This year, we had the immense pleasure of being named WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR 2018 by the Guide Hachette des Vins 2018. it is with great emotion that we share this article dedicated to us.
“Near Rochefort-du-Gard, the Dom. La Loyâne is part of a natural area once known as a “wolves’ den”. Côtes-du-rhône and côtes-du-rhône-villages rub shoulders with highly expressive liracs, the fruit of the Dubois family’s remarkable hard work.
In 1994, an accountant who had worked as a tobacconist in Lyon for fifteen years decided to embark on a winegrowing adventure in the heart of a cultural landscape shaped by centuries of close ties between vines and the Rhône. “Passion,” replies Jean-Pierre Dubois, before confessing that he had “practically no specific training in viticulture”. Doing, and in doing, being done, was his viaticum. Enthusiasm was needed to get the 7 ha of an old Lirac vineyard acquired from a retired winegrower back into “upwardly mobile” shape.
“No bragging rights,” he admits. The key to success: incessant manual work, “patience and time”. His wife Dominique, his son Romain, who has a BTS in viti-oenology, and his daughter-in-law Laure are also involved in this active and enthusiastic daily routine. “It was only in 2001 that we gave our farm the name of the place called La Loyâne. It gives us a sense of continuity.
Today, La Loyâne comprises 25 hectares scattered in parcels, giving birth to a dozen cuvées made from the noble grape varieties of the Midi: grenache, syrah, mourvèdre, carignan, cinsault – “this one is so afraid of eutipiose and esca that I wonder about it…” – clairette and bourboulenc. -clairette and bourboulenc. Jean-Pierre Dubois unravels the time spent pampering his vines: “It’s a commonplace to say that everything comes together in the vineyard. But it’s here that we learn everything. Starting with those magical moments during pruning when we project our future. Not to mention the upkeep of terroirs, whose identity is respected. “We attach the greatest importance to controlling our pebble soils. We see the presence of grass, with its associated fauna, as a qualitative complement, not as a competitor to the vines”. Treatments? “In more than homeopathic doses, except when flavescence dorée is acting up.
As for the Guide’s awards, he admits to receiving them with emotion: “When we first won, I felt chills run down my spine. It was like a crowning moment for the whole family. A highly sympathetic, humble and welcoming family, with a rare commitment to quality.
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