Domaine de la Rochelierre

COUNTRY: France
REGION: Languedoc-Roussillon
APPELLATION: AOC Fitou

Domaine de La Rochelière has been part of a large family of independent winegrowers that has existed in France for several decades. The Fabre family strives to be in tune with the needs of the consumer and to understand their expectations. The estate has been certified High Environmental Value (HVE) level 3 since the 2017 vintage. For more than 40 years, in Fitou, Domaine de la Rochelièrre has applied the Cousinié method to its 15-hectare vineyard. 

The latter consists in using only organic and mineral materials, using principles that are centered around the concept of "respect for the living". Each year the vineyards are plowed ten times. This heavy tillage ensures that the roots grow deep which creates less strain on the vines as they are less susceptible to variations in temperature and hydrometry. The Fabre family harvests all of their fruit by hand, ensuring that the grapes are picked at optimal maturity which gives the wines a very interesting balance. 

The current owners, Jean-Marie and Emilie Fabre vinify all of their production in stainless steel vats, this preserves the maximum amount of the aromas during the fermentation process. Once this process is complete, depending on the cuvées, the wines are aged either in vats to preserve all the youth and the purity of the aromas or in barrels, where the aim is to ripen the tannins and aromas so that the wines become rounder more quickly.