Domaine des Enfants

Maury, Côtes Catalanes

The Domaine des Enfants was founded in 2006 as a realization of a childhood dream by Swiss born Marcel Bühler and soon after joined in 2010 by Native Oregonian Carrie Sumner. Their winery is about much more than just making wine. Besides being a philosophy, it is taking a step back into the past; regress as progress.

It consists of 25 hectares (62 acres) mainly old vineyards of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Lladoner Pelut on different soils (schist, granite, gneiss and limestone) and heights situated in the greater area around the small village of Maury. They manage the vineyards in a sustainable manner and with respect to the environment. The abandonment of herbicides from the beginning in 2006 brought the consequence that all the vineyards with old vines (60 to over 100 years) need to be ploughed by their own horses. Since 2010 Domaine des Enfants is certified organic by Ecocert.

In the cellar Carrie and Marcel try to preserve the characteristics of the different terroirs and the finesse and aroma of each variety by intervening as little as possible with the natural processes. The objective is to make wines, which convince through their balance, elegance, complexity, texture and length. Already with their first vintage in 2007 they came close to fulfilling this ambition. All their wines are fermented with natural yeast and vinified without any flavor changing additions (enzymes, chips etc.).