Vignoble du Loup Blanc

Le Vignoble du Loup Blanc is located in the Minervois, in Languedoc, in the east of the region, on a very beautiful high-altitude terroir between Bize and Saint-Jean-de-Minervois. Near Minerve, in a wild site bordered by limestone cliffs, it has sixteen hectares of vines, some of which were planted in the 1950s. Behind the estate, four partners, Carine Farre, Benoît Enjalbal, Alain Rochard and Jean-Philippe Maestre, who enjoy combining their skills and enthusiasm to run a property that respects nature and the environment.

The estate has practiced organic farming since 2005, certified by Ecocert in 2007, and biodynamics under the Demeter label. Weeding is exclusively mechanical, and gentle pruning, bud removal, trellising, sowing and harvesting are entirely manual. Sheep maintain the vines through eco-grazing, without chemical products, which benefits biodiversity and soil health. An agroforestry program has led to the planting of wild fruit trees around the plots, to provide habitat for wildlife and strengthen the local ecosystem.

The vines grow among pines and garrigue, on the causse of Bize-Minervois, between 160 and 250 meters in altitude, in a natural south-facing amphitheater of great geological richness. The soils combine red clay, limestone, rolled pebbles and sandstone, under a temperate Mediterranean climate: the alternation of sunny days and cool nights produces wines of great complexity that are fresh and balanced.

In the cellar, vinification is natural and low-intervention: fermentations without added yeasts or inputs, for vibrant, artisanal wines. The whites, from Grenache, Terret, Maccabeu and Carignan, reveal minerality and freshness. The reds rely mainly on Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault and Syrah, with a touch of Alicante: fruity and easy for charcuterie and cheese boards, but also Mediterranean, for meals and aging. The cuvées have fairy-tale names, such as Le Méchant Loup, La Soif Rouge, La Mère Grand and Les Trois Petits C.