Ferma Fontassa

France → Northern Rhône → Ardèche
Two bottles surrounded by wildflowers
A stone wall with a small nesting hole
Shipping boxes printed with the Ferma Fontassa logo
Portrait of winemaker Quentin Giraud

Ferma Fontassa is a new-generation domaine founded by Quentin Giraud in the Ardèche, close to the northern Rhône Valley. Quentin gained experience as a sommelier at La Pyramide, the celebrated restaurant in Vienne, and continues to work as a sommelier at the Michelin-starred La Boria in the Ardèche while developing his own winemaking project.

His first vintage was produced in 2021, when he was given the opportunity to work with outstanding organically grown grapes from Domaine Monier-Perréol and vinify them in the domaine's cellar. He gradually began acquiring vineyards of his own, and in 2023 completed his first vintage at his own winery. Today, he personally farms 1.5 hectares and vinifies fruit from a total of four hectares.

All of the grapes he works with are organically grown. In the cellar, the grapes are transferred into vat by gravity, with at least 60% whole bunches retained. Maceration lasts between eight and fifteen days, while ageing ranges from eight months to two years depending on the cuvée.

Quentin's wines are shaped by a deep respect for the environment and a desire to express the character of each terroir with clarity and honesty. They combine the energy and transparency associated with the Ardèche with the sensitivity he has developed through his work as a sommelier. Already showing a strong identity from the earliest vintages, Ferma Fontassa is an exceptionally promising young domaine and one to watch as a future leading name of the Rhône Valley.

Wines

Albert 2024 bottle

Albert 2024

Type
White
Region
Rhône, Ardèche
Grape variety
Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol
12.5%
Vineyard plot
A plot in the Saint-Philippe hamlet of Alba-la-Romaine, planted in 2000. Harvested August 27.
Soil
Gravelly soil over limestone bedrock, lending the wine salinity and tension.
Vinification
Direct press, with a very brief maceration of a few hours in the picking crates, followed by cold settling (débourbage).
Ageing
Aged in tank on fine lees.
Other
Unfined and unfiltered
Juliau 2023 bottle

Juliau 2023

The cuvée takes its name from the hill — now bearing the same name — where Julius Caesar is said to have gathered his troops before crossing the mountains of the Ardèche.

Type
Red
Region
Rhône, Ardèche
Grape variety
Grenache
Alcohol
12.5%
Vineyard plot
A south-facing plot called Juliau in Alba-la-Romaine, planted in 1998. Harvested September 9, yield of 70 hL/ha.
Soil
Scree soil with limestone bedrock.
Vinification
Fermented with wild yeast in stainless steel tank, using 60% whole clusters.
Ageing
Aged in Burgundian pièce barrels and stainless steel tank.
Other
Unfined and unfiltered
Production
2,598 bottles
Colombier 2023 bottle

Colombier 2023

Type
Red
Region
Rhône, Ardèche
Grape variety
Syrah
Alcohol
12.5%
Vineyard plot
A north-facing plot called Colombier in Alba-la-Romaine, exposed to cooler conditions that delay harvest. Planted in 1988. Harvested September 14, yield of 45 hL/ha.
Soil
Scree soil with limestone bedrock.
Vinification
Fermented with wild yeast in stainless steel tank, using 60% whole clusters.
Ageing
Aged in Burgundian pièce barrels and stainless steel tank.
Other
Unfined and unfiltered
Production
3,014 bottles

Wine Adventure Inc is the official Japan importer of Ferma Fontassa.

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