CULTIVATION
Why cultivate ?
The genepi flowers used in our distillates are cultivated in our own fields in the heart of the Vanoise massif, in Savoie. This enables us to achieve an exceptional quality of génépi flowers as we cultivate with no yield constraints. Aside from quality, our approach is also aligned to our drive to protect our Alpine terroir and its diversity of génépi plants, which are too often subject to excessive picking.
Topography
Our cultivated plots are located in Savoie, in the Vanoise mountain range and on the edge of the national park. They are not irrigated, so the growth of our plants depends on rainfall. Watering is used only when transplanting seedlings in the open ground and in case of exceptional drought. In this case, the water used, coming from small streams having their beds near the fields, is conveyed by gravity.
The main plot is located at 1600 meters above sea level on well-drained soil facing East. A second higher plot, at 1900 meters is also exposed East. Finally, a last plot, located at an altitude of more than 2200 meters for a North-East exposure, hosts the black genepi plants.
Varieties and harvest
12,000 plants are currently in cultivation and spread over two varieties of genepi: artemisia umbelliformis or yellow genepi and artemisia genipi or black genepi, with a much lower yield. The flowering of the two varieties is annual and takes place in the middle of June for the lower plots.
It is at the beginning of flowering that we harvest our genepi sprigs. At this phenological stage, the content of essential oil and aromatic principles is indeed optimal. This search for quality and taste leads us to sacrifice productivity since a harvest after full bloom would ensure a higher yield.
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