ORGANIC AND BIODYNAMICS
The Arnaud Boué house has decided to produce prestigious wines by applying the methods and prescriptions of organic farming and biodynamics. "Organic Agriculture" certification has been obtained and, as partnerships and suppliers convert, more and more cuvées will bear the "organic" logo. Regarding biodynamics, we apply the rules and principles without being certified.
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But what are really the principles of these methods that everyone is talking about so much today? ?
BIOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE
Organic farming is the mode of cultivation green " the most known. The principle of organic farming is the absence of use of synthetic products. It therefore involves the absence of herbicides, replaced by tillage or grassing.
To fight against so-called cryptogamic diseases (mildew and powdery mildew mainly in viticulture), no synthetic molecules but mainly sulfur and copper. As the latter can accumulate in the soil and become toxic to plants, viticulture is subject to quotas for the use of copper.
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Finally, synthetic insecticides are also prohibited.
During vinification, few oenological products are authorized and practices limit inputs, in particular SO2 (sulphites).
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Since January 1, 2019, we have been certified Organic Agriculture by Ecocert for our vinification, aging and bottling. Thus, the first "AB" certified cuvées, from plots already converted to organic farming, will be marketed from the 2017 vintage.
BIODYNAMIC VITICULTURE
This method of cultivation, whose creation by Rudolf Steiner dates back to the 1920s, has experienced more recent popularity and development. This type of agriculture emphasizes the balance of ecosystems, their integral development and the interrelation of soils, plants and animals. In this mode of production, particular attention is paid to the " strengths » terrestrial and cosmic, which influence cultures.
In Steiner's precepts, lime and nitrogen are vectors of " ground forces » and silica, sulphur, phosphorus and metallic trace elements are carriers of « cosmic forces ". The biodynamic culture is based on the contribution of energized preparations.
Composts, decoctions of plants, and preparations 500 (horn dung) and 501 (silica) are the main contributions of biodynamics. These contributions are made at very low doses, of the order of a few grams per hectare. In the vineyard as in the cellar, actions are dictated by a calendar of lunar cycles and tides, which have an influence on crops and production.
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There are many controversies concerning the occult, esoteric side of biodynamics and the absence of real scientific studies to support it. Arnaud Boué, as a good scientist by training, uses this culture in a pragmatic way, as an advance over organic farming, without sectarianism, by focusing on the practical and logical aspects of the approach.