The Catalan Terroir
The property, located South of Perpignan, on the right bank of the river Têt, extends over rolling hillside country. The majority of the gentle slopes are facing south/south-west that descend from the foothills of the Canigou and Aspres.
The underground water sources that come from these altitudes are shallow and provide a key element to the vineyards.
The Roussillon offers a mosaic of terroirs. As part of the 37 hectares of Sarda-Malet vineyards, we can find clay-limestone soil, clay-siliceous soil and Quaternary terrace composed of red Guntz.
Associated to these soils, the fresh sea breeze and the Tramontana are allied. They guarantee the freshness of the wine and an impeccable sanitary condition.
The garden vineyard
Jérôme Sarda, Jérôme Malet's grandfather, used to say that his vines were "his garden". He inherited them, old Grenache, from his father, a farmer, and had acquired the additional parcels over time.
Two criteria motivated him for the purchase of new land: the classification in AOC Rivesaltes and a view on the Pic du Canigou.
"Vignerons"-gardeners, Jerome and his team did everything by hand. Chemistry has always been prohibited, Jerome preferred hard work and frequent plowing. Nothing has really changed...
Domaine Sarda-Malet
Jérôme Sarda was more passionate by his vineyards than wine itself, it took the pioneering spirit of Max Malet to take advantage of this work and create the wines of Sarda-Malet. Max, whose first business was the import of fruit and vegetables, has always been very sensitive to the beauty and the quality of the fruits. Only seasonal fruits were consumed at the family table.
From the late 70's to the beginning of the next decade, Max introduced on the estate grape varietals that were still unusual in the Roussillon. Mass selections of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier were made in the finest properties in the Northern Rhone and Bandol. They were planted with conviction at the outskirts of Perpignan. A winning bet!
In 1982 the estate Sarda-Malet was officially created: Max associated his name with the one of Suzy, in order to initiate a new adventure, with due respect of the family tradition. The cellar and its concrete vats were ready to welcome the first fruits: those from old vines planted by the previous generations and those from all the young plantations.
The only remaining thing was to share this Catalan terroir passion with the restaurateurs, the wine merchants and the journalists from the specialized press. Mission carried out by Max and Suzy with a great enthusiasm that they were able to quickly communicate to their interlocutors.
Jérôme's experience
In 1992, at the death of Max, Jérôme took over the estate with his mother Suzy. He began a tour of France's most exclusive properties just like a companion. The commitment to three generation hard work, the passion for the terroir and its wines push him to strive for the best.
Jerome then goes through all the vineyards of the property, row by row, studying the quality of the soil and the vine feets, tasting berries, and ensuring the respect of a balance foliage, wood and fruits. This work leads him to craft new blends such as Reserve or Terroir Mailloles and to identify new plots for the vinification of Rivesaltes, for instance for the Carbasse.
Today all the values from the past are intact. Jerome is in charge of a team of six vignerons and an oenologist joined them.
Convinced that this terroir is a treasure to maintain and to make discovered, Jerome chose to switch to organic viticulture in 2010 and even makes some biodynamic tests! He continues to actively communicate his passion in France and elsewhere.
