Bordeaux Sud-Ouest
DOMAINE IMANOL GARAY
Imanol is an 100% pur Pyrenees product, or to be more precise Pyrenees’ Piedmont. Indeed, born in San-Sebastián in the Spanish Basque-country, Imanol get an engineer background then will work for a cooper and sell barrels around France. Its while he patronized wine-growers that Imanol will cultivate its interest for wine production. He will win his spurs at Domaine Pichard in Madiran before deciding to follow his path… Indeed, Imanol desires to develop a rang of wines that reflect the pyrenees landscapes and terroirs. At first, he will buy grapes organically grown from by friends working and living with the same paysan philosophy before acquiring some land. Imanol wines are from the appellation Madiran to the Pyrenees foothill on the Spanish side passing by Pacherenc de Vic-Bilh and Txakoli. His total production is no more than 7000 bottles that are vinified into 5 cuvées (reds & whites) that have for objective to be copy of the origines…At the cellar, Imanol interferes the less possible and tries to reach; structure & deepness and produce delicate and atypical wines versus seeking, aromatic. The aging has a tremendous importance to Imanol. Without opposition of style he likes to different types of vessels made out of wood and amphora (sandstone) in order to sublime the wines.
DOMAINE LE VENT DES JOURS
Laurent and François are childhood friends, both of them are borned in the beautiful department of Lot. Before those two classmates got together in 2018 to create Le Vent des Jours, the two friends have travelled a lot…
To this day, our friends work on an area of 8.5 hectares of vines in a set of 30 hectares composed of meadows for horses, and wood. With neighbors of irreducible defenders of modest grape varieties and virtuous agriculture, Laurent and François take the step and surround themselves with indigenous grape varieties (and not only). All these beautiful individuals are cultivated with care in organic and biodynamic agriculture. Nathalie and Laurent work their soils exclusively with their horses, and all work to promote prophylaxis rather than curative intervention.
This philosophy obviously goes as far as the cellar, the input policy is simple: just SO2, “if there is fire”.
DOMAINE DE L'ASTRÉ
The Domaine de l'Astré is the result of a meeting and a common passion...
Aude worked as a wine merchant, then in events before embarking on an odyssey that would take her to Latin America. Originally from Bordeaux, Sylvain has a classic wine-growing background and began his professional life as a farm manager in the Médoc.
Their paths crossed in the Argentine vineyards at the foot of the Andes. Since 2017, Aude and Sylvain have been working 10 hectares on the border between Gironde and Dordogne in the Périgord Pourpre.
Ideas abound at the Domaine de l'Astré and we never get bored!!
They pick plants for their biodynamic preparations, develop agroforestry within the plot, dream of diversifying their production for cider, Poiré and why not distillations...
DOMAINE DE QUISSAT
Rémy Delouvrié ran a 50 ha farm! Among these 50 ha only 3,75 ha compose the vineyard. Indeed, the Merlot grapes along with Tanat, Cabernet Franc, Petit & Gros Manseng are enjoying an environment composed out of woods, truffle patch, cereal field, and even an experimental orchard. The polyculture is entirely ran organically and the wines are naturally vinified without input or « makeup » and express a pur expression the terroirs.
DOMAINE MATHA
It is in the heart of the magnificent region of Aveyron, in the air of the Marcillac appellation, that the Matha family has been shaping the land for decades.
It was always a family project; Françoise and Jean-Luc and now Hugo are the workers who have always been carried by the precious values instilled by "the elders".
As Jean-Luc's father said to him: "You have a great job to do here"!
It is therefore natural that the family quickly took the turn of organic farming in 2016. Here, Fer Servadou is king and it is with great care that it is cultivated and vinified without input only a permanent search to let appear "the vintage effect".
CHATEAU CHATARD
Anne and Jean-Remi have 7 hectares (one plot) in Saint-Germain-de-Grave, into the Entre-Deux-Mers region, on the hills overlooking the Garonne River. Beside the wine production, this young couple are also organizing cultural events and welcoming tourist through vacation rental. Since 2000 they are re-building the vineyard; taking-out some grape varieties and planting more adapted ones, reviving the soils, investing into adapted tools…Today, it seems their patience and efforts are rewarded with better wines and fans.
CHATEAU COULONGE
Château Coulonge is one of the numerous « Petit Chateaux » from the tremendous Bordeaux region. Located in the small village of Mourens between the Garonne et Dordogne River, Chateau Cologne is part of the Entre-Deux-Mers region.
Today, Clémence and Nicolas Roux are running the vineyard and its been no less than two centuries the Nicolas's family are farming this land… Indeed, Nicolas like to recount his ancestors were doing some tenant farming for the Countess de Benauge before she sells back to them the land in 1804. Since that date, many generation passed and today Clémence and Nicolas like to say they are producing wine « trying to combine tradition and modernity ».
In this region which is not wellnone for the organic farming, Nicolas with his father converted to the organic farming the 40ha vineyard in 2015. Producing only AOC Bordeaux et Entre-Deux-Mers, the Roux family had faced some rough times selling their wines before producing "organic" became a trend.
Nowadays, Clémence and Nicolas try to produce wines their forefathers were producing and drinking using the typical grapes from the region ; Sémillon, Muscadelle, Sauvignon and Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Sauvignon, plus Malbec. Of course, at the cellar all the wines are made out indigenous yeasts and their goal it to always use less and less input into there wines.
As a result, Clémence and Nicolas are producing some wines with strong values at a very affordable price and for every occasion.