The winemaker's craft

The Cabernet Franc is particularly fond of clay, which brings out its aromatic finesse, spicy notes and structure. It represents half of the vines planted, on a par with the Merlot.
The cypress trees pierce the clouds and the massive stone pines spread their broad boughs across the sky. The limestone rock breaks through the surface in many places, making light of the heavy rains, the hedgerows form lovely bocages, the clay sticks to the boots and, further off, the silence is broken by the grunting of a horse.
Decompaction work, carried out on the soils from the outset, has restored their mobility and vigour. Today, each plot is worked according to its clay or limestone composition and the inclination of its slope to prevent any compaction and keep the soils well aerated.
Biodiversity is preserved throughout the vineyards through bocage hedgerows and native plants that encourage the return of auxiliary fauna and flora; a total of 600 bushes and 10 different varieties have been introduced.
Every day is like the very first day. The stirring of nature, the morning mist and the sunset over the valley are all part of the same impulse. Tending to his 'garden', day in, day out, come rain or shine, the winegrower savours every moment, every sensation: the sappy juice of a lovely ripe fig or plum, lunch eaten at the old stone table at the end of the cypress trees, the gorgeous scents invading the driveway in the spring, the nuts fallen at the foot of the mill in the autumn and the welcome arrival of the first cold snaps that allow nature to fall dormant at last.
At Berliquet, the duration of the pumping-over operations, the timing and frequency of the rackings, and the length of the ageing process are always tailored to each wine and adjusted according to the vintage.
The small capacity vats (20 hl) allow us to cater to each vineyard plot
and to vinify each batch of grapes with precision.

In this Garden of Eden, man advances at the pace of nature. He follows her path through the seasons, on this hillside up on the plateau, immersed in the fragrance of the Mediterranean trees. A south-facing enclave, where migrating birds striate the sky with loud flapping wings.
The Berliquet clays come from different substrates deposited during the Tertiary period, in particular Fronsadais molasses, which are thin clays with a grey-green coloration.
The animal advances at the pace of man. It follows in his tracks and, row after row, step after step, it fashions this living soil, aerating and opening it up to the light. Man is by its side, feels its warm breath, its energy and its steady motion; he feels every pebble, every hole in the ground, here a small flat spot, there a slight rise. Man and beast together, connected to nature, working at the same rhythm, with the same deep satisfaction.
The lower trellising and the reduction of the foliage surface area help us to reduce the sugar level of the grapes and obtain crunchier, fresher fruit.
Green work is carried out as required, on a case-by-case basis, depending on the vintage. It is therefore a tailor-made process that begins each spring and continues in the middle of the summer with disbudding,
removal of the side-shoots and green harvesting.
A year's work, over in a final burst of energy, at harvest time, when everything must come together to ensure that the harvested fruit releases its finest juices. It takes manpower, good humour, backs hunched over the vines, skilful picking, sweaty brows and weary bodies. Then a cooling off at the old washhouse with its pure spring water. The wine is already bubbling away in the cellar, releasing its first aromas. Tomorrow we will start over again, another day of grape harvesting, picking, sorting and pressing, but always in good company.
The date of the harvest is determined by tasting the grapes each day with the aim of achieving a perfect balance between maturity and freshness.
The wine is resting. After the frenzied excitement comes the long, quiet wait. Tucked away, underground, the wine matures and fulfils its promises. Down in these underground cellars, with their seeping limestone walls and cool, refreshing atmosphere, the wine captures its aromas and minerality; lying close to its terroir, it breathes in all its elements, impregnating itself with them a little more each day while also taking in tannins from the oak. Man is constantly by its side, a watchful guardian, attentive to the new wine. A hiatus in the darkness. Outside, the vineyard cycle is already starting anew.

The Cabernet Franc is particularly fond of clay, which brings out its aromatic finesse, spicy notes and structure. It represents half of the vines planted, on a par with the Merlot.
The cypress trees pierce the clouds and the massive stone pines spread their broad boughs across the sky. The limestone rock breaks through the surface in many places, making light of the heavy rains, the hedgerows form lovely bocages, the clay sticks to the boots and, further off, the silence is broken by the grunting of a horse.
Decompaction work, carried out on the soils from the outset, has restored their mobility and vigour. Today, each plot is worked according to its clay or limestone composition and the inclination of its slope to prevent any compaction and keep the soils well aerated.
Biodiversity is preserved throughout the vineyards through bocage hedgerows and native plants that encourage the return of auxiliary fauna and flora; a total of 600 bushes and 10 different varieties have been introduced.
Every day is like the very first day. The stirring of nature, the morning mist and the sunset over the valley are all part of the same impulse. Tending to his 'garden', day in, day out, come rain or shine, the winegrower savours every moment, every sensation: the sappy juice of a lovely ripe fig or plum, lunch eaten at the old stone table at the end of the cypress trees, the gorgeous scents invading the driveway in the spring, the nuts fallen at the foot of the mill in the autumn and the welcome arrival of the first cold snaps that allow nature to fall dormant at last.
At Berliquet, the duration of the pumping-over operations, the timing and frequency of the rackings, and the length of the ageing process are always tailored to each wine and adjusted according to the vintage.
The small capacity vats (20 hl) allow us to cater to each vineyard plot
and to vinify each batch of grapes with precision.
In this Garden of Eden, man advances at the pace of nature. He follows her path through the seasons, on this hillside up on the plateau, immersed in the fragrance of the Mediterranean trees. A south-facing enclave, where migrating birds striate the sky with loud flapping wings.
The Berliquet clays come from different substrates deposited during the Tertiary period, in particular Fronsadais molasses, which are thin clays with a grey-green coloration.
The animal advances at the pace of man. It follows in his tracks and, row after row, step after step, it fashions this living soil, aerating and opening it up to the light. Man is by its side, feels its warm breath, its energy and its steady motion; he feels every pebble, every hole in the ground, here a small flat spot, there a slight rise. Man and beast together, connected to nature, working at the same rhythm, with the same deep satisfaction.
The lower trellising and the reduction of the foliage surface area help us to reduce the sugar level of the grapes and obtain crunchier, fresher fruit.
Green work is carried out as required, on a case-by-case basis, depending on the vintage. It is therefore a tailor-made process that begins each spring and continues in the middle of the summer with disbudding,
removal of the side-shoots and green harvesting.
The date of the harvest is determined by tasting the grapes each day with the aim of achieving a perfect balance between maturity and freshness.
A year's work, over in a final burst of energy, at harvest time, when everything must come together to ensure that the harvested fruit releases its finest juices. It takes manpower, good humour, backs hunched over the vines, skilful picking, sweaty brows and weary bodies. Then a cooling off at the old washhouse with its pure spring water. The wine is already bubbling away in the cellar, releasing its first aromas. Tomorrow we will start over again, another day of grape harvesting, picking, sorting and pressing, but always in good company.
The wine is resting. After the frenzied excitement comes the long, quiet wait. Tucked away, underground, the wine matures and fulfils its promises. Down in these underground cellars, with their seeping limestone walls and cool, refreshing atmosphere, the wine captures its aromas and minerality; lying close to its terroir, it breathes in all its elements, impregnating itself with them a little more each day while also taking in tannins from the oak. Man is constantly by its side, a watchful guardian, attentive to the new wine. A hiatus in the darkness. Outside, the vineyard cycle is already starting anew.