Auvergne is a region of south-central France a continuation to the east of the Loire Valley, further close to the Jura, and the French Alps; It is dominated by the foothills and low mountains of the Massif Central. The typical red wine from these central French vineyards is a light-bodied red or rosé, produced from Gamay and vinified via carbonic maceration. The soils here are volcanic through the vineyards with different types of lava rocks, with a little percentage of chalk/limestone. Mostly the producers located in this region they farm halfway between organic and biodynamic. The higher altitude vineyards are between 400 and 500 meters; a continental climate that leads to less densely structure wines. The wines rely on fruity aroma and refreshing acidity. Rivers than come across the region are the Allier and the Loire.
No Control consists of 5 hectares of vines, where one can find several grape varieties :
Gamay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Sylvaner and Pinot Auxerrois.
Vincent Marie is the vigneron, Inspired by the culture of punk music, located in the village of Volvic in the Puy de Dôme département in Auvergne. Vincent Marie is a winemaker in respect of nature with work experience with Patrick Meyer in Alsace where he gains skill and the practice of biodynamic farming. The wines are so pure with depth and intellectual nourishment; with a Gang of Four New Wave attitude.
Since 2013, the vines are in conversion to all-organic farming, Vincent grows grass and brings mineral and organic matter, which are essential to the vegetable strength and structuring of the soil. To curate the vines he uses sulfur and copper and adds herbal infusions in order to reduce the doses of Bordeaux mixture. The wines are made naturally in the cellar: no filtration and no added sulfites before bottling. The aim is to make pure, fresh, generous wines. The wines ferment with indigenous yeasts and are aged on lees in various containers. The time of aging of the wines is never planned, the wines in tank or barrel will do the course and when Vincent Marie reckon it will be ready, he will move to the next steps, the bottling. These processes enable the wines to have a strong aromatic potential and to express the best the terroir.
2016 Fusion is the fusion between Gamay D'Auvergne and Gamay from Beaujolais and between two types of vinification. Maceration of two weeks all bunches in fiberglass. The aging time is 18 months half of the wine in a vat, the other half in a 15 hl cask. The amazing color is very vivid and transparent with a nose structure full of red and blue fruit with this volcanic earthy minerality. The palate is energetic, electric, and full of substance; a lifted aroma, and energy through nose and palate.
Vincent & Marie Tricot in the village of Orcet has been highly influenced by the work of Jules Chauvet and Marcel Lapierre pioneer of natural wine farming. They moved to the Auvergne in 2002. Gamay d’Auvergne, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Muscat spread over 10 hectares, since when they started.
Vincent had been working in a winery in the Gard (Rhone Valley), and before that had studied enology in Beaujolais and worked with Patrick Cotton. Vincent and Marie met while working for a large Domaine in the Costières de Nîmes. Marie is from a family of vignerons in Beaujolais. It was on a visit to relatives of Marie who lived in the Auvergne that they heard about a Domaine for sale; they brought that farm and started off with 4.5 hectares and over the years have planted another 5. The vines planted here shows great purity, electric line of acidity, especially in the reds.
A video on Vimeo very interesting to watch it about these two amazing couple:
2017 Trois Bonhommes is a Pinot Noir full carbonic maceration in the tank so perfume with a lifted cherry aroma, Griottes compote, and granitic stony minerality. Energy and complexity; the acidity is like the violins in four seasons of Vivaldi, a full-mouth feeling without losing the nerve and drinkability. Chapeau.
Jean Maupertuis is a natural wine legend, he was one of the first generation pushing the limits of committed sans-souffre winemaking in the '90s. Jean is based in Saint-Georges-sur-Allier, south-West of Clermont-Ferrand. In 1995, he took over 3.5 hectares of vines from a pre-existing estate. From 1999 to 2003, he formed a GAEC (Groupement Agricole et commercial) with two partners, which was called Domaine de Peyra, and together they worked about 14.5 hectares. In 2004 this project finish and with almost 4 hectares he follows his own path. As well inspired by Marel Lapierre, Overnoy, Jean Thevenet he decides to make wines in their style.
Jean Maupertuis works with Gamay D'Auvergne, Pinot Noir, and Noirfleurien, an ancient local varietal mainly found in the village of Mirefleurs. His vines are quite old from 40 to 100 years. No chemical fertilizers, insecticides, or herbicides are used in the vineyard, alternately lots of working the soils. Most of Jean's wines are vinified through carbonic maceration, also without sulfur.
2017 VdF a single vineyard "Les Pierres Noires"
limestone on clay with volcanic basalt. Gamay D’Auvregne on 80-100 years old.
Peppery, spice with those fresh pulpy red fruit, savory minerality, nervous and tension ... Very very good...
Manuel Duveau, at Yahou Fatal
Catherine Dumora, Domaine de l’Égrappille and Manuel Duveau, Yahou Fatal, they are a couple located north of Clermont-Ferrand, they taking care of small parcels between 300 and 400 meters above sea level. Old Gamay and some other white grapes are cultivated naturally. In the cellar, there are pure hands off winemaking.
In short, pure wines, alive, bright. A real experience! Constantly experimenting with new techniques, multiple vintages...
2016 Grigi is a vineyard, near the village of Plauzat, about 25 minutes south of Clermont-Ferrand. The altitude is 400meter above sea level, the soil is a mix of basalt, clay, and limestone and the vine age is 60 years. The wine has picked in two passes, pressed directly to barrel for fermentation, and then run to demijohn for elevage.
Pure deep rose color Volnay style but here we talked about Gamay D'Auvregne, red fruit Raspberries, and Strawberries, iodine, sardine oil, and rocky wet stone minerality. Palate clean, vertical with an abundance of acidity. A glass call another.
Best
raffaele mastrovincenzo
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wine / spirit / lambic / drinker
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