Pomerol
Located just a stone's throw from the village church, Château Gombaude Guillot is one of the privileged wine estates to be located on the Pomerol plateau. This vineyard has been in the hands of the same family for four generations. It is currently managed by a woman, which is quite rare in the world of world, and unique in Pomerol. Claire Laval's management style has evolved after careful consideration of how to make the most of the terroir. She relies on a particularly efficient form of organic farming.
Claire Laval admits she never intended to be a winegrower. Trained as an agronomist, her love of animals led her, first of all, to Franche-Comté where she taught cattle farmers. In 1982, Claire's life changed dramatically when her father told her he wanted to retire and suggested she take over at Gombaude Guillot. "I had received no formal training whatsoever in viticulture or winemaking, although I did have a basic understanding of how things were done. I was also familiar with the concept of terroir. While this usually refers to viticulture, it can equally apply to other products, such as cheese, for example". In 1983, Claire decided to accept the challenge and became director of the family château. This is where we met her, to hear her explanations of how wine is made at Gombaude Guillot.
To begin with, what made you decide to go into organic farming?
When I began my career as a winemaker, I was struck by the fact that people placed great emphasis on the terroir, but took this word to describe just about anything! For agronomists, one of the most basic principles is that soil is a living environment made up of plant and animal life, and is highly sensitive to variations. The soil's overall quality and balance have a major influence on vine physiology. However, many wine producers do not seem to be aware of this fact - or, if they are, they do not draw the right conclusions from it... Supporters of organic farming realise that you cannot change one thing in the vineyard without changing everything... This proves that organic principles are much more grounded in scientific reasoning than is commonly believed. I started to become familiar with organic farming at a series of technical meetings. What people said just seemed to make sense, so I decided to accept their way of doing things and adapt it to my everyday reality.
How did you put this into practice at Gombaude Guillot?
Above and beyond a healthy respect for the terroir, - especially adding as little as possible to the soil - there are other important factors. In order to maintain a balance between the vine and the soil, you need to feed the soil, not the vine! As for protecting the vines, I do not seek to eliminate parasites, I just try to keep them under control. I have noticed that getting rid of them completely causes other problems that are often worse than the ones I started out with! Also, I think it is important not to "push" the vines too much. This can throw them out of balance and encourage parasites. Limiting yields is essential. Over-production puts too much of a strain on the vine. It also inhibits ripening and detracts from the quality of the final product.
It's important to have an overall view of things and simply to use common sense when it comes to growing wine grapes. A healthy soil and vines with plenty of foliage are needed for a healthy crop. I should add the importance of following weather patterns closely to adapt the size of the harvest accordingly.
