THE TASTE
OF LIFE
L
NATURE
BOTH FRIEND AND ALLY
Bio-dynamics is self-evident for Alexis, as it guides his choices, as much as it respects the natural environment.
It offers an overall vision of vine-growing and winemaking, taking into account seasonal cycles and tasks, the lunar calendar, vine nourishment and protection, soil and wine vitality. It supports his winegrower’s vision and contributes to the well being of the man that he is. In addition, it offers a touch of poetry, between mastering and trusting nature, and a certain idea about the world and other people.
MINERALS
A PATCHWORK OF SOILS
All of the terroirs have been geologically identified. This precise information guides Alexis’s wine-growing decisions, that freely interpret the soils, on their own or combined with others.
DIFFERENT GEOLOGICAL LAYERS
ON THE SURFACE. . .
• Stampien:
clayey loam, millstone-laden clay
• Upper Bartonian:
silicified limestone
• Middle Bartonian:
grey clay, white shell limestone and marl
• Upper Lutetian:
including beds of clay and limestone
• Middle Lutetian:
sandy limestone and fossil-laden sandy limestone and green and white marl
• Upper Ypresian
sands and sandstone combined with beds of clay and sand
• Sparnacian (lacustrian):
whitish limestone marl, green clay, sand, grey clay with a lignite inter-bed
• Upper Thanetian:
white or red sand and marl
IN THE SUB-SOIL
THE VINES
AN ORIGIN FOUNDED BY A TRILOGY
The wine’s character is the perfect equation between the grape variety, massal selection and terroir. Present in the Marne Valley, Meunier is also part of this estate’s history. Developed from the very beginning according to the traditional massal selection method, it has conserved its original typical style. Alexis has fine-tuned this technique. In keeping with the intuition and the sensibility of the Leconte family, he has modified the map of his plots to obtain a better standard of quality.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay have benefited from this same key approach: each vineyard is managed according to its uniqueness (age, geological profile, exposure, and natural humidity), and that of the wine it can deliver.
THE JUICE
PRESERVING THE FRUIT
Alexis believes that each grape berry forms a whole, so he does not think like a Champagne producer in terms of extracted juice. It is normal that pressed juice is loaded with coarse deposits that have to be eliminated to conserve their frank and clear colour.
To avoid stressing the extracted juice, Alexis undertakes decanting, with gentleness and patience, as the objective sought is not that of entirely purifying the juice, but rather that of preserving the standard of quality of the fine lees to ensure their irreplaceable role in the following stages of winemaking.
WINE
AN INSEPARABLE LINK WITH THE VINE
Alexis has taken an entirely fresh look at his profession: starting with the terroir through to the vineyard, his approach allows the cellar to deliver its full potential. The clarified must is made into wine in 400-litre barrels as they better highlight the estate’s terroirs. Just as nature is the vine’s best ally, oak and sandstone are predominately the best partners for wine. The alcoholic fermentation in casks exclusively makes use of indigenous yeast. And stirring and malo-lactic fermentation have been set aside. In keeping with the principles of bio-dynamics, bottling and racking are always scheduled according to the lunar calendar.