Domaine Barou

The history of the estate

The history of the Barou estate began in 1971 when Alexis Barou decided to convert his entire mixed crop-livestock farm to Organic Agriculture. The estate is located in Charnas, in the north of the Ardèche.

His son, Emmanuel, took over the family estate in 1997 after studying viticulture-oenology in Orange and Avignon. He undertakes the reconversion of the domain towards arboriculture and notably viticulture. Thus, plots of land in AOC Saint-Joseph and Condrieu are planted, and an old building is fitted out to store wine-making cellar, storage cellar and reception area.

Due to the development of the estate and its activity, Emmanuel and his wife Marie-Agnès decided in 2017 to build a new building to move the wine-making activity there.

Today, the vineyard covers fifteen hectares of vines, planted between Charnas and Limony. The estate now also produces IGP Collines Rhodaniennes wines.

The terroir

The fifteen-hectare vineyard extends over soils of weathered granite, light and stony. On some parcels, the rock comes up to the surface of the soil, forcing the vines to root in the rock's asperities.

The vines in the commune of Charnas produce mostly IGP Collines Rhodienne and Saint-Joseph Blanc. On the commune of Limony, one will find vines producing in AOC Condrieu and Saint-Joseph.

The vines are committed mainly in Syrah, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. There are also secondary grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Vermentino and Merlot.

Most of the vineyards are accessible to mechanical tools, but the steepest plots require manual tillage. Leaf removal is practiced at the grape level and harvesting is done manually. Before being vinified, the grapes are rigorously sorted.

The estate also uses practices used in biodynamic farming, particularly with the dynamized 500 and 501 preparations.

The wines

The Imagine cuvée is a 100% Viognier Condrieu. Its color is golden and its nose is on lemony and woody notes. On the palate, there is a nice roundness as well as an aromatic persistence on the finish. Perfect with foie gras, scallops or goat cheese.

The La Bonne Étoile cuvée is an IGP Collines Rhodaniennes 100% Viognier. Its lime green color and explosive nose of citrus, exotic fruits and vanilla announce a tasty mouthfeel. The latter releases exuberant perfumes and a sweetness on caramel and stewed notes. Very flattering, this wine is ideal as an aperitif.

The Cuvée des Vernes is an IGP Collines Rhodaniennes 100% Syrah. Its color is dark ruby red and its nose is on notes of ripe fruits and cocoa. Its mouth is fresh, on crunchy red fruits and hints of vanilla. To be enjoyed with red meat.