Domaine des Terres Falmet VdF (St-Chinian) - Carignan

ves' grapes are harvested by hand, with 100% destalking. The fermentation process involves pump overs with a five-week maceration, followed by aging in tanks for at least 18 months. He bottles his wine with around 30mg/l of total sulphur, offering a great value Southern French wine with bundles of character.

Originally from the Aube, where his brother Joel produces champagne, Yves Falmet's journey into winemaking began in Montpellier, where he studied science. He earned a degree in biochemistry and spent a year conducting research with the INRA. His global travels took him to California, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Hungary, where he gained valuable experience before returning to France.

In 1996, with limited resources and the help of a loan, Yves purchased a few hectares of old bush vines, some up to 90 years old, on north-facing limestone-clay hillsides in the northern St Chinian appellation between the villages of Creissan and Cebazan. The land was so steep that it had been abandoned in parts, with the remaining vineyards at risk of the same fate. From the beginning, Yves rejected conventional viticulture for its environmental impact but also found certain aspects of organic farming too lenient. He developed his own ecological yet rational approach to viticulture, grounded in thoughtfulness, pragmatism, and an open-minded philosophy.