Domaine des Ardoisières

The history of Domaine des Ardoisières

For as long as anyone can remember, vines have grown on the lands of Domaine des Ardoisières. It was already present in 120 BC, when the Romans invaded Gaul. After their departure at the end of the 5th century, it was the ecclesiastics who continued viticulture around their abbeys and priories. It was then the turn of the nobility and bourgeoisie to exploit the land in the 14th century, before it reverted to the peasantry in the 19th century.

The Domaine des Ardoisières as it exists today is the result of the desire of Fréterive's town councillors and winegrower Michel Grisard to recreate a winegrowing estate worthy of the name, in 1997.

The first vines were planted in 1998. Brice Omont then joined forces with Michel Grisard as a young winemaker, and today manages Domaine des Ardoisières.

The Domaine des Ardoisières vineyard

The Domaine des Ardoisières is run biodynamically. This allows us to delicately care for the soil, while shaping and maintaining the landscape. The grapes are naturally harvested by hand, and no chemicals are used on the estate.

Domaine des Ardoisières covers 16 hectares: 12 hectares dedicated to white wine and the remaining 4 hectares to red wine. The average age of the vines is 40 years. Production is around 60,000 bottles a year.

The grape varieties are divided between : - red grape varieties: Gamay noir à jus blanc (40%), Mondeuse noire (20%), Persan (40%);
- white grape varieties: Mondeuse blanche (13%), Jacquère (32%), Chardonnay (16%), Altesse (20%), Roussanne (10%), Pinot gris (9%).

The estate is divided into two terroirs:

Le coteau de Cevins

The soil on the Cevins hillside is composed of metamorphic rock of the micaschist type, with silty-sandy and sometimes clayey soils. It is planted on terraces, with slopes of up to 60%.

Slopes of Saint Pierre de Soucy

The soil of the Saint Pierre de Soucy hillsides is composed of sedimentary rock, Jurassic schist marl and clay-limestone soil. Slopes range from medium to steep.

Domaine des Ardoisières wines

Red Amethyst

Améthyste is a red wine extracted from vines on the Cevins hillside. It is a blend of 60% Persan and 40% Mondeuse Noire. It's a deep, dense wine, whose fruitiness expresses itself on the palate with a very long finish.

Argile blanc - Coteaux de Saint Pierre de Soucy

Argile blanc is a white wine made from vines grown on the slopes of Saint Pierre de Soucy. The blend is composed of 40% Jacquère, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Mondeuse Blanche.

This is a gourmet wine, with just the right amount of minerality. It is fragrant and straightforward, underlined by a hint of volatile acidity.