IGP Pays d'Oc, Les Gaillards (chardonnay), Pujol - 2023

In the foothills of the Black Mountain, in an amphitheatre facing the Mediterranean, the fiefdom of Domaine Pujol in Saint-Frichoux (Aude) still retains the memory of a salty sea in the soil. The story began in 1880: the great-great-grandfather, Louis Biscan, cultivated 5 hectares; there were 40 of them in the village. Today, the family cultivates more than 100 ha, but there are only two winegrowers left. Respectful of its terroirs, without compacting or traumatic ploughing, the family maintains the richness of its soil. They sow barley and oats in the inter-row, before mowing in the spring, then crushing and grinding these cereals to produce a rich and fertile biomass for their vineyards. The Pujols are committed to a number of practices of unquestionable probity (organic fertiliser, sexual confusion, reduction of sulphites) and ecological practices (choice of recyclable materials, sorting and treatment of waste). They have validated the High Environmental Value 3 level and are beginning their organic conversion.