The adventure began in 1919, when, on their return from the war, our great-grandfather Raoul
Couston and his father decided to turn the family broom making workshop into a winemaking cellar.
At the very beginning, they had to build the first concrete tanks in Tulette themselves, fetching the
necessary gravel at the edge of the river with their only tools, their shovels and their cart drawn by a
horse! Once this was done, they bought their first grapes from the farmers in the surrounding area
after that they spread their purchases to the whole rhône Valley. This is the way winemaking started
here. This position of buyer brought an exceptional knowledge of the different vineyards around and
offered them the opportunity to buy the best parcels. The exceptional quality vineyards, that
complement each other so well, grew up over the years. The vinification cellar has also grown with
the generations. Since, my grandparents Denise and Guy, then my mother, Véronique, have
succeeded on the Domain. Today the torch is taken over by my brother-in-law, Lionel, and me
Damien. Thus the Grande Bellane remains a family story in which both combine their talents to
support their vineyard.

All our parcels are worked according to the rules of organic farming. The Grande Bellane has been certified for nearly 30 years. The interventions on the vine are soft and reasoned. We seek to preserve the authenticity and singularity of this terroir in order to express its full potential.

In general, we seek to promote soil life and biodiversity. The vine lives here in harmony with birds, bees and other insects. It is important to preserve woodlots that serve as refuges for many species. The microbiological life of soils is also favored by the use of natural amendments.

Thanks to a know-how passed down from generation to generation, each grape variety is associated with a particular parcel and can thus express its full character. Each grape then participates in the balance and finesse of Grande Bellane wines.

The gentle and natural methods of our grandparents find their prolongation in the vinification. Our
priority is to harvest grapes with good maturity. Due to its micro climate, the Grande Bellane is
harvested late.

After a careful sorting, only the most beautiful grapes are preserved and then vinified.
When the grapes are first-class, our work in the cellar is limited to a few pumping over.

Vinification in stainless steel vats lasts about 15 days and the use of oenological products is very limited. Sometimes you have to know not to intervene. 

In order to express all its qualities, each variety is harvested and then vinified separately, at optimum
maturity. Grenache brings warmth and roundness, Syrah and Mourvèdre give color, structure and longevity.
Each variety brings its particularities. Then, the successive rackings allow a natural clarification. Sulfur-free cuvées are simply filtered and bottled the following spring. The classic cuvées receive a low dose of sulfur, light filtering and are bottled a few months later.

The aging takes place in traditional vats to preserve the authenticity of the grape varieties and the terroir.

The Grande Bellane estate is located on the commune of Valréas, bordering the Vinsobres appellation area, on a shared plateau that overlooks both villages. With a total of  55 ha in a single spread, the Grande Bellane is a haven of peace isolated from the rest of the world, established between 390 and 430 meters above sea level. This makes it probably the highest average height of the appellation.

The perfect exposure added to the benefits of the altitude, the Grande Bellane benefits from a predominantly red clay-limestone terroir with pebbles known to be favorable to the development of great red wines for aging.

At Grande Bellane, warm and sunny days follow cool nights. This microclimate allows the different grape varieties to express all their aromatic complexity and preserve all their freshness.

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