Terroir Terroir Terroir
The work of the vine
Located on one of the most beautiful and best terroirs of the Clairette de Die appellation in the Viopis cirque in Barsac, it seemed natural to us to work the vines in a way that respects both the human
and the plant. Thus, for more than 10 years, the Domaine Long has been certified in Organic Agriculture.
We do not use any synthetic chemical products and we adapt our methods of working the soil according to the texture and exposure of each vineyard.
Thanks to high-performance tools (interceps) to limit the hydric competition of weeds and vines in periods of drought, we are able to work all of our most chalky plots.
On the more marly soils, our vines are grassed every other row in order to limit soil erosion.
Throughout the vegetative and reproductive cycle of the vine, we adapt the work of the vine in order to keep the soil rich and alive and to allow our grapes to reach an optimum quality at harvest.
Our terroir allows us to obtain a very good ripening of the fruit while keeping a good balance between sugar and acidity.
The harvest is done at the limit of over-ripeness in order to extract a maximum of aromas from our different grape varieties. It is also entirely manual in order to limit the oxidation of the juice, the aromas and the colouring matter.
Our knowledge of our terroir and our three generations of know-how in the production of Clairette de Die, leads us to offer you wines of great organoleptic quality, produced in accordance with organic farming methods.
The Soil
Two types of soil:
- Limestone soil on medium slopes, very stony.
Draining, it allows the roots to draw water deep down.
It gives our Clairette and Muscat Blanc a very good maturity.
Plots:
- The osiers: Muscat à petits grains blancs and Clairette for the production of our Clairette de Die Tradition and our Clairette de Die Brut
- Clay-limestone soil, marl,
Soil that maintains humidity in depth and will feed the plant in times of drought. As the soil is not very permeable, we naturally cover these plots with grass, one row in two, in order to limit erosion.
This soil gives finesse to our Muscat (White and Red)
Parcels:
- Le Plateau: a 4 hectare parcel of Muscat à petits grains blancs located on a medium slope with a south-east exposure at an altitude of 500 metres
- Les Mareiches: 50 year old Muscat à petits grains blancs on deep soil
- Champ-long Muscat à petits grains blancs and Muscat à petits grains rouges for the production of our Clairette de Die Tradition and our rosé effervescent
- Les Planes: Muscat à petits grains blancs for the production of our grape juice
Grape Varieties
Muscat à petits grains blancs
Muscat à petits grains is a white grape variety of Greek origin. It is found in many Mediterranean vineyards.
The berries have a juicy, sweet and firm flesh. Ripening in the second half of the year, Muscat à petits grains has an early budding,
it is the most aromatic of the Muscats.
With Muscat-like aromas of lychee, rose, ripe peach, apricot but also white flowers, it is trained in long, simple guyot pruning. It has small white grapes which are used in the production of our Clairette de Die Tradition.
Muscat à petits grains rouge
Same variety as the Muscat à petits grains rouge, its skin is slightly tinted with anthocyanins (red colour).
In pellicular maceration, it makes it possible to obtain rosé wines which give aromas of fresh red fruits, rose, lychee.
It has small red berries and is used in the production of our sparkling rosé wine, PrimoRosé.
Clairette
It is one of the oldest grape varieties of the South which
is typically southern. Clairette adapts to dry, not very fertile, chalky soils. It gives off aromas of pear, apple, lime, apricot and peach. It is pruned in long pruning and simple guyot.
Clairette is a grape variety that is used in the production of our Clairette de Die Tradition and also in our Clairette de Die Brut.
Syrah
This French black grape variety, characteristic of the northern part of the Rhône Valley.
Black, peppery, structured: Syrah is a strong grape variety that produces colourful, aromatic, well alcoholic and delicate, yet robust wines. Tannic but not very acidic, its wines are therefore suitable for ageing. In the reds, it gives off fruity (red and black fruits: raspberry, redcurrant, blueberry, blackberry) and floral (violet, reseda) scents, and even spicy (truffle, pepper, liquorice, menthol). It also gives birth to pretty fruity rosés. As it ages, its characteristic violet nose evolves into more complex notes of musk, truffle, leather, pepper and liquorice. Syrah is a grape variety used in the production of our red wine.
Grenache Noir
Grenache is one of the great grape varieties of the South of France.
In the charming reflections of its red and golden colour, Grenache hides numerous gustatory assets.
It surprises with its fruit, its silky mouth and its pale colour, with its aromas of strawberry, raspberry, grapefruit and white flowers.
This variety will be part of our future Rosé.
It will be part of our Rosé production, the first production for the 2021 vintage.