VDF "Poteau Noir" 2021 - Domaine Hors Ciel

Farmhouse, firm and yet oh so juicy Mouvèrde and Carignan from the Languedoc. Unusual, for Mouvèrde, but it is true. Playful with a light perlant with a mineral finish. Equal parts soul and freshness.

• Country / Region: France / Minervois
• Grape variety: 80% Mouvèrde, 20% Carignan Noir and Terret Blanc
• In the vineyard: Rich soil of red clay, limestone, sandstone, quartz and chalk.
• In the cellar: Mouvèrde with 5 days skin contact, blended with a little Cargignan and Terret Blanc. Spontaneous fermentation. 7 months of vinification on barriques and demi-muids. Unfined, unfiltered, without addition of so2.
• Quality mark: Vin Nature.

Jack-of-all-trades Victor Gourreau grew up in the area and comes from a family of winemakers. At 19, he left for Italy where he gained a lot of experience as a sommelier, maker and enthusiast. Young and already so skilled, he was mainly interested in the fermentation process and so he also gained experience in the beer brewery and in baking. During an internship in Portland, he met the American Emma Olson who worked there at the time.

With a shared interest in fermentation and low-intervention, the couple moved to the Minervois together, where in 2019 they experimented together for the first time with making their own wine in their own home. With success. Not long after, they bought 3 hectares of vines with mainly mouvèrde grapes. Already in 2021, the first official Hors Ciel vintage was there, with success. They work completely biodynamically, literally everything is done by hand and the land is grazed by sheep from December to the end of March. The two play with different vinification methods with mouvèrde in the leading role. In addition, they also have a beautiful plot of Cinsault, which is an old Carignan planted with some Terret Blanc and Grenaches here and there. In short, the king grape varieties in the region. With only the second vintages this year, the wines of Victor and Emma are airy, playful, fresh and juicy and at the same time with a stimulating layering and a lot of depth. So young and already so significant, one of the most promising new discoveries.