HVE/BIO: High Environmental Value certification

As part of the transmission of our values and our heritage to future generations, since 2005 we have set up a multitude of trials to determine cultural practices that respect our environment, our employees and our children.

Thus, we have been sowing our rows of vines since 2006 in order to fight against the erosion of heavy winter rains and allow competition against exogenous and invasive species. These sowings (oats, vetch, crimson clover, fodder radish, mustard depending on the year) bring organic matter, aerate the soil, enhance the life of the soil and thus allow good bud burst to obtain grapes of quality and balanced. By providing shelter and a food source, they favor macrofauna such as earthworms and microfauna.

The High Environmental Value certification focuses on biodiversity and all the actions of the winemaker. Thus, she is equally interested in polyculture, respect for hedges and woods adjoining the plots of vines to accommodate insects, and in the diversification of plant material with a multitude of different clones by rootstock and grape variety. It also studies respect for the use and use made of phytosanitary products with suitable equipment that respects the environment and local residents.

The bats present in large numbers on the estate are also an asset for our vines because they delight in insects that are harmful to the vines! To go further in this approach, the teams of the Regional Natural Park of Narbonnaise have affixed bat houses to the 14 winegrowers of La Clape who are members of the GIEE.

We decided, in 2019, to add to this approach a dynamic of organic cultivation on the Commandery of Saint Pierre la Garrigue which controls the phytosanitary products used. The 2022 wines will therefore be certified in Organic Agriculture.

The Fermes Ecodéphy network to which we belong allows us to test several crop choices with other winegrowers and thus go faster on our adaptations.

The emulation aroused with the training allows us to progress on several factors at the same time.

Since 2012, we have been collaborating with the SRDV (Société de Recherche et de Développement Viticole) and the Dubernet laboratories at the gates of Narbonne in Montredon des Corbières in order to carry out our nutrition and establish balances in our soils and wines.

Satellite views, petiole and soil analyzes with the determination of the number of fungi and bacteria allow us to quantify what we presented with the test of organic cotton briefs buried in our plots a few years ago (see our Instagram posts of 2019 with the Aude Chamber of Agriculture!); namely a more active microbial life and a better functioning of our soils.

The vines are doing better and benefit from this microbial life to better nourish their grapes and thus obtain more resistance to diseases.

Our wines are becoming more balanced and more complex.

You can discover them by accessing the online store.

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