DOMAINE DES HERBAUGES

Who are we

HISTORY: In the family since 1864, our estate is a regular medal-winner and its dynamism is clearly shown in the way it has grown under Jérôme, the 4th generation to run the estate. Today the domaine has 107 hectares in production, an area complemented by his buying a further 30+ hectares sur pied - making this the largest single estate in the region. Furthermore, Jérôme has replanted 7 ha at the Château de la Pierre (totaling 16ha) and has bought another 17 hectares at La Roche Blanche. More recently, he also took over a new domaine - Les 5 Chemins (12Ha) After 20 years running the domaine sustainably with the Farre organisation, Jérôme has now gone one step further, gaining Terra Vitis certification. Committed to quality and to offering full tracability, he has also received IFS certification. GENERAL COMMENTS: Set just south of Nantes, between the better known vineyards of Muscadet’s Sèvre & Maine and the Atlantic coast, the 260 hectare Côtes de Grandlieu Cru benefits from an exceptional microclimate: the warmth of the Atlantic brings spring on early, while the huge Lac de Grandlieu acts like a giant storage heater through the growing season, giving extra ripeness and more fruit to the wines. Careful vineyard management further enhances this ripeness – to the extent that we now expect Jérôme to pick a good degree riper than his colleagues in the Sèvre et Maine! A spring de-budding separates the bunches to ensure the grapes get plenty of wind and sunlight, reducing the risk of rot and keeping the grapes healthy and this is helped with a systematic de-leafing around the bunches. Finally, a summer manual thinning ensures even ripening and ever-greater concentration … a mass of work to ensure a healthy, ripe harvest and to give fruit, depth and concentration. After harvesting with the latest generation 'selective picking' machine, the grapes are gently pressed in CO2 inerted pneumatic presses, with some of the crop now macerating with its skins. The juice is then cleared and is kept cold with a 4-10 day cold stabilization, bringing out even more flavours and aromas. After a long, cold fermentation in glass-lined underground vats, the wines are left to mature on their lees until bottling. The results are beautifully balanced, fruit-driven wines with intense minerality.