WINEMAKING RULES

Biodynamic farming

Traditional knowledge and sensitiveness to the grapevine’s needs are my most valuable assets

Most vineyard tasks—including pruning, canopy management, green harvesting, and leaf pulling—are done entirely by hand. When it comes to mindful viticulture, nothing is more effective or gentler than artisanal care.
I believe every vine finds its own unique balance, which must be respected and nurtured. This is why I avoid top trimming and any forcing methods, such as mineral fertilization.

Sulphur and copper are used only when strictly necessary. Instead, I rely on cover crops, compost, algae, and biodynamic or homeopathic preparations to keep the soil nourished and the vines healthy. 

My vineyard was certified organic in 2016 and biodynamic in 2023.

Natural winemaking

Every fermentation begins with a pied-de-cuve from indigenous yeasts

A few days before the harvest I pick a small cluster of white grapes and let them ferment spontaneously with their skins and stems.

Once the fermentation kicks off, the pied-de-cuve is pressed by hand, and the juice is regularly fed with fresh must to gain vigor. Only when this starter is clean and active is it used to inoculate the grapes harvested later in the season. As the harvest moves forward, the winery naturally fills with the energy of these wild yeasts, and subsequent fermentations occur spontaneously on freshly crushed grapes without further assistance. 

Malolactic fermentation is also spontaneous, driven by the lactic bacteria that are naturally present in the must.

In exceptionally hot vintages, I protect the wine's freshness and acidity by using a small amount of unripe grapes. Pressed by hand, their highly acidic juice is added to the musts during alcoholic fermentation.

Wine additives

Protecting the grapes from oxidation and preserving their vibrant aromas are my primary goals

My first line of defense is harvesting at dawn: picking during the earliest hours of the morning and pressing immediately is vital to safeguard aromatic integrity.

I limit cellar additives to just two inputs, used sparingly. Vitamin C—a natural antioxidant—is applied directly to the freshly picked clusters only during intensely hot vintages exceeding 35°C, preventing the juice from browning. Sulfites are kept to a minimum and added only after both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations are complete, or right before bottling; often, they are skipped entirely. Total sulfur dioxide ranges between 30 and 50 mg/l, far below the legal limits of 210 mg/l in Europe and 350 mg/l in the US. 

I choose not to fine my wines, preferring a natural stabilization through prolonged contact with the fine lees and manual bâtonnage in steel tanks, wooden casks, or amphorae.

Some of my white wines are gently filtered using cellulose layers, which are later composted. Red and orange wines are completely unfiltered.