The Domain

Aerial photo of the estate

Geneva is not a detail.
It is the subject.

A demanding terroir: soils, slopes, exposure

Our plots are classified as AOC Premier Cru Côtes de Russin.

This terroir, one of the most demanding in Geneva, is built around three distinct characteristics: stony clay-silt soils, pronounced slopes shaped by the Allondon river, and a due West exposure that defines the character of each vintage.

Clay-loam soils: the legacy of glaciations

First, the soils. A mixture of clay, silt, and stones—a direct legacy of glaciations and Tertiary molasse. The clay retains just the right amount of water. The stones drain the rest. The vine never lacks anything, but it never receives too much. It is this tension that builds the precision and minerality found in the glass.
Photo of the vineyard soil

30 to 40% slope: the controlled stress that creates substance

Then, the slopes. 30 to 40%. Steep. The vine works, roots deeply, searches. This controlled stress is exactly what concentrates the substance and provides length on the palate. No easy yields. No dilution.
Photo of the vineyard slope

Due west exposure: maturity built in patience

Finally, the exposure. Due West. The late afternoon sun, long and oblique, which ripens slowly without ever burning. A complete ripeness, built with patience, which explains the balance between freshness and volume that our wines consistently develop.
Photo of a bunch of grapes from the vineyard

Half of the vineyard in old vines

Half of our vines are old vines. Their roots have long since bypassed the surface to seek out what the depth of the soil has to offer. What they bring up is a complexity that no cellar technique can manufacture. It has been there, in the earth, since before Damien Simone decided to make something of it.