Domaine de la Madone: introduction
We, Maryse and Jean Marc DESPRES, would like to welcome you to the DOMAINE DE LA MADONE.
The Domaine de la Madone is located on the renowned hillside of la Madone in FLEURIE. This hillside is often considered by connoisseurs to have the best growing conditions for wine in the area. It is blessed with exceptional amounts of sunshine, and the soil is composed of pink granite, highly suited to growing the Gamay grape variety. The domaine has been cultivated by the Despres family for five generations.
Today we are privileged to make the wine and sell it worldwide. The Domaine de la Madone covers an area of 13 hectares.
The grapevines are cultivated with carefully managed intervention to ensure the highest quality while respecting the environment. Great efforts are currently going into the management of the vines to improve the maturing of the grapes and reduce the use of chemicals and pesticides. Recently planted vines are pruned and trained to a shape which encourages this.
The grapes are hand-picked by about thirty grapepickers, and rigorously sorted to keep only the ripest and healthiest.
We make our wine the traditional way, in accordance with the methods established by our forefathers, taking care to bring out the best from the soil and the fruit. This allows us to produce a wine which is fruity and which keeps well. The wine is bottled on site after being aged in vats or barrels for 6 to 12 months depending on the vintage
The family nature of the business was reinforced recently when our son Arnaud took over the cultivation of his great grandfather’s grapevines of the « DOMAINE DU NIAGARA ».
Until we have the pleasure of personally meeting you and offering you a taste of our wines in our cellars, please feel free to browse the whole of our website for further information.
We hope to see you soon at the Domaine !
