A new wave
Our family has always enjoyed encounters, and so do our wines! So, let’s open our doors!
A FAMILY STORY
In the family, nothing starts nor finishes without a meal. Every occasion is an opportunity to share, from harvest breakfasts to barbecues in the vineyard with our visitors. « Dius a Vol » (God willed it) the famous phrase which celebrates the end of the grape harvest.
The high spot of every week is Wednesday lunch, where tradition has it that children and grand-children all gather at the grand-parent’s home, at 12h30… on the dot!
Saint Frichoux,
A FORMER
FISHING VILLAGE
On the foothills of the Montagne Noire, in an amphitheatre overlooking the Mediterranean, the soils at our focal point in Saint Frichoux still hold memories of a saline sea. Always aiming to bring balance to our soils, we are learning once again how to use the canals, just like in times gone by.
We are the 5th generation humbly taking on the role of winemaker. Under the nickname of « Freshwater mariners », we gladly accept both the image and the idea.
Our history began in 1880 in Saint Frichoux in the Aude. Our great-great-grandfather, Louis Biscan, worked 5 hectares of vineyards, just like 40 other growers in the village. Today, the village has over 100 hectares of vines, but only 2 winegrowers. Every day, our Saint Fructueux thanks its lucky star; the name represents the patron saint of the village and is a play on words!
Ecological choices
Gaillards, We are clear-sighted and of hardy stock; things aren’t easy, and there’s a lot of risk-taking involved! Climate change, environmental awareness, a demand for fine, healthy wines, are the parameters which motivate and fire us on.
The richness of the soil is carefully tended for, without compaction or brutal movement. We sow barley, oats… between the rows of vines, which are then cut, crushed and mashed in spring to provide the vineyard with rich biomass.
Deep down, the worms are hard at work; they create deep galleries which are then followed by the vine roots, in search of water.
We have been using these techniques for twenty years now, and know they are packed with advantages: summer shading of the land, soil stability against stormy episodes, water catchment, soil aeration…
As supporters of many organic (organic fertilizers, sexual confusion, reduction of sulphites) and ecological (choice of recyclable materials, waste sorting and treatment) practices, we have validated the HVE3 level and we are starting on the conversion course towards certified organic agriculture.
Terroirs for pleasure
Each generation in our family grew up on the same land. In the past we saw it as a great place to build a camp, a tree-house observatory to defend our territory, a runway for our planes… now we know just how valuable this land is.
Plots of sorrow and bottles of joy! « Au Gré des Grès », or subject to the whim of the stones, nature guides our hand in all we do. At the highest point of a spot known as the Moulin à Vent, or Windmill, which, by the way, never existed, we are at the mercy of the elements. On our hilltop vineyards we daydreamed of the « Ailes Imaginaires », or the imaginary sails of the windmill… until the pipe dream vintage become reality!
Follow the guide
Local terroir wine with our AOP Minervois; micro terroir wines with the “Laure” vintage; varietal wines with the “Gaillards”; refreshing wines with the “Marins d’eau douce”; festive wines with “Dius A Vol”… there’s something here for everyone.
