09/12/2025

An artisan estate - Why we chose “less, but better”

At Domaine La Doussinière, we choose an artisan approach. Not out of tradition or nostalgia, but because it is the only way to truly express our terroir: an organically farmed clay-limestone plateau between Saint-Émilion and Bergerac, planted with old vines dating from 1955 , Merlot and Cabernet Franc. For us, craftsmanship is not a slogan. It is an everyday practice. 🍇 Patient work in a living vineyard Working with vines nearly 70 years old calls for particular care. They yield less, but offer grapes of exceptional quality , with concentration and aromatic depth that cannot be reproduced in any other way. These vines are a living heritage. They tell the story of the place, its rhythm and its seasons. Respecting them requires precision, gentleness and observation—the essential gestures of craftsmanship. 🧱 Concrete tanks: a choice of purity We chose to age our wines in concrete tanks , for 18 months in the case of L’Originel. Why? Because concrete respects the fruit. It offers natural thermal inertia and gentle, controlled micro-oxygenation while preserving rare aromatic purity. No artifice. No intervention to obscure the work in the vineyard. It is a demanding approach to winemaking, but it reveals exactly what we seek: 👉 a sincere wine with depth and precision. 🍷 Wines for fine dining, appreciated at distinguished tables Our artisan approach finds a natural echo in gastronomy. Our wines appeal to Michelin-starred restaurants and distinguished tables across France, which appreciate their finesse, balance and clarity. As one sommelier puts it: An elegant, fruity and mineral cuvée, juicy and sappy in character, that leaves a lasting impression. We are proud that L’Originel also received a Gold Medal at the BEST VALUE Vin de France competition—a welcome recognition of our commitment. 🤲 A wine bearing the winegrower's signature Craftsmanship involves a personal connection. Every detail matters: pruning, harvest, winemaking choices and successive tastings. These are what make it possible to create a wine that truly bears a signature : that of a unique terroir and vintage, and of the hand that guides it. As I explain in La Gazette du Petit Ballon : My aim is to make an authentic wine that unmistakably carries my own distinctive signature. 🎯 An artisan estate is a choice of consistency It means choosing to produce less, but better. Committing to precision over abundance. Choosing sincerity over artifice and time over shortcuts. Ultimately, an artisan estate makes a promise: 👉 a wine faithful to its origins, honest, alive and deeply human.