2020 Baptiste Nayrand VDF ‘Puit a Vin’ Chardonnay, Rhone Valley,France

ABOUT THIS WINE

The grapes used in this wine are 100% hand harvested. It was matured using 50% barrel and 50% fiberglass for a total of 6 months and bottled with 1 gram of SO2. Vinification is done only with native yeast, without sulfur dioxide, and without any modern oenological product. All vinification occurs without any temperature control (neither heating nor cooling), and with the objective to infuse the grape rather than to extract. As a result, there is very little punchdowns or pumpovers to respect the integrity of the grapes as long as possible and to gain the maximum finesse and complexity.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Originally from the area around Lyon in Northern Rhone, Baptiste created his eponymous domaine from scratch in 2014. Today he has just over 6 hectares of vines, which is the maximum he can farm by himself to maintain the quality he requires. The majority is Gamay in the AOP Coteaux du Lyonnais, a small rather unknown appellation on the outskirts of Lyon between the Beaujolais and the Northern Rhône. There is also a small amount of Chardonnay, also in the AOP Coteaux du Lyonnais.

These wines have a rare excitement and energy found in the most legendary natural wine producers in France, and it will be thrilling to watch Baptiste and his wines evolve, and to taste what the future has in store.

Baptiste has written his own eloquent philosophy for the domaine:

"Since its inception, the entire domaine has been certified organic. The vineyard is maintained without any chemical products, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizer. The soil is plowed to encourage microbial activity. In parallel, infusions of horsetail, nettle, comfrey, and willow are used to reinforce and structure the vines during their vegetative period, and to reduce to a strict minimum the use of copper and sulfur.

Le domaine also uses biodynamic methods with the constant objective to recreate the harmony between the mineral, vegetable, human, and cosmos.

Conscious of the health of the customers, we reduce the quantity of sulfites in the wine to the strict minimum to guarantee a better digestibility and an ivresse joyeuse (literally a joyful inebriation, but it sounds better in French)."