Domaine des Maravilhas
Domaine des Maravilhas is located in Saint-Laurent des Arbres, between Nîmes and Avignon, in the southern Rhône Valley. Established in 2014, Morgane and Jean-Frédéric Bistagne work in organic and biodynamic farming and produce a range of wines that reflect the variety of terroirs in this region, while infusing them with a freshness and finesse that give them a unique personality!
Since 2014
The team
Morgane and Jean-Frédéric Bistagne, who are from Brittany and Marseille respectively, were working in Switzerland and not at all in the world of wine when they felt the need to change their lives. As discerning wine tasters, and with the support of their families and friends, they set out to find the domain that would thrill them. It was in 2014 that they fell under the spell of what would become the Domaine des Maravilhas, or Wonders in the occitan language.
Aujourd’hui l’équipe s’est étoffée et Jean-Frédéric qui s’est formé auprès de vignerons de la région rencontrés depuis 2010, peut également compter sur Michel Sinard, Lila Schneider, sans oublier Zico, le gardien du domaine.
La vallée du Rhône Sud, riche de sa diversité
The Domaine des Maravilhas covers 24 hectares, 18 of which are planted with vines, with the remainder divided between scrubland and woodland. The vineyards are located in the Gard and Vaucluse regions, in the communes of Saint-Laurent des Arbres, Saint-Victor la Coste, Orange and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, offering a truly diverse range of terroirs and appellations.
Côtes du Rhône
L’assemblage y est roi et le grenache son plus fidèle sujet ! A l’emplacement des vignes du domaine des Maravilhas, les sols sont constitués de galets de silex roulés et d’argile rouge sur un lit sablonneux. Les raisins y donnent des vins généreux et épicés, aux accents de garrigue.
Laudun
Over the years, the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation has enabled certain communes to meet even more stringent geographical and quality requirements. In the Gard region, Laudun is also famous for having been the site of Caesar's Camp, from where the Romans kept watch over the Rhône. The appellation dates back to 1967, as does the Domaine des Maravilhas, which produces a well-balanced, fresh and fruity white wine, as well as round, fruity red wines.
Lirac
Lirac is one of the southernmost crus in the Rhône Valley, extending over four communes. The blends of grape varieties give us powerful, well-structured, elegant wines, expressive, deep reds in which the fruit is present but fresh. Their fine acidity is a feature that favours their ageing.
As a white, the wine gets the full substance of its terroir, sunny and mineral with saline notes and lovely bitters.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The oldest appellation and one of the best known in France. The Domaine des Maravilhas is lucky enough to have three plots here, one in Orange and two in Châteauneuf itself. The Rhône has carried blocks of stone from the Alpine slopes and layers of sediment along its path: limestone, sand, red clay, which allows the vines to root more deeply, and of course, from the heart of the Vanoise massif, via the Isère, rolled pebbles, the true emblems of this terroir. Today's blends are dominated by Grenache, producing powerful, intense, full-bodied wines that are as long on the palate as they have ageing potential.
At the domain, we have been blending our first two Syrah vines since the 2018 vintage to give our Espirito cuvée great aromatic complexity combined with exceptional finesse. In 2019, a second cuvée, Santo, is born from the three plots. A blend of Grenache and Syrah, combining power and finesse.
Pratiques & philosophie
The Domaine des Maravilhas is also the fruit of work carried out since 1967 by Morgane and Jean-Frédéric's predecessor, a vineyard created from scratch and which has always been run with respect for the land, the vines and biodiversity. This is also what led the Bistagne family to settle on this land, which was certified organic in 1992 and biodynamic in 2004 (Biodyvin).
For them, biodynamics is an essential support tool.
It brings balance to the vine between the soil, the plant and its environment, and preserves the living organisms that benefit it. Organic treatments with plants and minerals contribute to natural defences and deep, healthy roots to draw on the energy needed for harmonious development. When the grapes are harvested by hand, they are healthier, and this is how the benefits of this work are extended in the cellar, and subsequently during fermentation with indigenous yeasts (naturally present in the environment or on the grapes) and ageing in concrete vats and/or oak barrels. Similarly, a higher-quality raw material ostensibly restricts the use of sulphur and copper, giving the wine greater natural resistance to external aggression.
Every day, the Domaine des Maravilhas team strives to preserve and promote these living links, which from near and far (such as the installation of nesting boxes for bats and titmice in the forested strips) will enable its wines to fully express their terroirs and identities.