Clos du Gravillas, Rendez-Vous Sur la Lune 2020

The Clos du Gravillas is a 8,5 hectare domaine on the dry Saint Jean de Minervois hillsides, 270 m in altitude. Providential fresh air from the Montagne Noire has a cooling effect on the vineyards during the summer. Nicole comes from Narbonne, has a southern accent, her laugh and enthusiasme are contagious. John Bojanowski comes from farther afield, from the far west, the country of horses and Bourbon ; Kentucky. In 1996, the Narbonne girl convinced her American husband that the Saint Jean stony soils were the most beautiful in the world. This lead to a choice of lifestyle in a village with 45 inhabitants, and the Terroir with a capital T : white sea bed fossilitic limestone.The white stones of the vineyards conjure up a lunar landscape and has inspired the graphic representation of the domaine. The style of the domaine's wines derives from this mineral environment. Nicole and John have made a clear choice to diversify the grape types in their vineyards : 15 varieties contribute to the Domaine's wines' complexity of style. During the spring and summer the vines are carefully pruned with a reduction of buds to aerate the remaining grape bunches and reduce yields. The manual harvests enable the best possible selection of ripe, healthy grapes. The bunches are transported to the cellar in 15kg cases to avoid damaging the grapes or breaking the skins. Only natural, indigenous yeas is used for the fermentations. Biodiversity is essential for the cultural methods used here, in the heart of the Natural Haut Languedoc Park, the local environment protected under the Natura 2000 program. Organic agriculture, of course.