A L'Ouest de mon Sud Blanc

A L'Ouest de mon Sud Blanc 2023

Region: Sud-Ouest, France

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon

Color: Orange

The bitter taste of orange peel is irresistible.

Deep orange-yellow color, aromas of osmanthus, nectarine, and freshly picked mango.
An orange wine with a strong tannin flavor.
It really shines when paired with snacks. Perfect with marinated mackerel, Nanbanzuke pickles, and spicy dishes.

[Producer information]

Original taste with plenty of umami, created by the ripeness brought about by the temperature difference

Born in Béziers in the Languedoc region in 1979, Sylvain grew up in a family of teachers. His grandfather was a wine grower, so he grew up surrounded by nature, playing in the fields from an early age. Dreaming of becoming a vigneron, he studied at a winemaking school after graduating from high school. At the age of 21, he discovered the allure of natural wine in Clos-Maries, Pic-Saint-Loup.

After working there for three years, he moved to his wife's hometown in the southwestern Côte de Duras, where he worked at a winery cooperative in the neighboring Côte du Marmandé region to the south, where he was in charge of brewing, and finally got his chance to go independent in 2011. With investment from a négociant in the Côte de Duras, he purchased a winery and vineyards, and now handles everything from cultivation to brewing by himself, determined to "make what I want to make!"

Currently, the traditional grape varieties of this region, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc, are cultivated organically on a total of 3 hectares, 1.5 hectares each. The Sauvignon Blanc vineyard is located on a west-facing slope about 100km east of the Atlantic Ocean, and the soil is where strata from the Atlantic and the Pyrenees collide, with limestone scattered throughout the clay. The west-facing vineyard, located on a higher hill than the other vineyards, is directly exposed to the winds from the sea, providing good ventilation that prevents disease and pests and also gives the wine a cool feeling.

After harvest, we aim for natural vinification while observing the potential of each grape. For white wine, the whole bunches are macerated in fiberglass tanks for 12 days before being pressed and aged.

The red wines are vinified by plot, taking into account the condition of the grapes. Younger vines in vineyards where acidity is readily absorbed undergo semi-carbonic maceration, resulting in a fruity finish, while older vines at higher altitudes are aged in old barrels for 14 months using the traditional vinification method without destemming. For both red and white wines, only a very small amount of SO2 is added at bottling, and none is used during the vinification process. No matter which wine you drink, you will find a gentle, rounded attack and plenty of fruit flavor.

"I'm original!" says Sylvain, who is not influenced by the image of AOC or varietals and is working hard to create the wine he aspires to.