadège acquired the vines in 2005; the conversion had begun in 2003, and certification from Ecocert was obtained in 2006. On arrival they also commenced conversion to biodynamics, and the domaine has been entirely biodynamic ever since.
The only major change to the composition of the domaine has been in 2013, with the acquisition of a 0.3-hectare plot of old Chenin Blanc vines in Beaulieu-sur-Layon. These vines were managed along organic lines when purchased, and I am sure they have since been converted to full biodynamics.
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