The Mas d'Intras vineyard is made up of 24 plots, adding up to approximately 25 hectares.
It's situated in the Rhone Valley, in Valvignères.
The wine from the "Vallis Vinaria" were already renowned in Roman times.
The soil is clay-limestone, and its white earth is shallow. The vines are oriented towards the south-east, and benefit from a temperate and warm, sunny Mediterranean climate.
APPELLATION
All of the Estate is run in organic agriculture since 2009.
All our wines have obtained the official label "IGP Ardèche" (Protected Geographic Indication).
Similarly, all our wines are from Organic Agriculture.
Stuck between 140 kilometers of the Rhone valley in the east and the volcanic high plateaus of the Massif Central in the west, the department of Ardèche corresponds to the old Vivarais province. Its production zone covers 7500 hectares and spreads out over 339 towns and villages. The IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) also stretches out to a small area of the Gard.
The IGP is produced in single grape varieties or in blends. Red wines account for 45% of our production's volume, rosés for 33%, and whites for 20%. The latter are vinified up to 75% into mono-varietial wines.
Due to its low altitude, the Bas-Vivarais has a warm and dry climate, almost Mediteranean.
Snow rarely falls. In winter temperatures stay mild, although frosts come every year and the Mistral (wind coming from the North) gives a cold sensation. On the other hand, summers are very hot and dry, with temperatures reaching up to 35-37°C.
The wind mainly comes from the North-East. However, winds from the South and from the West, full of humidity, bring short periods of rainfalls in spring and in autumn: huge quantities of rain fall in a very little amount of time.
The Mistral, which can be violent at times and leads to sudden and lasting falls in temperature, is especially beneficial to the vines'
health.
Storms break out in the end of summer, coming primarily from the West, the South-West, or the South.
Ardèche's three main grape varieties are the Grenache, the Syrah, and the Carignan. These are found in almost every Côtes-du-Rhône blend.
The Syrah
This is a variety typical of the Northern Côtes-du-Rhône (Cornas, Saint-Joseph, Hermitages,
Crozes-Hermitages, Côtes Rôties). It is a grape that produces deep and full-bodied black wines.
It's on our plot "La Souche", planted in 1969, that we produce batches with deep aromas of violet that have earned us many gold medals in Paris ( en 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013).
The Grenache
It is the most frequently used grape variety in the Rhône area. It produces more alcoholic wines that are fruity and supple, easy to drink but not very colourful. We grow the Grenache on our "Trace-Nègre" plot, planted in 1970, and were rewarded for it with gold medals in Paris ( in 2000, 2005, 2007 and 2010).
Due to its important yield per hectare and low alcoholic content, the Carignan is not very well liked by most vinegrowers. To us, it has the advantage of producing wines that are fruity, easy to drink during summertime, and with a low alcoholic content (if we know how to limit the quantities produced).
The Carignan is characterized by its morello cherry aromas and its crimson colour.
The Cinsault
The Cinsault is an ancient grape variety that gives intersting rosé juices: roundness, warmth, and finesse makes it an interesting componant in our rosés.
While most of Ardèche's vinegrowers are tearing out their plots of Cinsault (as with the Carignan), we have decided to keep our 1972 plot, and even planted another small one in 1987.
The Merlot
The Merlot grape has come straight from the Bordeaux region. The first plot has been planted at Intras in 1982.
It is a grape variety that produces fruity wines, with a deep colour. Its aromas clearly hold hints of blackcurrants, as do the grapes when they are harvested.
The Cabernet-Sauvignon
The Cabernet-Sauvignon came to us from the Bordeaux region as well. It also produces dark and deep wines whose fruit strongly suggests bluberries, but contains a more vegetal note than the Merlot. It is, like the Merlot, a grape variety whose wine keeps the taste of its grape.
The Chardonnay
The white Chardonnay variety is originally from Bourgogne, and has perfectly adapted to the Ardèche's soil.
It produces white wines that are full-bodied and round, sometimes raised in oak barrels.
The Sauvignon
The white Sauvignon has come to us from the Loire valley, particularly from renown regions such as "Sancerre" or "Pouilly Fumé".
It produces fresh, fruity, and elegant wines that are especially appreciated with fish or seafo
The Viognier
The Viognier is a rare white grape variety from Valence, south of Lyon. It is grown here in Ardèche at the foothills of the Massif Central, and also between Perpignan and Montpellier. France is by far the world's most important producer of Viognier.
Its uncommon character -round, floral, and fruity- appeals to taste adventurers, with its aromas of white peach and apricot. We have planted our first Viogniers in april 2009.