Le Domaine

Our wine making

Takes place in our cellars that were built over a century ago by Eugène Bonfils, and are the result of a year’s hard work in the vineyard. The Cellar equipment is modern and efficient, and all our wine making is carefully monitored by our consultant oenologist. Having acquired the taste to work well and make good, allows us to offer our clients year after year a product which has consistent quality in each vintage.

The vines are hand harvested and the grapes are carefully selected and vinified in whole bunches. Maceration is traditional with temperature control and density checks both morning and evening. Fermentation on the skins lasts 3-6 weeks and is accompanied by pumping over, releases and regular tasting of the musts.

At the end of alcoholic fermentation, following the evolution of the tannins, it’s the devatting.

Initial blending takes place after malolactic fermentation and racking. The wine is then aged, some of which is aged in old oak vats.

For the 2010 Vintage we will age some of the wine in brand new 600l oak casks for a new cuvée called “La Cuvée d’Eugène” Our red wines are bottled without fining or filtering.

Terroir and Grape Variety

The vineyard expands over 10Ha made up of 23 plots of vines; it’s the diversity of terroir and the geographical position of these plots of land that helps create the complex aromatic pallet that one finds in our wines.

The average age of the vines is 55 years old and our oldest vines, planted by Stphanie’s grandfather Eugène, are today over 100 years old (1901).

The yields are low, between 28 Hl/Ha and 32Hl/Ha and are the result of conscientious hard work respecting both the vines and the environment.

The best part of the estate is planted with Grenache, the noble grape variety of the appellation; the rest is made up of a few plots of Syrah and Mourvedre, not to mention a smattering of Cinsault for the Rosé.

As Aline Bonfils likes to say,

«For the wine makers at gour de Chaulé, the expression of terroir and tradition in our wines has meant that we have resisted to new trends...»

The Village

It was the Romans who gave the village its name “Juconditas” meaning joy and happiness in Latin, a name predestined for the cultivation of vines and wine making.

In 1985 her daughter Aline, developed and modernised the estate introducing a controlled, minimal intervention, form of agriculture, Lutte Raisonnée (respectful to the environment), working alongside a specialist agricultural engineer, effective since 2002, as part of an HACCP move towards quality.

Today it’s Stephanie’s turn to hold the torch for these women who have already given so much to the Estate.

Estate History :

At the beginning of last century the estate was split between the cultivation of vines and olives, however over the years and generations the vineyard has established itself.

In 1970 Rolande, Stephanie’s grandmother, successfully implemented the commercialisation of wine bottled at the estate.

The Domain and Terroir