L’Île Rouge ‘Les Oubliés’ Rouge 2020/2021

Location: France, Bordeaux

Winemaker: Antonin Jamois

Grapes: Castets and a touch of Mancin

Soil: shallow clay-limestone

From the Producer: In a place called Fontarnaud in Lugasson lies a little over 2 hectares of vines, isolated between meadows and forest. The soils are shallow, clay-limestone. Vines of primarily Merlot are being diversified with Castets, a grape variety forgotten after the phylloxera crisis. I farm organically, and am also inspired by permaculture to preserve soil fertility and promote biodiversity in the vines.

The harvest is manual, carried out in crates. The cellar is located below ground, carved from a freestone quarry from the 19th century, making it possible to preserve the freshness of the fruit. It also allows the red wines to be aged in barrels at a constant temperature, as well as allowing for proper fermentation of sparkling wines. Everything is vinified without inputs, all native yeasts and without added sulfur. Transfers of must and vine are carried out by gravity to avoid any trituration.

From the Importer Jeffrey Alpert: After 10 years in Madagascar (perhaps unsurprisingly, given the domaine's name,) winemaker Antonin Jamois returned to France to grow wine. A very different career, given his start as a scuba diver and aquaculturist. The organic vines, planted in 2001 are on clay-limestone soil over asteriated limestone bedrock, on the plateau’s southwest-facing slope. The grapes are harvested by hand, only after the fruit is fully ripe. Vinification is done naturally and without any additives. After six months of maceration in vats, the wines and moved to barrels where they are matured over the next 12 months. Without filtration, the wines are then bottled.