The vineyard
The vineyard of Château de la Jaubertie
The vineyard
Located on the edge of the Monbazillac area, our vineyard covers over 120 acres of vines that are similar to those found in the Bordeaux region. It also has several particularities tied to its natural setting. The climate is half continental - half oceanic with dry summers perfect for organic farming and sometimes very wet springs that can lead to a risk of mildew.
The white grape varieties (64ac) include Sauvignon, Semillon, and Muscadelle, as well as 8 acres of Chardonnay and more recently 5 and a half acres of Chenin. The red grape varieties (60ac) include Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and two old grape varieties typical of the south-west: Mérille and Fer Servadou.
The density is 2200 vines//acre for the whites and 2000 vines/acre for the reds.
All the vines are trained vertically and pruned either with laths or spurs. Since 2008, all new plantations for Sauvignon, Semillon, and Cabernet Sauvignon come from the estate's natural selections, and all our Cabernet Franc comes from Saint Emilion.
The grounds
The property is divided into 3 distinct parcels of land:
- "The plateau" is an ideal soil for red wines: consisting mainly of 0.5 m to 2m of deep bedrock with white limestone and covered with reddish-brown clay. It retains enough moisture to avoid stress during the increasingly dry summers.
- "The slopes or hillsides" are located around the plateau and provide a perfect soil for white wines, especially Sauvignon, as it contains vast amounts of limestone (cut from the mother rock). Their different levels of exposure to the sun offer an interesting range of aromas.
- "The shallows" are suitable for rosés as well as certain whites, due to the heavier and more humid soil than the hillsides and the plateau. Their grey clay soil called Boulbène allows the grapes to ripen later.
« The entire estate was certified Organic Agriculture in 2008.»
Organic farming
We first started going organic back in 2005 and the entire estate was certified Organic Agriculture in 2008. Our farming practices encourage natural methods to produce exceptional grapes and stay in line with our strong environmental values. This is why:
- We install an annual plant protection cover: vetch, barley vetch, fava beans, peas, etc...this replaces the need for fertilisers.
- The plots that have been plowed up are left fallow for 3 years with barley, phacelia, and alfalfa crops;
- We grow polliniferous plants such as alfalfa, sunflower, and maize to attract bees and birds. This naturally controls the insect population on the unplanted plots;
- Sexual confusion helps to be more effective for managing insects like eudemis (Lobesia botrana).
- We also preserve the fauna of the surrounding woods by leaving certain woods untended. This encourages the decomposition of dead trees and the development of microflora, insects, birds, etc...
All containers and waste are recycled.