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.
