The terroirs of Clot de l’Origine

The vineyard plots are situated on different terroirs at varying altitudes (between 15m and 400m); the two furthest-apart plots are 55 km apart:

• Salses-le-Château and Espira d'Agly (15 metres above sea level): the proximity of the sea, with its cool maritime breeze and salty sea mist, lends the wines a freshness and a hint of saltiness. The Muscat and Macabeu grapes are mainly used to produce the Trouble fait and L’Original vintages.
• Calce (180 metres above sea level): 70-year-old mass-selection vines. The coolness provided by the north-facing aspect and the altitude, combined with the brown schist soils, lend freshness, power and a fine balance to the wines Les Quilles libres (white) and Soif de plaisir (red) (grape varieties: Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and Carignan).
• Maury (180 metres above sea level): this is the warmest terroir, largely due to the black schist that covers the soil. The old vines planted here give the wines a fine balance. This produces dry wines and naturally sweet wines (VDN), both white and red, which are powerful, full-bodied and highly distinctive. The black and white Grenache grapes are used to produce Les Quilles Libres white and red, as well as the red and white Maury wines.
• Caudiès de Fenouillèdes (400m above sea level): this high-altitude terroir, which is cool and receives plenty of rainfall, produces wines with low alcohol content and a lively acidity. The vineyard is planted with young vines, which gives the wines excellent drinkability. The Syrah, Merlot and Sauvignon grape varieties produce the P’tit Barriot white and P’tit Barriot red wines.

In the vineyard

Most of the work in the vineyard at Clot de l’Origine is carried out by hand: weeding, hoeing, staking, tying, treatments, suckering, harvesting, and so on. Legumes and cereals are sown to increase the organic matter in the soil.

At Le Clot de l’Origine, soil preparation is carried out in three ways:

• By tractor where possible
• Horse-drawn farming for plots that cannot be mechanised (gradient greater than 20%)
• Manually using a hoe to clear weeds growing at the base of the vines

The vineyard has been managed organically since the very beginning. In addition to sulphur, which is used to combat powdery mildew, and copper, which is used to combat downy mildew, sprays made from infusions of various plants help to boost the vines’ natural defences (against drought, heat, etc.).

The grape harvest at Clot de l’Origine

The grape harvest begins in mid-August at Clot de l’Origine, which is quite early for the region. The vineyards near the coast (Salses-le-Château and Espira d’Agly) are harvested in early or mid-August, depending on the year. The vineyards at the top of the valley (Caudiès de Fenouillèdes) are harvested in mid-September.

The grapes are harvested by hand; no harvesting machines are used. The grapes are placed in small crates holding a maximum of 15 kg to avoid crushing or damaging them.

Given the distance between the winery and the various vineyards, the crates are transported back to the winery by lorry as quickly as possible to prevent the grapes from oxidising (in under an hour).

In the cellar

At Clot de l’Origine, the various grape varieties are harvested by hand over a period of one and a half months. No yeasts or enzymes are added during the winemaking process. Fermentation takes place naturally using the indigenous yeasts found in each terroir.

The grapes are pressed and vinified as quickly as possible upon arrival at the winery to prevent the juices from oxidising and to enhance the natural balance of the musts.

The Whites of Clot de l’Origine

For white wines, the grapes are pressed immediately upon arrival (direct pressing). Since 2017, we have been producing ‘blancs de noirs’ from Syrah and Merlot. To do this, we harvest green grapes (at 11 degrees Brix) and press them directly in the pneumatic press. When the juice begins to take on a hint of colour, we stop the process and vinify the white juice obtained. The juice is vinified in concrete vats or large wooden casks, and for our more gourmet cuvées, in oak barrels that have previously held other wines to avoid the aromas of new wood.

The Reds of Clot de l’Origine

The red grapes are destemmed on arrival. The destemmed grapes are placed in concrete vats for maceration and fermentation. After the grapes are pressed and the must is racked off, the resulting wine completes its fermentation and ageing in concrete vats and large oak casks. Bottling takes place 12 to 24 months after ageing. At the end of the ageing process, the wine is bottled without fining or filtration. The wines are stored on their sides to allow the aromas to develop slowly in the bottles. All bottling takes place at Clot de l’Origine.

Marc and Caroline’s aim at Clot de l’Origine is not to produce perfect but uninteresting wines. They opt for winemaking with minimal sulphur use, depending on the vintage, in order to preserve the integrity of the grapes and bring out the fruit’s finesse and purity.

(Source: Domaine Le Clot de l’Origine)