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DOMAINE LA CLAUSADE
FRANCE
Occitanie
Olivier Sébé purchased land in Mauguio-Carnon in 2017. Coming from the maritime world—where copper has been prohibited for over thirty years—he set out to find a solution for producing organic wines without the use of copper or sulfur. His goal: to preserve soils, increase biodiversity, and produce responsible wines. The wines have been certified biodynamic since the 2023 vintage.
Born in Montpellier, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Olivier Sébé has always been shaped by the sea. “As a child, my mother would let me watch the waves for hours,” he recalls. As a teenager, he competed in windsurfing events; in 2015, he completed a half circumnavigation of the globe by sailboat with his family. He regularly returns to Polynesia, a place he deeply loves, to reconnect with the ocean. This life journey is inseparable from his approach at Domaine La Clausade.
The Solution: Disease-Resistant Grape Varieties
A deep reflection led him to plant disease-resistant grape varieties as early as 2019: Soreli, Souvignier Gris, Muscaris, Floréal, Artaban, Vidoc, and others. Grown without chemical treatments, without sulfur or copper, and requiring less water, these varieties are central to Domaine La Clausade’s philosophy across its 18 hectares of vineyards. The estate is part of the PIWI movement, dedicated to resistant grape varieties. Beyond their direct impact on soil health, these grapes significantly reduce energy use and CO₂ emissions, particularly those associated with the production and application of phytosanitary products.
About Disease-Resistant Varieties
Floréal, Artaban, Muscaris—if these names don’t yet sound familiar, they soon will. These are known as disease-resistant grape varieties, naturally resistant to vine diseases such as downy mildew and powdery mildew. They result from natural sexual cross-breeding between traditional grape varieties (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Muscat, etc.) and wild vine species carrying resistance genes.
These varieties allow the estate to apply a Zero-Treatment policy in the vineyards. At La Clausade, the vines receive no sulfur and no copper (even though both are permitted in organic farming)—only sun and water.
Reducing the Ecological Footprint
Lightweight glass bottles
Recycled and recyclable paper labels
Recyclable packaging
