Grand Cru Classé Château Jean Faure has been certified organic since 2017 and biodynamic since 2020.
In June, it will host symposium about the production of Cabernet Franc will take place in June 2021. Cabernet Franc makes up 60% of plantings at Château Jean Faure, which is somewhat atypical on the right bank.
At Château Jean Faure everything is organised in relation to the environment, in harmony with the rhythm of the seasons, the lunar calendar and the presence of local fauna. More than 100 vegetal species and more than 60 different animals are recorded as thriving at the estate, where the conservation and construction of a living landscape is central to the holistic approach taken.
At Château de La Dauphine this autumn, in the first of what is expected to become an annual event, 200 sheep and their shepherds will arrive direct from Béarn in the Pyrenees mountains, to take up residence for six months in the vineyards. This activity, known as transhumance, will be studied and measured in terms of reduction in carbon footprint.
Château de La Dauphine has embraced biodynamic methods also, making and applying to the vines its own mixture of minerals, plants, essential oils and manure in accordance with the lunar calendar. Bees have also been introduced to the vineyard to increase biodiversity and for pollination.
The producers are at the vanguard of a growing trend in the region. According to the CIVB, more than 1,500 of the region’s 6,000 châteaux have now achieved HVE sustainability certification, and it is expected that the trend will continue as producers deal with a changing climate and increased consumer demand for sustainable products.
