François Laborie’s Three Willows

François Laborie established his Les 3 Saules estate in 2015, starting with a leased vineyard and a few vines of his own. From the 2018 vintage onwards, the 6 hectares of vines located in the commune of Villefranche de Lonchat have been certified organic.

What’s more, François Laborie is developing the concept of a mixed-crop farm in the true spirit of traditional farming. Drawing on a cool, deep terroir and short maceration periods, he is restoring Merlot to its former glory. These are wines without excessive ripeness, offering an enticing fruitiness, freshness and finesse!

Les 3 Saules, a mixed-farming estate transforming the landscape

Ultimately, François Laborie hopes to diversify his activities whilst keeping wine at the heart of his business. He aims to develop a farming division, including market gardening, to create a more varied living environment. The aim is to help transform the landscape and foster harmony and balance.

In the vineyard

Most of the vines are planted on loamy-clay soil in the commune of Villefranche-de-Lonchat. The predominantly north-westerly aspect, combined with cool, deep soils, prevents the grapes from overripening. The low yields result in concentrated fruit flavours and refined tannins.

In the cellar

The white and rosé wines are vinified using traditional methods, involving direct pressing in open vats, followed by a light settling after 48 hours. Alcoholic fermentation begins naturally, and to date, malolactic fermentation has always been carried out. The wine is then racked and undergoes coarse filtration, followed by ageing in vats for approximately six months. 

The reds undergo short maceration, with little or no pumping over. I like to use whole bunches of Merlot to bring freshness and natural acidity to a grape variety that sorely lacks them!

Depending on the vintage, no additives may be added to the wines. In most cases, a small amount of sulphur dioxide is added before bottling, at around 20 mg/l.

A few photos of the Les 3 Saules estate