# The Terroir

- Link: https://www.domaine-perdrix.net/en/the-terroir/
- Published: 2019-09-12T13:48:02+02:00
- Author: André Gil

![The Terroir Estate Of The Perdrix Wine](https://www.domaine-perdrix.net/wp-content/
uploads/2019/10/the-terroir-estate-of-the-perdrix-wine.png)

It is here, between the Mediterranean and piedmont Pyrenees, that we grow our vines.
Humbly but with ambition, we grow our 32 hectares in the greatest respect for our
environment. We strive to listen and observe nature in order to impact at least 
the natural cycle of our vines. Located on the foothills of Mount Canigou, the Aspres
terroir alone reflects all the richness and complexity of Côtes-du-Roussillon. Our
parcels of vines are fragmented on a real mosaic of soils with different exposures,
altitudes and climatic influences. It is through this diversity that the quintessence
of this Aspres terroir is expressed.

Meaning “arid lands” in Catalan, the Aspres are located between the Roussillon plain
to the east and the Canigou massif to the west. The soils are poor and the Mediterranean
climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The low water availability 
of soils due to their lack of nutrients causes the vine to draw in depth the water
and nutrients necessary for its growth. The yields are therefore low, but the vine
produces concentrated grapes of high quality. The intense daytime heat is softened
by the tramontane (fresh wind from the Pyrenees) allowing a perfect health of the
grapes and a slower ripening of berries, preserving freshness and aromatic complexity,
necessary for the development of great wines, reflections of wealth of this soil
of the Aspres.

At the heart of a raw and preserved biodiversity, our plots are naturally surrounded
by forest and scrubland where olive trees, cork oaks and almond trees meet. Preserving
this delicate balance is essential. Beyond the soil and the climate, it is the local
flora and fauna that contribute to the notion of terroir. We are convinced that 
only healthy, natural grapes can express the full potential of our terroir. In this
way we limit chemical treatments to a minimum and prefer gentler, more respectful
cultivation methods: reasoned plowing, organic amendments, leaf stripping and green
harvesting allow us to reduce treatments. Everything is set up to let nature express
itself through our grapes and our wines. Our commitment materialized in 2018 when
we started our conversion to organic wine.