"Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.” Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series.
Oh Albus, such wisdom, you wily old fox! Words can travel thousands of miles. They take us places and help us to imagine. So, when we heard about Le Clos Sauvage and the description of the vineyards situated in the heights of the commune of Leynes, within the Bourgogne, we wanted to know more about the story
Always on the lookout for new and upcoming producers, Sophie and David are worth getting to know. Surrounded by groves, meadows, moors and chestnut forests, it's a rather idyllic place to grow vines. Since 2018, the couple have been making wine in a beautiful corner of France at 450m altitude on the border between Burgundy and Beaujolais. Now I don't know about you, but that strikes us as being a pretty cool postcode.
There is much to like about the honest and humble beginnings, where the combination of nature and care comes to the fore. The setting is magical and wine family life seems to suit them both well. Their aim from the start has been to create an autonomous farm where vines are grown alongside many other products, where cows and horses roam on adjacent pastures, where bees are kept, and where farmstays are possible. In a nod towards their logo, this land has deep roots with a real connection between the vines and winegrowers.
Minimal intervention is paramount, both on the land and in the cellar. Listening to Sophie describe the Domaine philosophy is actually quite moving. They harvest exclusively by hand and in small crates in order to preserve the grapes as much as possible and avoid any oxidation. In the cellar, only yeasts naturally present on the grapes are used, while punching down and fermentation takes place at low temperature to promote a slow, gentle and complex extraction of aromas. After 1 or 2 months, the couple approach the aging phase either in concrete vats or in demi-muids of 2 to 4 wines.
If that doesn't sound poetic, then the wines at least should have you intrigued. We are talking freshness, salinity and minerality by the bucketloads. Restrained, elegant chardonnay that is deserving of your attention.
