Novesque

Novesque 2021

Region: Provence, France

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Syrah 50%

Color: Red

Exactly in between medium and full-bodied. The exquisite taste you’ve been craving.

A deep garnet color with brick-red edges, aromas of black cherry, black plum, wood, and a post-rain forest. The Cabernet and Syrah are well-balanced, rich, and sufficiently robust without being tiresome. It enhances meals and has a presence that stands up to richly flavored dishes. This is likely to become a highly popular bottle.

Made from purchased grapes from Richard Dal Canto in Noves village, and named Novesque after the village. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are destemmed, pressed, and fermented, then aged in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels.

【Producer Information】
Bastien Boutareaud, born in 1980, possesses a large physique and a captivating smile. As a sommelier, he worked in Michelin-starred restaurants such as Baumanière and Prieuré de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. Until 2009, when he met his wife Émilie, Bastien gained diverse experience in natural wine, interning with Brendon Keys (BK Wines) in Australia and working at La Vinya.
In 2012, his eldest son, Baptiste, was born, and he decided to leave Paris, moving near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, an area he was familiar with. Subsequently, while working at the domains of Dominique Hauvette and Henri Milan, his interest turned toward making his own wine.

Starting in 2014, Bastien began making wine in his home garage, gathering grapes from abandoned vineyards. He continued to make wine on a small scale while working at Milan's until 2018. In 2017, he finally acquired his current home and winery, officially starting his winemaking venture. Slowly, he acquired his own vineyards, renting plots in villages near Saint-Rémy or negotiating with owners of abandoned vineyards. He also made wine using grapes from outside his own vineyards, buying from acquaintances or harvesting from naturally growing vines as mentioned above. He once found some magnificent old Grenache vines by chance and, with a bucket and pruning shears, picked grapes to make just 140 bottles of wine.
Wines made from grapes other than his own vineyards are released under the négociant name El Clandestino. The masked label is a remnant from when he used grapes from abandoned vineyards without permission, a visual representation of hiding his face if the police ever came.
In March 2018, Bastien planted vines for the first time on rented land. In this plot, no tractors have been used from the beginning; all work is done solely by horses and human hands. The planted varieties include Sciacarello and Nielluccio from Corsica, as well as Cinsault, Clairette, Marsanne, and Grenache. Besides grapes, he has planted fruit trees such as apples, figs, pomegranates, pears, apricots, and olives, and he plans to make delicious juices in the future. He also has plans to develop vineyards at the foot of the Alpilles mountains on the outskirts of Saint-Rémy.

In the vineyard, with the grapes, and during winemaking, he observes carefully and watches for reactions. Respect for living things is absolute. He respects nature and the grapes, intervening as little as possible. He is always careful to re-evaluate bad agricultural practices. He believes that living as a farmer is the way humans should be, and he sincerely wishes for the earth to become greener, holding a significant sense of crisis about the future of the planet. He has a strong aversion to "marketing organic" practices.
He is proactive in reducing CO2 emissions, having built his own machine for spraying Bordeaux mixture using a modified bicycle, demonstrating his commitment to practicing agriculture that doesn't harm the earth or the vineyards. He is a true nature lover who takes action.
Having spent 10 years of his childhood in Tahiti and traveled extensively, he has a broad, wild perspective and a strong rebellious spirit, making him a very interesting and captivating individual. He loves nature, detests injustice, and can talk endlessly about environmental issues and politics.
His first girlfriend was Japanese, and he has continuously studied Aikido, showing his strong interest in Japan.
I feel there is immense potential in his future. His wines, which will grow slowly and generously alongside him, are said to listen to reggae while aging in the cellar (laughs).