La Bancale La Borde Noire Comme del Llop 2023

The Fenouillèdes mountain range extends from Axat in the west to Estagel near Perpignan in the east, nestled between the Corbières and the Pyrenees. With blue skies, garrigue-covered hills, and rugged peaks, the area is both stunning and challenging, with an arid climate, poor soils, and the Tramontane winds testing those who farm there.

In the village of Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, Bastien Baillet and Céline Schuers craft unique wines in a small cellar beneath their home. Originally from Northern France, they moved to the Languedoc in their twenties, drawn by a love for native grape varieties. After apprenticeships in the region, they began cultivating their own vineyards, acquiring just over a hectare of old vines in 2014 and expanding to nearly 5 hectares across five communes.

Their organically farmed vineyards mainly consist of 70+ year-old bush vines. A few exceptions include a younger Grenache Gris, some Macabeu, and trellised Syrah. The focus at La Bancale is on terroir-driven, naturally made wines with minimal sulfur and no additives. Using simple methods, they ferment in stainless steel or used French oak, avoiding new oak.

Though young, Bastien and Céline have shown impressive skill and promise, with several strong vintages already. Reflecting on his craft, Bastien says, “I just really like being a peasant. It’s a hard job but a great job…the vines are a good place for me.”

100% Grenache Blanc, the grapes were harvested on the mornings of September 8^th and 11^th and whole cluster macerated for 8 days in fiberglass tanks. The grapes were then pressed and transferred back to fiberglass vats to complete fermentation. Only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts were used for fermentation. A low dose of sulfur was added after the completion of malolactic fermentation and the juice transferred to sandstone (grès) amphora for ageing.