Since joining in 2024, Jean-Gabriel Amadieu has been working alongside Claude and Éric in managing the vineyard. Drawing on extensive experience gained both in France and abroad, he brings his vision of vineyard management and organic viticulture in Gigondas. From adapting to climate change to preserving the soil and protecting biodiversity, he shares his approach to sustainable and responsible viticulture.Discover his interview.
Jean-Gabriel Amadieu
An Interview with Jean-Gabriel Amadieu
Can you describe our vineyard in Gigondas?
Our vineyard in Gigondas is nestled within a stunning 300-hectare woodland in the heart of the Dentelles de Montmirail massif. We organically cultivate 115 hectares of contiguous vines. Our vineyard could be described as “mountainous,” with north-facing slopes ranging from 300 to 500 meters in altitude.
Learn more: An estate located in the northeastern part of the Gigondas appellation.
How long has vine cultivation been part of the estate’s history?
The history of our vineyard in Gigondas dates back to the 1950s, when our grandfather, Pierre Amadieu Sr, acquired the Romane lands. At that time, it was a space shared between woods and fallow land. Pierre began the first phase of planting 60 hectares, and in 1975, with the arrival of his youngest son, Claude, the two men embarked on planting the rest of the landscape, adding 70 more hectares to the existing vineyard.
Today, the oldest vines are a guarantee of quality for our wines, thanks to their deep roots and lower vigor. However, they are also more temperamental than the younger vines. For example, they are more sensitive to coulure, and the mechanical soil work is more delicate around these old vines.
Learn more about the Romane terroirs
A terroir shaped by the formation of the Dentelles de Montmirail, composed of Cretaceous limestone and marl.
What type of viticulture are we committed to?
For the past 15 years, we have been working 40 hectares using organic farming practices, but it was only in 2020 that we took the step to convert the entire vineyard. We have been certified since the 2023 harvest. A long process of vineyard maintenance and restructuring helped with this transition. For treatments, we use only sulfur and copper, and we mechanically weed the base of the vines. The most eroded or difficult-to-access areas are worked by hand.
What does vineyard maintenance consist of?
In the autumn, after the harvest, we work the soil to encourage the growth of ground-covering wild grasses and to increase soil porosity, water infiltration, and aeration. We nourish the soil using natural composts: pomace from the previous harvest and fertilizers in the form of nitrogen and potassium pellets derived from livestock manure.
In winter, it’s time for pruning; both the vines and the soil are at rest. Cold temperatures promote the descent of sap into the roots and help eliminate disease hotspots, such as mildew and powdery mildew.
In spring, the sheep come to graze our plots, aiding in the maintenance of the grass and providing natural manure, while also preventing soil compaction caused by tractor passage. This is also the time for sowing green manure: these nitrogen-producing grasses grow in every other row and release useful nitrogen when their stems are bent or cut. We keep the rows well covered with grass to limit erosion while working every other row to avoid creating too much competition for the vines.
What are the challenges faced by our vineyard?
Our biggest challenge is related to the size of the area we manage and the geography of the soils. Some plots are affected by the age of the vines (very low yields, diseases…) but also by the hillside cultivation (stones, steep slopes, high mortality even though the planting is not very old), which makes it difficult to work each plot.
And what about climate change in all of this?
Obviously, this is not specific to our vineyard; everyone is affected by climate change, and we can clearly see that the vines are struggling to adapt, even in our cool Romane terroirs. Arid conditions are becoming more and more frequent
Do we have solutions to continue producing in this context?
This is one of the key topics in the industry. There are indeed many technical solutions to address global warming: training the vines in goblet pruning, where the canopy protects the grapes from the sun, planting at higher altitudes and on north-facing slopes, and selecting grape varieties that produce less alcohol and are more resistant to water stress. In the Gigondas AOC, we have already made significant progress with the approval to include 30% Cinsault in blends (up from 5% previously); this grape variety is more resistant to high temperatures and produces more juice, naturally lowering the alcohol content in the wines.
You mentioned restructuring, what do you mean by that?
In a vineyard made up of hillsides and steep slopes, it is necessary to remain vigilant about our plantings. Too much erosion or missing vines impacts both yields and the survival of the vines. To combat erosion, we are restructuring our plots into terraces, and to address climate change, we are seeking to plant higher with grape varieties better suited to the current climate. This is what we have been doing since 2013, by planting white grape varieties at higher altitudes and on north-facing slopes, and since 2017, by uprooting and replanting our highest-altitude plots.
Amidst 230 hectares of woodland, 115 hectares of vines grow. What is the benefit of promoting biodiversity to the fullest in our vineyard?
Biodiversity refers to all living organisms: fauna, flora, microorganisms, and the ecosystems in which they live. All these elements, in interaction, contribute to the proper functioning of viticultural ecosystems and thus support the sustainability of production systems. Maintaining biodiversity allows us to have more resilient plant-soil systems:
- In the soil, it promotes permeability, aeration, and prevents compaction, ensuring more sustainable soils. Biological activity aids in the mineralization of organic matter and the development of mycorrhizal connections.
- For the vines, it encourages deep rooting, water absorption, and the uptake of all the essential minerals the plant needs. Additionally, it helps us manage pests such as insects in the root zone, as well as on the wood and leaves (snails, leafhoppers, mites, etc.).
What are we doing to preserve the biodiversity of our vineyard?
In line with our organic certification and our desire to preserve local biodiversity, we have partnered with the ASL des Dentelles. This association’s mission is to bring together private forest owners of the Dentelles de Montmirail massif for a management approach that respects the biodiversity and landscape of the forests, while promoting fire prevention efforts. The maintenance of our woodlands goes hand in hand with the maintenance of our vineyard, as the woodlands contribute to the proper balance of the Romane ecosystem.
What is your medium- and long-term vision for our vineyard?
The medium-term goal is to maintain a high-quality production. This involves renewing plantings, investing in suitable equipment, and restructuring through the creation of terraces (to help limit erosion). In short, a vineyard adapted to organic farming practices, resilient to the challenges of climate change, while continuing to produce wines that are cherished by our customers.
In the long term, we aim to preserve our viticultural heritage and maintain our mountain landscapes, rich with forests, old vines, olive trees, and cypress, in line with the work of our grandfather.
