Arnaud Combier is an early pioneer of organic and low-intervention winemaking in France, taking over his grandfather's vines in 1998 and spending over a decade helping fellow growers convert to organic farming. He has now moved away from owning a single fixed estate and instead tracks down interesting, overlooked plots across France to craft unique, boundary-pushing wines and often collaborating with fellow winemakers. This project is a collaboration with François de Nicolay (of Domaine Chandon de Briailles) and winemaker Jeff Carrel. It's made from 100% organic Soreli ('little sun'), which is a disease-resistant grape crossing descended from Friulano and developed in Italy. Becaase it's naturally prone against disease, the vines require virtually no special treatments or chemical sprays in the vineyard, and this radical sustainability is the core inspiration behind the wine's name, 'Vents Contraires' translating to 'headwinds' or 'contrary winds,' representing Combier’s philosophy of cheerfully breaking the rules and going against conventional winemaking norms. This wine sees roughly 15 days of skin maceration in concrete tanks and is aged in stainless steel and neutral foudre with minimal sulfur. It's rich yet energetic with some tannic grip, baked orchard fruit, and a refreshing mineral-driven finish.
Arnaud Combier is an early pioneer of organic and low-intervention winemaking in France, taking over his grandfather's vines in 1998 and spending over a decade helping fellow growers convert to organic farming. He has now moved away from owning a single fixed estate and instead tracks down interesting, overlooked plots across France to craft unique, boundary-pushing wines and often collaborating with fellow winemakers. This project is a collaboration with François de Nicolay (of Domaine Chandon de Briailles) and winemaker Jeff Carrel. It's made from 100% organic Soreli ('little sun'), which is a disease-resistant grape crossing descended from Friulano and developed in Italy. Becaase it's naturally prone against disease, the vines require virtually no special treatments or chemical sprays in the vineyard, and this radical sustainability is the core inspiration behind the wine's name, 'Vents Contraires' translating to 'headwinds' or 'contrary winds,' representing Combier’s philosophy of cheerfully breaking the rules and going against conventional winemaking norms. This wine sees roughly 15 days of skin maceration in concrete tanks and is aged in stainless steel and neutral foudre with minimal sulfur. It's rich yet energetic with some tannic grip, baked orchard fruit, and a refreshing mineral-driven finish.
