The estate
" Immersion in the vineyard where our plots are mostly east-facing, bathed in morning sunshine. "
In Provençal, Novi means newlyweds. A family heirloom from the union of my parents, the Domaine's name is a nod to their history, to which I wanted to pay tribute.
The estate covers 28 hectares of vines, woods and olive groves, divided into two central blocks overlooking the village of La Tour d'Aigues.
In 2013, after various experiences in the northern and southern hemispheres, I returned to the land that saw me grow up and that will also see my children grow up. Today, I represent the 5th generation on the estate.
23 million years have made our land what it is today.
An extreme and delicate terroir
Domaine Le Novi is built exclusively on Safres or soft sandstone, dating from the Helvetian and Tortonian periods. This long history has given our terroir a delicate composition of sandy and clay-limestone soils.
Situated to the east of the Luberon massif, we benefit from a Mediterranean climate with mountainous tendencies, marked by harsh winters and large daily temperature swings. Safre, rich in silica, supports this strong climatic identity by giving the vines a real break on summer nights. This ensures gentle ripening, preserving the natural bite of our wines.
All these nuances of the Domaine, combined with our palette of 15 grape varieties, make for a personal and singular approach to viticulture. This multifaceted terroir shapes the strong identity of Le Novi wines.
A grape variety that reveals the estate's identity
Domaine Le Novi's 15 grape varieties on more than 35 plots make up a highly fragmented vineyard. Over the years, we have deliberately focused on late-ripening, ancient and Provençal varieties, in order to adapt to the changing climate without denying our origins. We like to mix 3 or 4 grape varieties in our cuvées, blending early and intermediate varieties with a good proportion of late varieties from the third harvest period.
We have always enjoyed a high proportion of white grape varieties on the estate, producing 40% white wines. This proportion is twice that of the appellation and four times that of the Rhône Valley.
This is part of the originality and identity of Domaine Le Novi.