A Vine Grower and her Terroir - Vignoble Anne Collard EN

My vines flourish on the hillsides overlooking the confluence of the Rhône and Gardon rivers.

Planted in Côtes du Rhône Villages, my vines provide a lush green oasis which thrives on pebbly soil. They draw up moisture from the filtering sands and clay deep down. On the edge of the plateau, the Mistral, a cold and dry northerly wind, blows down the Rhône Valley, naturally airing the vines in an environment which is ideal for organic and biodynamic cultivation.

This oasis is bathed in a microclimate. The early morning mist brings welcome coolness and moisture. The delicate aromas and texture of my wines stem in part from this unique location.

Harmonious and natural:
our guiding principles in the vineyard and in the cellar alike.

Organic and Biodynamic cultivation of the vineyard bestows a beneficial balance on the vines. Not only do they become resilient to the environmental conditions, but such practices also have a positive influence on the expression of the wines.
These methods particularly entail alternating cover cropping in winter and tilling the soils sparingly to foster deeper vine roots.

The vines are tended in keeping with the natural sun and moon cycles, which optimizes the effectiveness of the pure inputs like natural compost or biodynamic preparations.
In addition, pruning is carried out in a way that respects the natural flow of sap in harmony with the vitality of the vine stock.

Biodynamic farming is also about safeguarding biodiversity. The indigenous plants that grow around the edge of the vineyard (including rock roses, rosemary, myrtles, pistachio, maple and fruit trees) provide natural shelters for wildlife.

Working closely with the land

My son Romain supports me in managing the vineyard. He has an agricultural engineering degree and wide-ranging experience on renowned estates, not least in L’Hermitage and Oregon.

I can therefore rely on his expertise and I appreciate his youthful perspective, which helps me to understand the terroir in a different way.

His work in the vineyard is aimed at strengthening the vines’ resilience in their environment, so that they become more balanced and require less outside intervention.

Aging in tanks brings out the fruit and refreshing crispness

The grapes are turned into wine and the wines are aged in a cellar adjoining Château Mourgues du Grès, carefully supervised by François.

Although close geographically speaking, the AOC Côtes du Rhône wine area brings an aromatic profile and texture that is distinct and complementary to the AOC Costières de Nîmes. It is based on the various grape varieties planted and the subtly different facets of these two terroirs.
The grapes’ naturally occurring yeasts lead the fermentation.

I give precedence to aging in tanks to fully express the crisp bite of the grape and the minerality which reflect the refreshing nature of this terroir.
The low sulfite content and light filtering on bottling confers stability on the wine.