France | Rhône Valley | La Ferme des Sept Lunes
La Ferme des Sept Lunes
Wines
Summary
La Ferme des Sept Lunes, a polycultural farm in the appellation of Saint Joseph between Vienne and Valence. Founded in 1984 by current proprietor Jean Delobre’s grandfather, the estate is covered in vines, orchards and fields of grain. Over the years, acre by acre, the estate was converted to organic farming, and since 1997 Jean has been biodynamically cultivating seven hectares of Syrah, Roussane, Marsanne, Gamay and Viognier. La Ferme des Sept Lunes is comprised of a patchwork of vineyards ranging in vine age and composition, all on a bedrock of granite. The terraced Saint Joseph vineyards below the converted barn-winery are majestic in their biodiversity.
In the early years, the family sold fruit to the local co-op. Over time, Jean became disenchanted, recognizing that a personal vision was taking shape and would not be fulfilled by his current model. His first estate bottled wine was from 2001 and he has been refining his unhurried yet sure-handed approach ever since.
In the vineyards, there is a concerted effort to create a harmonious environment for the vineyards to thrive naturally and with a nod toward polyculture All grapes are harvested by hand, with careful sorting to remove poor bunches. The wines are then fermented with their natural yeasts and rarely see sulfur during vinification or bottling, and only in small amounts.