Domaine Lionnet
Corinne & Ludovic Iserable
Domaine Lionnet is a family domaine that produces two of Northern Rhône’s main appellations: Cornas and Saint-Joseph. Corinne’s father was working the vines but following health problem, the daughter and her husband Ludovic Izerable joined him in 2001. For two years they worked under his command and when they took the domaine over in 2003, they directly stopped using chemicals in the vineyard. The yields were hit by this radical change, but the quality clearly got better. Domaine Lionnet got the organic certification in 2009. Corinne and Ludovic are the 3rd generation running the domaine
Viticulture
The domaine grows 4 hectares of vines. The Cornas ones, split in 7 plots, are located on Chaillots, Mazards, Combes and Pied de la Vigne plots. The main and emblematic cuvée “Terre Brûlée” is a blend of all the plots.
Saint-Joseph vines are gathered in one single Chateaubourg plot of 0.4ha planted on three long terraces at 300m of altitude. Exposition is East and the soil is argilo-calcaire.
No weeds killer, pesticides or chemical fertilizers is used in the vineyard. Only a horse or a crawler permit to work the soil, the horse deals with big blocks of stone still hidden in the ground. Any intervention on the vines is manual: pruning, fastening, disbudding, harvest etc. A grape selection is operated during the harvest to only vinify the most qualitative berries. Quantity is sacrificed in the name of quality: the oldest vines are 105 years old, most of them are over 40 and yields do not go over 25hl/ha. worked with a winch and thanks to a horse when the first cannot deal with big blocks hidden in the ground.
The domaine is certified organic by Ecocert since 2009 and the interventions are programmed according to the moon calendar.
Vinification: traditional Cornas style
The cellar stands right under the house, in a cool air-conditioned garage. The macerations are quite long, approximately 3 weeks with pumping-over during the first days and daily de-stemming until the end. They take place in concrete tanks sealed to the ground inherited from Corinne’s family. The fermentation is processed only thanks to indigenous yeasts. The grape is slowly and delicately pressed in a traditional vertical press. No collage or filtration is processed. No oenological input is used except sulfure in small doses. All the wines are aged for 18 months in barrels of 225 and 600 litres. In order to avoid a strong print of the oak on the wine, Corinne and Ludovic do not use new barrels.
Production
The main and emblematic cuvée “Terre Brûlée” is an assemblage of all the plots, worked with a winch and thanks to a horse when the first cannot deal with the big block hidden in the ground.
The second cuvée of Cornas is named “Pure Granit”. The grape comes from the 1ha Chataignier plot exposed South-West on granitic soil, on the top of a hill, with view on Cornas. The vines planted on pikes are 6 to 12 years old. The soil is worked thanks to a winch and crawler.
Two small cuvées of Saint-Joseph red and white complete Domaine Lionnet’s range. Saint-Joseph vines are gathered in one single Chateaubourg plot of 0.4ha planted on three long terraces at 300m of altitude. Exposition is East and the soil is argilo-calcaire.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
Next release Spring 2019
Email us at export@salmanazar.fr to get further information regarding cuvées’ availability and distribution opportunity.