Chateau Grand Boise vineyard

A natural terroir ...

The vineyards of the Chateau Grand Boise consist of 45 Ha (110 acres) of vines. Some of these vineyards surround the 17th century bastide which majestically dominates the Arc Valley. The rest are scattered throughout the estate, with vines growing on hillside terraces. Thanks to these 77 different plots, a high proportion of whose vines are very old, the estate forms a rich and varied ensemble.

Growing between 300m and 640m (1000 to 2000ft) above sea level the vines are well exposed to the sun, tempered by the effect of altitude: temperature variations here are wider than in the valley itself. This equilibrium is beneficial to the production of high class wines. Equally, it gives more agreeable and natural freshness to rosés.

No chemical fertilizer or weedkiller is used. Defended from any maritime influence by the mountainous massifs which surround it and regularly swept by winds, the terroir is not at all prone to fungal attack. The soils are predominantly a mixture of clay and chalk, with a good proportion of sedimentary limestone.

The vines are ploughed and "deridged" (1). The treatment of the soils excludes any synthetic chemical: being fertilised either by natural means, thanks to the presence of a herd of sheep and their shepherd, or organic/mineral. Hives are witnesses to the natural character of the environment, as bees are very sensitive to pollution of any kind. Today, all vines are grown using organic production methods.

Planting consists principally of the three main varieties grown in Provence: Syrah, Grenache et Cinsault. They are complemented by some Cabernet-Sauvignon and Carignan. Whites are mostly made from Rolle (aka Vermentino) complemented by Semillon and Ugni Blanc.

There are many “vieilles vignes” (very old vines) in Chateau Grand Boise, raising the quality of its wines. They are also in a sense the living memory of the estate: sometimes being more than 100 years old, it is as if they are time travellers and the estate take good care of them.

Chateau Grand Boise also has a dynamic policy of replanting and restoration: as is shown by the replanting of plots in Les Brunets, on the other, south facing slope, in untamed nature (see photos...) and in a unique terroir of .... pink marble, the very same as was used in its time in some of the rooms of the bastide.

Replanting of the Brunets vineyard in a unique terroir of pink marble

(1) Deridging ("décavaillonnage") - ploughing right beside the vines themselves to cut the rootlets (thus encouraging deeper rooting), and to remove weeds.

Chateau Grand'Boise

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Chateau Grand Boise
1536 Chemin de Grisole - 13530 Trets-en-Provence - France
Tel. +33 (0)442 292 295 - Email:
Grand Boise • 1536 Chemin de Grisole • 13530 Trets • France • Tel. (0)442 292 295 • www.grandboise.com