Domaine de L'Île Rouge
Antonin Jamois is orginally from Paris and after studying agronomy, moved to Madagscar for 10 years. With the arrival of his daughter, they moved back to his father in law's 6 hectare property in Lugasson in the Entres-Deux and learns how to make wine on the job. His fascination in ancient Bordelaise vareties that were forgotten about after Phylloxera, leads him to expand the 0.8 hectares of Merlot to 2.5 hectares, by planting Castets (pictured above), Mancin (also red) and most recently, Sémillon.
He farms the whole property organically and promotes permaculture to preserve soil fertility and promote biodiversity in the vines including the cultivating of ancient cereals and fruit trees. The rest of the property is woodland and a meadow for his horse. A serene and intelligent approach, for wines that finally shake up the codes of Bordeaux!
The soils are shallow: Clay-Limestone on a bed of starfish rock (another type of limestone). Below the vines is this an old Troglodyte, a 19th century freestone quarry, built into the cliff. Vinifying and ageing the wine here keeps his red barrels cool all year round, preserving the freshness of the fruit and the "prise de mousse" for his Merlot Pet'Nat.
Masclaret is a short 2 days of skin contact Merlot, taking the colour of a red, but keeping the freshness of a white wine.
The Petite Terre is carbonic Merlot. Confluence is two thirds Merlot, topped up with Castets and spends a year in barrels. While the merlot gives ripe prune flavours, the Castets offers blood orange. Grande Terre is a half hectare of Merlot that's treated like a Grand Cru, careful selection, 16 months in barrique, zero added sulfur and the freshness of fruit that's been aged in cellars as cool as the winemaker.
Download Tech Sheet - Pét'Nat
Download Tech Sheet - Masclaret
Download Tech Sheet - Petite Terre
Download Tech Sheet - Confluence
Download Tech Sheet - Grande Terre
