"Producers confronting climate change head-on: Château Maris has taken green winery construction to a new level, building an entire facility out of lightweight, organic hemp-straw bricks that continue to capture and sequester carbon dioxide over many years as they harden."

Dana Nigro. The Wine Spectator

"Perhaps THE most dedicated organic/biodynamic winery. Chateau Maris takes every possible step to work as naturally as possible. Winery building built of sustainable hemp, vineyards worked by horse and plow, biodynamic practices in the cellar and vineyard all are geared towards growing the healthiest fruit possible with the best expression of their local terroir in the sunny south of France. In addition, or perhaps as a result, their wines are exceptional values!"

Chris Cree MW

"Chateau Maris’ 9,000 square foot wine cellar in southern France maintains a stable temperature year-round without the use of air conditioning or heating; it’s sustainable, organic, all-natural, odorless, and acts as a carbon sink–able to absorb carbon dioxide for up to 25 years (according to a French study). The cellar isn’t made of brick, or stone, or some magical new ingredient, but rather it’s a simple combination of hemp, lime and wood."

Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes

Certified Organic Ecocert AB NOP

Certified Biodynamic Demeter & Biodyvin

Hemp Winery has a Negative Carbon Footprint

Winery is Biodegradable and energy self sufficient

Bottles are ultra-light recycled glass

Labels are all printed on recycled paper

2013 BIODYVIN BIODYNAMIC CERTIFICATE

ATTESTATION BIODYVIN 2013

Our Biodynamic Philosophy

Core to biodynamic viticulture is the knowledge that chemical fertilizers, pesticides and many other modern farming methods, whilst increasing raw yields, poison the soil and mask the true terroir of the vineyard. Or, more simply put, they strip the wine of any true flavour.

The biodynamic approach is an holistic one and is, for some, ‘supercharged organics’! We understand the importance of encouraging vitality in the vineyard and do this through intensive composting. We also place a strong emphasis on the naturally occurring lunar and solar cycles and are guided by them to identify the best times for tasks such as ground preparation, sowing, cultivating and, ultimately, grape harvesting.

The Science of Biodynamics

If you’re looking for definitive answers, the chances are you’ll be disappointed! We’ve still got a lot to learn about why it is that biodynamic wines can taste so significantly superior to ‘conventionally made’ examples but there is both a swell in the numbers of winemaker’s moving to biodynamics and a growing body of evidence that supports the practice.

Studies published in respected journals such as ‘Science’ have established that biodynamic vineyards have higher soil quality, lower crop yields (a good thing if you’re looking for top notch grapes), increased microbial activity and greater biodiversity than conventional vineyards.

We understand that vines do not work in isolation to produce top-quality grapes. The soils, the organisms that live within them and all the living things that surround our vineyards are all part of a highly complex ecosystem that ultimately influence the quality and flavours of the grapes that are harvested from our vines. It is our role to enable this ecosystem to work as effectively as nature intended because when it does, we are all able to enjoy the well-balanced, expressive and individual wines that are the result.

Biodynamics: The Winery

Our new winery is a thermodynamic recyclable vegetable building, which may sound hi-tech but which was built using a centuries old method, utilising natural energy resources and biodynamic principals. Harmoniously built into the landscape the building produces as much energy as it consumes.

Grapes, must and wine are moved around by gravity alone, meaning that every aspect of the winemaking is handled gently, allowing us to retain the inherent quality of the grapes.

Biodyanmics: A Final Word

At Château Maris we believe that our methods produce the finest possible wines in the very best environment.

We are the only fully-certified biodynamic estate in the AOC Minervois La Liviniere and are proud that our way of working will help secure the beauty of this place for generations to come.

Notre Philosophie Biodynamique

Lorsque le vignoble a été repris, les rendements initiaux étaient beaucoup plus faibles que prévu. Le sol était très endommagé en raison de la surutilisation de produits chimiques. Aussi, Robert a recherché diffèrent moyens de faire revivre ces vignes, notamment grâce à l'utilisation de compost biodynamique. Ainsi, grâce à l’aide de François Bouchet, un spécialiste de la biodynamie, la transition c’est effectuée. La totalité de la production est dorénavant certifié à la fois par Demeter et Biodyvin. Les rendements sont revenue à 35 Hl / Ha en moyenne sans engrais et la totalité du domaine est récolté manuellement.

Château Maris possède également deux chevaux de trait et chaque année, certaines parcelles sont labourées de cette façon. Des céréales et de la moutarde sont cultivées entre les rangs et ensuite re-labouré dans les sols avec du compost biodynamique afin de l'enrichir et d'éviter la mono- culture . Château Maris continue de perfectionner des méthodes spécifiquement adaptées à son terroir. Le domaine utilise ses propres recettes de thés / tisanes d'orties et de camomille combinant lavande et minéraux en complément des 500.