The Vineyard
We are as reasonnable as possible in our cultivation methods : we use as little chemicals as possible but when we use them it is with a light hand and only in order to keep our vines in good health.
We use manure when needed and we plough our vine ranks in order to keep them free from too much grass.If we use weed killers we use them sparingly and we choose those who leave as little residual matters in the ground as possible.
We suppress the shoots manually in the most promissing plots.
In summer, and only if needed, we might cut of some leaves.
We pick plot by plot according the the degree of ripeness. For the whites and the rosés we pick early in the morning in order to keep our grapes as cool as possible.
An ultra modern press and a refrigerating system enable us to control the wine making process in the most modern fashion.
Our vats are being modernized : our concrete vats are being downsized and epoxy coated in order to vinify smaller amounts at a time and to obtain perfect traceability.
The barrels we use for our better wines (Aurelia Prima White and Ermitage Red) are made of french oak and are recycled in order to obtain wines that are not wooded -- which we would find absurd in Provence- but slowly oxygenated in order to obtain the best quality possible.
After an excellent vintage 2008 --the drought that had afflicted us since 2005 having been stopped by abundant spring rains-- 2009 was a great vintage. Fontlade has been lucky to escape he storms that have been raging in some other parts of Provence last summer with enough rain and no hail.
The 2009-2010 winter was both cold and wet and spring was not much better. At least the watertables are full! But this means we will not start picking until late september.
Our reds and our rosés are looking great!
