Coulée de Serrant - Moelleux

La Coulée de Serrant, the mythical wine of Nicolas Joly, a master of biodynamics!

Understanding the philosophy of the Domaine

We do not resort to any "cosmetic surgery" in the cellar, which often makes the wine flattering to the detriment of its originality.instead, throughout the year we work to help the vines feed on the particularity of our schist soils (taken by the roots) and the microclimate captured by the leaves. In addition to the biodynamic preparations, throughout the winter we bring in the Ouessant sheep which clean the vines like real gardeners while "smoking" them. From spring onwards we use various herbal teas to calm down the possible climatic excesses. Thyme or other herbs (lavender, oregano, savory, sage) warm up the soil and can be a protection against frost. The numerous nettle teas support the activity of the sap, especially in periods of drought, which reinforces photosynthesis and thus marks the grapes with the climatic originality of the vintage. We also use garlic, which is a great friend of the vine, comfrey, etc.

To limit the negative effects of the monoculture that is the vineyard, voluntarily, the parcels that have the right to the appellation are left in meadows or in copses with almost permanent presence of various animals (donkeys, horses, goats). A herd of 10 cows and 1 Nantais bull - a breed threatened with extinction in 1985 - raised on the estate's land provides us with the necessary annual manure. We have been doing this for 35 years and thanks to the quality of our terroirs our wines can express tastes that are 100% natural.

At this stage a wine is therapeutic.

The estate

7 hectares planted in 1130 on steep slopes (south facing) by the Cistercian monks and always in vineyards since, 2010 will be the 880th consecutive harvest. The shale and quartz soils are partly worked with horses.

Average age of the vines: 40/45 years, the oldest vines are 85 years old.

The wood of the vines replanted in the last 15 years comes from the oldest vines of the Coulée de Serrant (1920 approx.). This reinforces the subtlety that the place expresses in a species over the centuries. The yields are generally 20 to 30 hectolitres per hectare (the authorisations are 40 hectolitres/hectare for the Coulée)

Biodynamics was introduced in 1980 and since 1984 the entire vineyard has benefited from it. No synthetic chemical products, acaricides, pesticides, systemic weed killers or nitrates have been used since that date. A little sulphur and Bordeaux mixture (copper and lime) is used each year (about 10/15 kg of mixture/hectare/year, with a copper content of 20%). The sulphur is a beneficial contribution of light at the time of the flowering of the vine (one or two treatments at 15kg/hectare/year). Copper is limited (2/3 kg/hectare/year) because it slows down the life of the soil. All the soils are grassed.

The harvest is done in 3 to 5 manual sortings each year over 5 weeks, generally between the end of September and the beginning of November. Fermentation lasts several months.

The Coulée de Serrant, planted in 1130 by the Cistercian monks, benefits from a controlled appellation of only 7 hectares of which we have a monopoly. The average age of the vines (about 45 years) planted on this schist slope, the very low yields (20 hectolitres/ha), and the biodynamic farming for 30 years, have enabled us to express the unique qualities of this place without using any technological devices in the cellar.

Nicolas and Virginie JOLY