The Rabuzon family
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Graves region, Bordeaux, France
The Graves region of Bordeaux is a historic wine-producing region along the Garonne River, and as its name suggests, is characterized by gravelly soil. This soil is well-drained and puts moderate stress on the grapes, resulting in high-quality wines. The red wines are mainly made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and have a complex and firm structure, while the white wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, and are characterized by a fresh and fruity taste.
The Rabuzon family's domain and vineyards
The domaine and vineyards are located in the village of Landeiras in the Graves region. Landeiras is close to Sauternes, which is famous for its Noble Rot wine, and in addition to red and white wine, Noble Rot wine is also produced here. The climate is Atlantic, but thanks to the forests of the Landes department, the winds from the Atlantic are blocked. The temperature is somewhat high due to the winds of the vineyards. The area where the vineyards are located is flat, and some parts of the vineyards are stony, while others are clayey, limestone, and sandy.
The oldest records of the Labuzon family date back to 1668, when their ancestors were already grape growers. Since then, they have been making wine for generations.
Organic history: Volunteer (certification is Since 1963, we have been certified since the time of the certification system that became the foundation of organic certification in France.
The previous owner, Paulette, obtained organic certification in 1963 and was also involved in the establishment of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries' organic certification organization, making her a true pioneer.
In 2008, at the age of 82, she said, "I'll keep making wine until God calls me!", but later retired due to her failing eyesight. Her son Pierre, who was running his own vineyard apart from Paulette, and her grandson Adrien have taken over Paulette's vineyard and are making wine. Paulette started farming organically in order to "leave a beautiful earth to her descendants," and her vineyard has been duly passed down to her children.
Since Paulette's time, the nutrients given to the vineyards have been all natural, such as seaweed, rock powder, horse manure, and green manure, and this has not changed to this day. The same goes for disease control, where the vines only use natural products such as sulfur and plant decoctions, as well as a small amount of Bordeaux mixture.
The LaBuson family also runs a farm stay, which you can book in advance. The Rabuson family's lifestyle is such that all the vegetables and fruits are grown in their own garden, and they order a week's worth of bread from an organic bakery that sells at the market every week. They return everything that can be returned to the soil back to the garden, and burn paper and other items in the garden. The Rabuson family's entire lifestyle, including their winemaking, is organic.
- White grapes: Semillon, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc
- Black grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
Field soil
As the name "Graves" suggests, some of the soil is stony (Graves means gravel in French), while other parts are a mixture of clay, limestone and sand. The pebbles rolling around in the field retain heat during the day and release it at night, creating a beneficial temperature difference for the grapes. There is a forest close to the field, which is also owned by the Rabuson family, and it covers an area of approximately 100 hectares, with 23 hectares of vineyards. The Rabuson family carefully protects this forest in addition to making wine.
Characteristics of cultivation methods, etc.
They pay close attention to the timing of harvesting, and in order to finish in one go when they feel it's the right time, they finish six hectares in one day. There's a fine line between the grapes being fully ripe and rotting, so they wait until the very last moment to harvest, and then harvest all at once when there are a few grapes that are a little overripe. They decide on the harvest date by measuring the sugar content, but ultimately they decide by biting into a grape seed and checking the tannin content with their own tongue.
Characteristics of brewing method
- As long as the grapes are in good condition, there will be no problems with brewing!
- No yeast is used (it exists in nature and circulates, so no addition is necessary)
- Decisions such as whether or not to use barrels for white wine are all made depending on the situation and conditions at the time.
From the producers to everyone in Japan
In our family business of winemaking, which has been passed down from generation to generation, we have always practiced organic farming, avoiding the use of chemicals that remain in the soil forever, in order to leave a beautiful Earth for our descendants.
No matter how long you have been doing something repeatedly and how much experience you have gained, when you are dealing with nature, unexpected things will always happen, and no matter how many years pass, there are always new things to discover.
There are many factors that affect the winery's condition, the weather, the condition of the grapes, etc., but we winemakers simply do our best under the conditions of the year and at the time, regardless of whether it's a good year or a bad year. Please come and taste our wines.
