VIGNOBLES ROUSSEAU

AOC Bordeaux Supérieur

Classified land as wildlife reserve- with protected status and 3 miles of giant bamboo hedges to act as a protective, natural barrier to potentially harmful elements.

Family-owned since 1830, Vignobles Rousseau is located on the gravelly plateau of Abzac, on the border of Lalande de Pomerol and Lussac St. Emilion. Abzac is known for exceptional terroirs such as Grand and Petit Sorillon composed of extremely deep gravel plots that support powerful wines with great cellaring potential. Current owner Laurent Rousseau studied viticulture and enology and has been immersed in Abzac since 1993. Laurent took over management of the family’s growing business in 2006, encompassing 138 acres of AOC vineyard and 89 acres of meadows and woodlands (including 12 acres of beehives). The Rousseau family holdings span multiple estates, including Château des Rochers, Château Haut Sorillon, Château Laborderie Mondésir and Château Pont Cloquet.. They all support a commitment to sustainable agriculture and advancing human equity.

LAURENT ROUSSEAU,

Owner

Giant Bamboo at Work in Bordeaux

After almost 200 years in farming, the Rousseau family has always valued nature. Modern developments in Abzac have forced unprecedented changes. In 1998, the completion of the A89 motorway introduced significant emissions to the landscape. In order to protect the ecosystem, Laurent took immediate action to reclassify his lands as wildlife reserves with protected status and planted nearly 13,000 square feet of giant bamboo and 3 miles of hedges to act as protective, natural barriers to potentially harmful elements. Minimally invasive to the soil, bamboo requires limited water resources and is cut and crushed every year for mulch. Vignobles Rousseau has also taken direct action to protect soils by restricting the use of weedkiller to the months of April to July and by investing in mechanical weeders and compacters that leave no traces in the soil.

Château Haut-Sorillon 2018

Human Dignity as a Sustainable Value

At Vignobles Rousseau, people come first. As President of the Labor Court, Laurent has extensive training in occupational health and safety. He feels a deep sense of responsibility for the people who work under his direction and considers their safety a critical component of sustainability in practice. “In 2002, I put in place a clear and strict discipline to protect our employees by keeping our equipment up to standard and providing increased training and purpose to our team so that everyone understands their role and can perform it safely,” Laurent shares. “Our biggest challenge is to ensure the financial sustainability of our business while continuing to protect the environment, our neighbors and our team. We work in collaboration with other companies to facilitate strong and lasting impact.” Environmental need is often closely linked to what works best for the team at Vignobles Rousseau; for example, a recent decision to change the planting process supported better maturation of the fruit and required fewer treatments, while also reducing worker stress and labor injuries.

Support for Young People with Disabilities

In October 2012, Vignobles Rousseau signed an agreement with the Centre Jean Elien Jambon Etablissement Public Médico Social Départemental (EPMSD) to support programs for young people with disabilities. The winery trains fifteen young adults each year in the vineyard, allowing them to work with a special educator and participate in harvesting and other practices from November to June. The partnership has resulted in real friendships and enrichment for everyone involved, including a year-end celebration to toast the young workers.

Vignobles Rousseau believes companies thrive if everyone is working in a pleasant environment. No number of medals or certifications can compensate for a deficit in this area. In 2014, the Aquitaine Region and AFNOR selected Vignobles Rousseau to join a pilot group dedicated to “Equality” (as related to gender) and “Diversity” (discrimination) action, an effort that continues today. Human dignity and responsible environmental management are a life’s mission that Laurent Rousseau is proud to have inherited from his late father to pass along to the next generation.