Domaine d'Arbousset

Domaine d’Arbousset, founded by Yvon Lafont in 1973 and now run by Gérald Lafont and his wife Julie Rouffignac, is a family-owned estate dedicated to organic and biodynamic viticulture.

Spanning 10 hectares across Tavel, Lirac, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the estate produces small quantities of terroir-driven wines that showcase remarkable elegance, depth, and individuality.

The vineyards are divided into three specific sites: Plateau des Baumes, Lauzes (Lieux-dit “Balouvières”), and the Plateau de Vallongues (Lieux-dit “La Claretière”), each with distinct soil compositions of clay-limestone, large pebbles, sand, and red clay. These diverse terroirs lend intense concentration, freshness, and complexity to their wines. Farming methods are meticulous, with low-yielding old vines averaging 40–60 years. Grapes are harvested manually, with minimal intervention winemaking that uses indigenous yeasts, whole-bunch maceration, and gentle pressing, ensuring purity and authentic expression. Gérald, a renowned consultant for over 40 wineries in the Rhône Valley, and Julie, an accomplished oenologist, share a philosophy of crafting wines with minimal inputs, only adding a micro-dose of sulphur for stability.

Domaine d’Arbousset wines stand out for their lightness and freshness, balanced with full fruit density—a testament to the family’s skill in vineyard management and precise timing of harvests.

Signature wines include RL, a mono-cépage of 99% Cinsault and 1% Grenache from 60-year-old vines grown on pebble and sandy soils, macerated and aged in demi-muids for a year, and Maxime, a 100% Mourvèdre grown on pebbly soils, aged in barrels from the same cooperage as the legendary Clos Rougeard. The estate’s Lirac blends Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, vinified in concrete tanks and aged in a mix of concrete and oak, offering vibrant red fruit, violets, spice, and liquorice, with exceptional depth and a harmonious finish. Through their unwavering commitment to organic and biodynamic principles and their focus on the unique character of each site, Domaine d’Arbousset continues to elevate the Lirac appellation, producing wines of extraordinary finesse and authenticity.

Learn more

www.arbousset.com

@domainedarbousset