The Couple:
Hans Hurlimann and Christa Vogel own Domaine Bourdic. Hans used to compose modern classical music in Basle and Christa was a teacher. Eleven years ago they came to live in the Languedoc “because it was raining in Italy.” That astutely-chosen holiday has borne fruit, literally, and their fourteen hectares of vineyard is now expertly cherished.
Hans and Christa are not what you’d call typically Swiss. They are meticulous, definitely, when it comes to their vineyard. There are three more members of the team. The Dutch footprints you’ll find at Domaine Bourdic belong to Henny Ebben who came for the vendange and decided to stay. She is our naturopath, therapist and linguist. Lizzie Betts-Gosling’s green thumbs nurture everything from broccoli to computers and Ali Ballantyne covers the paperwork.
The Domaine:
Domaine Bourdic, surrounded by vineyards, is in the lower foothills of the Cévennes, and near the historic town of Pézenas in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. The buildings, on the lower slopes of a small but steep hill, date from the 18th century. They were restored at the beginning of the 1990s, and reequipped the cellars completely. The house and cellars are at the centre of our 16 hectares of vineyards (about 40 acres). In this wonderful region of France, helped by the soil and the warm Mediterranean climate, the aim is to make wines that are wholly typical of the south, with a subtle character and an incomparable taste.
A Respect for nature
The basis of our viticulture is a vineyard soil of elements that are in balance, composed of adequate organic matter, and well-structured as a result of microbiological activity.
This outlook obliges us to reduce to a minimum the amount of fertiliser and sprays that we use, and to renounce absolutely the use of chemical fertiliser.
Sustainable viticulture
In the year 2000 we started to work in full accordance with the agreed standards laid down by Vitealis for “viticulture raisonnée contrôlée”. These state, amongst other things, that the plants must be regularly inspected for disease and infestation. At every check the number of diseased plants and other observations are formally recorded, and no treatment may be made until a certain threshold is passed. There are also limitations on the use of agrochemical products and the levels of use. An independent organisation, Vitealys, keeps an independent check on conformance with these rules.
Vinification
We do not harvest until the grapes are fully ripe. Besides checking on the acidity/sugar level balance. The grapes are destemmed and crushed, and very quickly poured into the fermentation vats. Each variety is handled separately and with the greatest care. The normal time for maceration and fermentation is between 25-30 days at a low temperature, to yield the maximum extraction.
Maturation
At this point, in terms of its vinification, the young wine is now in its final phase. Some 60% of our production is set aside to mature in barrel. For the varietal wines we use barrels of French oak (from the Allier).
The Wines
Spanish and Italian grapes grown in French soil? Bourdic grows Tempranillo and Vermentino, while mixing in some traditional French varieties: Cinsault / Syrah / Rousanne / Merlot
From this vast selection of varieties here’s a selection of their wines:
Density - Vermentino Roussanne Blend
Rose - Cinsault Grenache
Zappa - Syrah, Grenache and Tempranillo
Octrandre - Cinsault/Grenache/Cab/Syrah/Tempranillo/Roussanne and Merlot
Merlot – French Oak
Tempranillo – French Oak
The Bourdic wines where recently featured in the Irish Examiner newspaper, see what they had to say: 
