Frédérique et Etienne Montès
Domaine La Casenove
-
Region :
-
APPELLATION :
This family-run vineyard, run by Etienne, is made up of a mosaic of grape varieties, giving it a unique know-how. A legitimate return to his roots for this former photographer, it brings back memories of his childhood at Domaine la Casenove. His credo is to offer us wines that bear his imprint, while retaining a faithful image of his Roussillon terroir marked by a sharing between vineyards and wildlife.
Anecdotes about the domain
To be a winegrower is to live all year long to the rhythm of the vine. It means remembering the seasons and the weather while waiting for the harvest. But also to receive the signs that announce the time of the harvest, to feel the texture of the bunches in the hand; compact, elastic, hard they foreshadow the wine. Directing the harvest also means making sure that harmony reigns among the people. It is necessary to be calm in these moments and to immerse oneself in this universe. To enjoy it to the fullest because let's not forget that we have an unknown but counted number of these magical moments.
The domain's short story
The estate is certainly old, but the widespread cultivation of the vine at the end of the 19th century made us winegrowers, it is now a question of being winegrowers! Roussillon has all the assets to produce excellent wines thanks to its terroir, its climate and also the assertive character of its winegrowers who are aware of their richness and particularities. The generation that preceded me tried to bring these possibilities together and prepare for the present. Like my father, La Casenove's men spent their youth travelling the world and sooner or later came back to take care of the family property. I myself, in my late forties, found my way back. I have always loved wine and good food and suddenly life allowed me to compose my wine as I wanted with my vines and cellar, a royal gift. So I vinified the wine, of course taking oenological advice, but I have always decided on the final blends. I can only propose what I like. The most beautiful comment I received was: "You make wines without concessions"
The winemaker's pride
La Casenove is a family property in the Aspres region of Roussillon, where we cultivate about 40 hectares of vines and some olive trees. This estate has been in our family since 1569. Two terroirs make up the estate and shape the wines. The first one is made of sandy clays which extend around the farmhouse and in the old bed of the Réart. From it we make round red wines with aromas of ripe fruit but with tannins that guarantee their good evolution, such as La Colomina. The other terroir, to the west, is based on large stony terraces mixed with clay and will produce red wines with tight tannins that need to be matured, such as La Garrigue and the Jaubert vintage. The mosaic of terroirs is such that it is difficult to be categorical. The mosaic of terroirs is such that it is difficult to be categorical. Thus, the Grenache Blancs of the Clares vineyard is located in this sector but with the reappearance of areas of gravel and sand, the wine is then like the neighboring reds: tense and crystalline. It will also be necessary to wait for it to deliver its truth. The vineyard is old, some Carignans were planted in 1934 and 1955, the Syrahs are reaching their thirtieth year, Grenache Noir and Mourvêdre complete the vineyard. The centerpiece of the whites is the large vineyard known as Les Clares, planted in 1949 with Grenache Blanc and Macabeu, Roussane, Torbat (Malvoisie du Roussillon) and Muscat join the white collection. The pruning of our vines is done manually as is the harvest. The white grapes are pressed in whole bunches and the reds are destemmed and crushed directly above the vats without any mechanical transport. We often keep the stalks of the very old Carignan grapes, which give the wines their strength. Numerous wild animals live on the estate: birds, small game, green lizards and the very rare ocelot lizard, snakes, etc.
Pictures of the domain
