Following surface examination, carried out upstream to survey the vineyard (geological and mineral disparities, planting varieties, surface and subterranean hydrology, relief), comes a rigorous, unvarying and wide-reaching set of guidelines for sampling and analyses.

Sample research:

• Status of sampling areas: planning
• Determination of the number of pits to be dug for our observations,
• Removal of earth samples, 0 to 30 cm, for soil, 30 to 80 cm for subsoil,
• Identification and marking,
• Rooting, density and depth,
• Analyses performed by specialized laboratories, certified by the Ministry of Agriculture (AFNOR Standard), and Méthode Cousinié references.

In the laboratory:

• Granulometry: structure, constituents, homogeneity, observations regarding three defined granulometric compartments,
• Soil and subsoil acidity (pH)
• Microbial biomass: indicates the degree of soil fertility,
• Biological activity index: shows the degree of microflora quality,
• Physical characterization of organic matte,
• Dynamics of organic matter,
• Sieve oversize,
• Chemical evaluation with oligo-element,
• Salinity control,
• C:N ratio.

Analyses of results.
Crosschecking with data from the Méthode Cousinié Reference System.
Summary with status assessment.