Everything for freshness. Here flows the «green water,» the one that comes from the trees, carrying the breath and the luminous freshness of Lirac wines. The rugged and sometimes inaccessible geological nature of certain places and the discreetness of the appellation have not harmed the forests. Elsewhere trees have been felled, here they are respected.
Elsewhere trees have been felled, here they are respected.
Kermes oaks, white oaks, green oaks, strawberry trees, wild roses, junipers, olive trees, laurel-thymes, hackberries play a major role on the stage of climate change.
More trees than vineyards
The 1,200 hectares of the appellation are under the benevolent protection, the beneficent breath of 2,500 hectares of forests whose salvific breath contributes to the particular nature of the wine and adds freshness to the slender silhouette of the textures. In this protected setting, a microclimate bestows its benefits on vines often exposed to the rising sun given the terrain, which promotes a decrease in the duration of sunlight and contributes to the freshness of the wines.
The profile becomes more refined, and the freshness is reinvented thanks to later harvests favored by the surrounding vegetation. The sensation is no longer that of alcohol; it softens in the low pH of the soil, in slow ripening due to a proper balance between the sugar and acidity of the grapes. Biodiversity here is called «nature,» and it has been this way forever. But Lirac does not stop at this preserved biodiversity and continues to plant trees. A reforestation campaign is underway, supported by the patron Pure, a company specializing in decarbonization and financing environmental projects in agriculture. New plantings of hedges and trees are planned and carried out with the support of the entire wine-growing population. The goal is to plant 5,000 trees in 3 years.
To preserve all these achievements and with the desire to go even further in respecting the vineyard’s vegetal capital, an environmental component endorsing the changes and developing the future commitment of winemakers will be included in the appellation’s specifications.
An extraordinary vegetal heritage
«We have managed to preserve our trees and old vines,» says former appellation president Rodolphe de Pins, proud of this historical vegetal heritage that speaks of the community’s attachment to its nature: to the trees but also to the vines, some of which, preserved since the 1960s, have never been cloned and represent a reservoir of old vines capable of producing authentic Lirac wine. These plants with unique genetics have become nearly endemic, embracing the original nature of this wooded land. Very old clairettes with evocative twists bravely raise their wood against the Mistral; nearly century-old mourvèdres extract a final burst of freshness from the subsoil, while the preserved genius of ancient grenache goblets lends style to the blends.
Stimulated by this lush environment, vintners have converted 53% of the plots to organic farming and 23% to biodynamics. Forests such as that of Clary and Sainte-Beaume are the lungs of a vineyard that exudes health. Located on the edge of Sainte-Beaume, a cave that served as a refuge for Catholics during the religious wars, flanked by a chapel, has become a sanctuary where hermits withdrew for centuries, until the Lirac town hall made it an emblem of its preserved ecosystem. Barely visible in its vegetal setting, the Hermitage of Sainte-Beaume inspires the new identity of the wine.
The Terroir
“Our wines benefit from the finesse of the soils; they are in tune with the times with the brightness of the fruit, liberated from the dictate of power to favor their refreshing nature. Discovering them is adopting them”
Safres, marls, pebbles, limestones
The high Quaternary alluvial terrace of the Rhône constitutes the terroir of Lirac, which geological upheavals have contributed to complexify. This work of time will leave a common expression perceptible in the mouthfeel of the wines, revealing more than just a soil but telling the story of this land compressed between two faults: the Nîmes fault and the Roquemaure fault. One runs from east to west, the other descends from north to south. Between them: valleys, terraces, and plateaus create the fragmented relief where ochre sands, yellow pebbles, and gray limestones of the Barremian draw the colors of Lirac’s soil and the diversity of expression depending on the villages and plots. The sandy marls and sands of Roquemaure and Saint-Laurent des Arbres are the most striking. In the municipality of Saint Géniès de Comolas, Villafranchian strewn with rocks deposited on the safres base.
Les cépages
Grenache noir
Finesse et opulence
Ce grand cépage est la base des vins rouges et rosés méridionaux. Il résiste bien au vent et à la sécheresse. Son potentiel aromatique, ses tanins équilibrés en font un cépage essentiel pour l ‘élaboration de vins rouges et rosés de l’appellation. Il donne des vins riches et généreux et leur confère également beaucoup de finesse et d’harmonie. Il permet aux vins d’avoir de superbes arômes de cerise noire mûre, de réglisse, d’épices, de fruits noirs et de cacao.
La Syrah
Structure, nervosité, arômes
La Syrah apprécie les climats plus difficiles et moins abritées. C’est un cépage très expressif. Elle donne une grande richesse aromatique: parfum de fruits rouges, de violette, de cuir, de cassis, de mûre, de Myrtille … Elle apporte également une très bonne intensité colorante et une belle structure tannique. Ses tanins sont denses mais ils apportent aussi une belle finesse.
Le Mourvèdre
Puissance tannique, capacité de vieillissement
Très exigeant en chaleur et en lumière pour bien mûrir, il est plus souvent implanté en bordure de zones littorales et pour Lirac, dans les zones intérieures chaudes. En assemblage avec les autres cépages, il donne de jolis reliefs aux cépages traditionnels méridionaux (Grenache, Cinsault).
Il confère aux Lirac évolués de belles notes animales ou de sous-bois, de truffe, de fruits très mûrs et de réglisse ainsi que d’une intensité puissante.
Cépages secondaires :
Le Carignan
Le Grenache Blanc
Longueur et onctuosité
C’est le grand cépage des vignobles méditerranéens soumis à la sécheresse estivale et au mistral. À l’instar du grenache noir pour les vins rouges, il donne des vins blancs avec une belle richesse aromatique. Ils sont assez corsés, peu acides, ronds et longs en bouche.
La Clairette
Fruité et finesse
Originaire du Sud de la France, ce cépage aime les sols profonds, argileux et caillouteux. La Clairette donne des vins très parfumés, des fruits et des fleurs, une grande finesse et un plaisir immédiat.
La roussanne
Élégance et complexité aromatique
Ce type de cépage est très sensible aux maladies et trouve son origine dans le nord de la Vallée du Rhône et convient aux sols pauvres et pierreux, bien exposés. Il donne des vins fins et élégants sur une belle structure acide et une grande richesse aromatique avec des notes d’abricot, de miel et d’aubépine sur les notes subtiles de café et de narcisse. Doté d’un fort caractère, produit noble des vins de longue garde.
Le Cinsault
Élégance et fruité
Ce cépage est réputé pour sa finesse et son élégance. Généralement utilisé en assemblage avec le Grenache et la Syrah, il apporte aux assemblages une très grande richesse aromatique (groseille, fraise des bois, grenade) et une belle onctuosité. Il est particulièrement adapté aux vins rosés.
