Wine is passion and sacrifice. These companies know it!!
The House of Champagne George Laval:
The maison Georges Laval, Rècoltant-manipulant of Cumières, has since 1971 pursued a completely organic farming philosophy in a decisive manner. The owned vineyards fall within the Premier Cru classification (2.5 hectares). About one hectare belongs to the "Les Hautes Chèvres" parcel, a vineyard dating back to 1930 and one of the oldest in the entire Cumières terroir.
The Cumières Premier Cru cuvée is a perfect reflection of the Cumières terroir. The "tailored" treatments applied to the vines, the maturity requirements, the natural aging from 12 to 8 months in oak barrels, illuminate the flavours, the original aromas of our cumariot terroirs and shape the harmonious balance essential for the creation of Brut Nature champagne, with no added sugar.
George's choice:
Georges Laval learns from a report written by an Army Commander named Cousteau, that some pesticides are also found in the ice of Antarctica, a place where obviously there have never been any crops to treat! This fascinates him very much. In fact, once he has documented himself, he arrives at the decision to produce his Champagne according to the organic method. In 1971 the choice was courageous. In the following years there will be less than a dozen Champagnes that will mature the wine through the natural and artisanal method. It was an innovation!
“By taking over the estate in 1996, I began to pursue what I consider essential: organic farming; respect for our ecosystem, the conservation of the original aromas and flavors of our terroirs and the production of great Champagne wines".
Girolamo Russo Winery:
Lying on the northern slope of Etna, between 650 and 780 metres, the company owns a property of 15 hectares of vineyards. In 2005 Giuseppe Russo renewed it, giving it his father's name and preserving the legacy of his family native of Passopisciaro, one of the villages at the center of the rebirth of the great red wines of Etna. Giuseppe and his collaborators cultivate the vineyards in an organic regime, according to the peasant tradition: the one that has allowed even a century old vineyards to reach up to today.
Most of the vines are very old, and some are over 100 years old. Their roots sink into a terrain that is unique in the world: in the many layers of lava that the great volcano has erupted over the millennia. And each sciara (this is how the Sicilians call the old lava, according to the Arab etymology) contains a different hoard of minerals for the grapes. Sometimes it even ends up giving the name to a district, where the vineyards often fill narrow terraces, held up by dry stone walls of lava stone. And so, among the lava, ashes and brooms, each contrada has its own character, its own voice: engraved in the terroir that covers it, and which Giuseppe restores in his fantastic wines!
Didier Dagueneau's inspiration:
We are located in the eastern part of the Loire Valley, in the village of Saint-Andelain, north of Pouilly-sur-Loire: one of the absolute realms of Sauvignon Blanc, it is here nicknamed "Blanc Fumé", from which the appellation "Pouilly- Smoked". Didier Dagueneau was a virtuous character: a disciple of Henri Jayer, the undisputed father of the new Burgundian viticulture, Didier's ideas and practices inspired winemakers from all over the world. "Everything about this man was out of the ordinary" (Jacques Perrin wrote of him): with a wild appearance, an almost always provocative way of doing and with an attitude of infinite modesty and gratitude towards life, Didier was a convinced follower of biodynamics and at the same time harsh critic of the rigid standards imposed by certifications. He took sides in no uncertain terms against the practices widespread at the time in Pouilly-sur-Loire, where the vignerons favored medium quality Sauvignon practicing low densities per vine and mechanized harvesting. "I try to treat my vineyard as if it were a work of art," said Didier. And his Sauvignons are. Wines that go beyond giving pleasure: wines imbued with lyricism and charm, capable of wonderfully reading the various terroirs of Saint-Andelain and able to give emotions that make the human senses vibrate. He died prematurely at the age of 52, on September 17, 2008, since then the 11.5 hectares have been managed in the same spirit by his son Louis-Benjamin with the help of his sister Charlotte.
