Our soil
Geology of the vineyards ofDomaine de Meussaumont in the Côtes de Meuse
"Time has a considerable importance in geology. During a human life nothing seems to change, the human occupation modifies the local landscape but not the main lines of the relief. However, year after year, the wind and especially the water sculpt the reliefs and slowly but surely drag enormous quantities of earth, sand and gravel towards the great rivers and the rivers which bring them to the sea. In a few tens of thousands of years, the landscapes will no longer be recognized. present, the hills will have disappeared, the coasts will have moved farther west, the rivers will have moved or disappeared. Time is an hourglass and nothing can stop the flowing sand. The earth too will have passed away. and will release new fossils that it imprisoned ".
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Christian Pautrot, Fossils & Rocks of Lorraine
Stroll through the vines, it is not uncommon to collect fossils there. They recall that 200 to 250 million years ago, a warm and shallow sea covered our region with a tropical climate. Oysters, mussels, scallops, starfish, algae and corals have settled over millions of years and gradually developed into a barrier reef in sand and mud.
These marine materials turned into hard rocks during the Jurassic Period of the Secondary Era, 150 million years ago. The accumulation of these rocks is at the origin of our source rock, the Oxfordian limestone.
Then, year after year, rainwater, temperature changes and microorganisms will melt the rock and bring our soil to life. The complete dissolution of the rock will give limestone, and its impurities will form clay.
The wind and the water will carry the clay down the coast and leave a light mixture of marl, clay, and limestone on the slopes which gives the ideal condition for the flourishing of the vines.
The limestone will provide structure and porosity for proper root development, while the clay will contain the water and nutrients needed to fuel the vine.
The limestone will enhance the structure of the wine, giving it freshness and a hint of minerality. The clay will keep the temperature of the soil cold, the maturity will be slower and more uniform, which will give more aromatic, intense and concentrated wines.