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 Laurent et Emmanuel Habrard, wine producers from Gervans, a Drome village located between Lyon and Valence, like to repeat, « We are not chemists or carpenters ». Which clearly means that no imported yeast crosses the threshold of the estate and that only old casks are used, to avoid imparting too woody a flavour to the wine. It is true that Syrah, which flourishes on the granite hills of Gervans and gives a nectar with strong aromas, doesn't need to be reinforced! A wine with a well-affirmed character, that the estate of 14 hectares produces in three appellations: Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. Might as well mention the most representative appellations of the region!
But it is especially the methods for working with the wine that are the speciality of this estate, which has been in the family for several generations. Faithful to tradition, the two brothers carry on the « pigeage », a technique that allows for the gentle extraction of the components of the wine by sinking the cap into the must of the grapes. If nowadays this kind of work is most often done by pneumatic presses, the two brothers continue to use ancestral methods for the crushing of the grapes in the vats! A strong penchant for the natural that is also reflected in the decision made in 2008 to convert the estate to organic farming. And since nature and tradition are not opposed to modernity, the Habrards have created an internet site that doesn't merely present the wines they produce but also explains in detail the conditions of production and the work of the small farmer. Explaining that the bottles of wine do not grow directly on the vine stocks!
More information: www.domainehabrard.com
Domaine Habrard
7, route des Blancs
F - 26600 Gervans
Photo: Domaine Habrard
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