Le Mazel 'Briand' 2024

Profile & Story

Gerald Oustric was working the family vineyards in Valvigneres, in the southern half of the Ardeche, when he pulled out of the co-operative in the late 1990s, converted the domaine to organics and began making wine with no additions at all; he joined forces with his sister Jocelyne and Le Mazel was born. He still runs the 22-hectare domaine with her, and has mentored a generation of natural winemakers in the Rhone and beyond. Cuvee Briand is 100% organically and biodynamically grown Grenache from roughly 50-year-old vines, hand-harvested and given about ten days of whole-bunch carbonic maceration in tank before pressing, then bottled unfined, unfiltered and with no added SO2.