Working intelligently and with respect for life
For over 40 years, our philosophy has remained unchanged: to work intelligently and with respect for all living things. Here, we practice healthy and sustainable organic farming, with respectful and sincere work, guided by common sense and the conviction that the land does not belong to us.
Jean-Luc Ribes, who revolutionized the established order in 1981 by allowing grass to grow in the vineyards and introducing a flock of sheep, took his nephew, Grégoire Faure, then studying horticulture, under his wing and began training him in pruning in 2015. Grégoire quickly adapted to the role of winemaker. Passionate about plant life, he listened to and learned from his uncles, and today he manages the 35 hectares of organically farmed vines, as well as the flock of sheep that graze among them each winter, with an iron fist.
When he's not in the vineyards, he can be found in his workshop. With his initial training in industrial maintenance, he invents, modernizes, and repairs equipment, enabling the teams to work meticulously on the soil and the vines.
Following the rhythm of the growing season, he manages and organizes the work in the vineyards, relying on his cousin to assist him with seasonal tasks. Both coming from a family of winegrowers and farmers, they are convinced that only good grapes can make good wine.
A touch of terroir
A touch of terroir
The estate's 35 hectares are structured around three vineyard plots, cultivated on the 2nd and 3rd terraces of the appellation, characterized by boulbènes: a soil rich in ancient alluvial deposits from the Tarn River (a mixture of sand, silt, clay, and pebbles).
- At d’Ambat, located in the commune of Villaudric, the vines thrive on the boulbènes of the 2nd terrace, which are richer in clay and iron oxides.
- Around Le Roc, in the commune of Fronton, the finest Négrette and Syrah grapes of Don Quichotte are cultivated on boulbènes, with blue marl at a deeper level.
- At Flotis, in the commune of Castelnau d’Estrétefonds, the vines extend across the 2nd and 3rd terraces of the appellation. The top of the hillside consists of soils rich in gravelly boulbènes, while along the plain, the boulbènes are deeper.
