In the village of Souvignargues 50km from the sea at the foothills of the Cévennes, alongside his olive trees, Laurent Bagnol organically farms eleven hectares of centenarian goblet vines, with a soft spot for the area's indigenous varieties. Across his surface are plantings of Carignan, Oeillade, Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah.
Soils are incredibly rich and varied in their geological complexity: beneath the clays are the notable compacted sandstone/limestone 'gres' soils and shimmering limestone, rich in molluscs and marl.
The wines are hugely charming, a rustic, romantic expression of a unique terroir. To us, they're among the most direct examples of what we love about the Gard. Raised in simple vats of steel and enamel, vinified gently with very little extraction, Laurent likes to keep out of the way in the cellar and let fruit express itself.
Wild, characterful zero-sulphur wines from a true custodian of the land!
AVAILABLE NOW
2021 - La Cabane du Malet - Mas Lau - Souvignargues - Carignan, Syrah
Hand harvested from 80-year-old goblet-trained Carignan (60%) and Grenache vines, both on sandstone, shimmering limestone and marl. Macerated for one week as whole bunches with no pump overs or extraction. Aged 1 year in enamelled steel vats, bottled with zero additions.
2021 - Clin d'Oeil - Mas Lau - Souvignargues - Oeillade
Hand harvested from goblet trained Oeillade vines, grown on sandstone, shimmering limestone and marl. Macerated for 5 days as whole bunches with no pumpover or extraction. Aged 7 months in enamelled steel vats, bottled with zero additions.
