Bellew family
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Limoux, France
Located in southwestern France, the Limoux region is known as the world's oldest sparkling wine producing region. It is especially famous for its "Blanquette de Limoux", and is said to have started producing sparkling wine earlier than the Champagne region. The climate is influenced by both the Mediterranean and Atlantic climates, and the cool nights help preserve the acidity of the grapes, producing well-balanced wines.
The Bellu family's domain and vineyards
The village of Lochtaillade, where the Domaine and vineyards are located, is a small commune with a population of just 200 people. The altitude ranges from 240 to 654 meters, with an elevation difference of 400 meters in a small area of just 11 km2. Mr. Belleu's vineyards are located at an altitude of 300 to 400 meters.
The vineyard covers an area of 6 hectares, of which 4 hectares are planted with Blanquette grapes, the grape variety used for La Bohème sparkling wine, and the rest is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the grapes used for red wine.
Organic history: Certified since 1981
Organic regulations were established in the EU in 1991. France began to legislate nationally in 1980. However, a French organic organization called "Nature et Progrès" has been active since 1964, long before that. The head of the organization, Jean-Claude Bellieux, has been active there for many years and even served as its president. He is a radical ecologist and a staunch organic grower.
No additives or chemicals are added to the fields or the wines produced. Many organic wine producers do not even use sulfur dioxide, which they add as a necessary evil. Thanks to their accumulated experience, the wines they produce are more consistent and of higher quality.
Belleu, who does not use chemicals in his fields, is also an enthusiastic researcher in the field of cultivation. In recent years, he has been trying his hand at brewing and cultivating Cantor and Cortis grapes, varieties that were developed in Germany for their resistance to diseases, and is making efforts to continue pursuing organic farming.
White grapes: Mauzac
Black grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Field soil
The vineyard is located on a hill at an altitude of 300-400m, away from the other vineyards, on a clay-limestone soil traditionally suited to the cultivation of the Mauzac grape, which is used to produce La Bohème (ancient method natural sweet sparkling wine).
Characteristics of cultivation methods etc.
- Weeds absorb too much water in summer and there is not enough water for the grapes to grow, so they are left on half of the rows.
- The shoots grow to about 180cm. As many leaves as possible are left above the grapes to allow photosynthesis and make the grapes sweeter.
Characteristics of brewing method
This sparkling wine is made using a method called the Ancient Method (Methode Ancestral), which predates the method used to make Champagne.
Fully ripe grapes are selected, the juice is made, and fermented. When fermentation is active and bubbles are rising, the racking is done to remove most of the yeast. The wine is then bottled, temporarily corked, and moved to a cold room. The reduced amount of yeast and the lower temperature stop fermentation. The wine is then left to rest until spring arrives.
When it gets warmer in the spring, the wine is removed from the room. The rising temperature causes fermentation to resume. It is very slow because there is only a small amount of yeast. As fermentation takes place in a stoppered bottle, the carbon dioxide gas that is produced accumulates in the wine. Once fermentation has settled down, the bottle's neck is tilted downward and the wine is allowed to mature slowly over many years. As the wine matures, the yeast has completed its role and has sunk to the neck of the bottle as sediment. The cork is then removed, the sediment is removed, and a new cork is inserted (without adding anything).
This is the method of ancestral. We use only grapes as raw materials and nothing is added. Therefore, we cannot correct the taste or quality, and it is all about controlling the quality of the grapes and brewing. Since we select only the best fruit, the yield is low and the risk of producing poor quality products is much higher, but we continue to practice the traditional method honestly.
From the producers to everyone in Japan
The reason we continue to grow grapes almost entirely by hand, using organic farming methods and making organic wine is, above all, for the personal joy of practicing what we believe in, to protect the earth, and because we want to provide the highest quality products possible in a new kind of relationship between producer and consumer.
We believe that organic farming is the agriculture of tomorrow. We are not interested in awards, medals or AOC regulations. We are satisfied with the customers who know us and drink our wine.
