Patrice Lescarret and Virginie Maignien
Patrice Lescarret started the adventure in 1993. Originally 8 hectares, now 12, the domaine endeavour to honour the indigenous grapes varieties formely cultivated in the region, such as Duras, Braucol, Prunelard, Loin de l’Oeil, Jurançon, Mauzac and Ondenc. There is no “clone” in their vineyard. All their vines, from before the war, have been “grafted in place” and the new plantations come from a meticulous selection called “selection massale”.
The domaine’s name is derived from the word for limestone table-plateaus, the so-called Causses and the litte creek named “Marines” which runs at the bottom of the property.
In the last ten years, the average yield went from 13 to 35 hl/hectare. Obviously the totality of the grapes are harvested and selected by hand. And as a logical continuity of their effort in the vineyard, the vinification and maturation of their “Babies” is done without chemicals. The fining and filtration are kept to the most simple expression. Somes of Patrice’s wines are totally free of added suphites.
Patrice’s conclusion “we can make organic wine without having long hair and smoking grass! One can do natural wines that don’t smell cow’s fart…”
The couple produces a very interesting style of wine called “vin de voile” (veil of wine) referring to the yeast film (veil) which covers the juice in the casks during the ageing process without being regularly topped-up, like Jura’s vin jaune. Along the years (10 years in total without topping-up) the wine develops an oxydative style with unique aromas. The wine is called “Mysterre” (vintage 1996, produced from the Mauzac grape variety, most suitable for this kind of treatment. The name of the cuvee Mysterre is an anagram of Mystère (mystery) and terre (soil or land).
#1 by Rich - February 22nd, 2009 at 20:13
The “Mysterre” wine sounds interesting, where can one taste/buy it from?