Mindfuck of a wine for a great table discussion. Layered, oxidative,sweet, rich and nutty with intense fruit and acid. Not your typical Chardonnay, Grenache Noir blend. "In 2019 we wanted to make a white wine of Chardonnay, but the white juice didn’t please us, so we added first a white juice from a direct press of Grenache Noir, which helped. But it didn’t really give the wine what we wanted; therefore we made a decision to add also the rosé juice and a small portion of destemmed grapes of Grenache Noir. The grapes macerated in the juice for a little more than 6 weeks. From there the wine went into to Demi-Muid, where it has been ever since. No topping up, no soutirage. With a hint of oxidation, still 35 grammes of unfermented sugars from the grapes. So, a red wine with tannins as light as a rosé and another character then what we normally make, richer in both structure, sweetness and flavors in general – and oxidative."

Origin: Ardèche, France
ABV: 0.137
USNW Classification: Natural
Varietal & Type: Chardonnay, Grenache Noir
Vintage: 2019

Tasting Notes

wild red berries, cherries, and raspberries, alongside notes of fresh herbs, forest floor, and a hint of spice

Vineyards

organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards in the Ardèche region

About the Winemaker

Anders Frederik Steen makes wine from “grapes and only grapes”. He’s been doing this since 2013 when he first started buying fruit from winemakers he admired and making wine alongside legendary Jura vigneron, Jean-Marc Brignot. Anders and his family have now settled in the beautiful village of Valvignères in the Ardèche and he grows grapes and makes wine at his friends Jocelyne & Gérald Oustric’s farm, Le Mazel. It is a beautiful spot on the slope of a wide, open valley and the many varieties grown here thrive on a perfect mix of clay and limestone. The vineyards are full of life, having been tended organically for decades. In his previous life, Anders was both a chef and sommelier, working at the best restaurants in his native Denmark. First as a sommelier at Noma, later opening Manfreds and Relae. This experience informs his winemaking in that he does not seek to follow rules and doesn’t feel the need to do the same thing every year. Instead, as he harvests he tastes the grapes and begins to imagine the kind of wine he might be able to make. It is a refreshingly logical, creative approach, and the results speak for themselves. Anders’ wines are made from red grapes which are either pressed directly or destemmed by hand and white grapes pressed directly in a beautiful old wooden press. Any blending is done during the harvest and the different varieties always ferment together, spontaneously, outside under the open sky. The wines are bottled unfiltered, with no additions and are thoughtful, original expressions of this part of the Ardèche.

Shipping Details

US Natural Wine ships once a week, every Wednesday. All orders should be placed by Tuesday at 10am in order to be picked up from our distributors and out on Wednesday's delivery truck. Shipping cost is 30 bucks a box (up to 12 bottles) so we highly encourage picking up more than 1 bottle for the best value!