LE PROJET
.
Virginie, grâce à ses nombreux voyages en Asie, a développé un fort intérêt pour les spiritualités orientales. Parmi elles, le tantrisme, un courant spirituel complexe apparu en Inde au VIIe siècle sur le terreau fertile de l’hindouisme et du bouddhisme et prenant en compte notre être fondamental dans sa globalité, du corps à l’esprit, à tout instant et dans toutes les activités de notre vie.
C’est de cette philosophie qu’elle tire le nom de son nouveau domaine.
THE VINEYARD
It is in the south of France, in the heart of the Catalan Corbières natural region at an altitude of 300 m, that is the Spanda, between sea and mountains.
Located about 15 km north-west of Perpignan in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in the Occitanie region, the estate is attached to the town of Calce, renowned for its wines.
There is indeed a group of friends, exceptional winegrowers and enthusiasts, such as Gérard Gauby, Olivier Pithon, Jean-Philippe Padié or Tom Lubbe, to name a few, who largely inspired Virginie for the creation of the Spanda. .
Thus, by embarking on this new winegrowing adventure, the choice of location became obvious to Virginie. Indeed, it is difficult not to fall under the spell of the grandiose landscapes offered by the Calce region.
For Virginie, who never tires of surveying the 4.5 hectares of her young estate, nature bluntly reveals all of its power, beauty and authenticity.
It was this same energy that made Virginie immediately feel out of place.
The region is marked by a very dry climate with a Mediterranean influence. It offers stony and flaky soils, composed mainly of shale and limestone, in which the vines take root. Acid, quite fresh and very particular to work with, these soils allow to give qualitative wines, of character with a lot of freshness and typicity.
La Spanda brings together five grape varieties on its plots, resistant to drought and appreciating the stony and poor hillsides of the region:
• Whites: Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat à petits grains;
• Reds: Carignan, Grenache noir and Lledoner pelut.
Some of the grapes are also bought in trading on organic plots carefully chosen by Virginie.
Macabeu, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache blanc and gris are the grape varieties chosen for the 2020 vintage.
Also in the pipeline, new plantations with a view to reaching 6 hectares of vines :
• 2021: Grenache blanc and Cinsault.
Various plantations of aromatics plants and fruits trees are also planned.
Finally, from her long and precious experience at the Causse Marines estate, Virginie has learned that good wine can only be made with full respect for nature.
It is therefore quite natural that she applies biodynamic principles to Spanda to respect this harmony, such as the use of the lunar cycle and certain energizing preparations to treat her plots. The Domaine de la Spanda is being converted.
To know more about the biodynamy
