Les Maoù ‘Plan B’ Blanc 2021
Location: France, Rhône
Winemaker: Vincent & Aurélie Garreta
Grapes: Grenache Noir & Grenache Blanc
Soil: Alluvial soil / mixed
Winemaking: Hand harvest and native yeast. Direct press of Grenache Blanc and Grenache Noir, fermented together in stainless steel tank and bottled in the spring with 10-15mg/l of so2 and no filtration.
From us at M&L: Some of the most engaging wine makers these days could be described as “accidental visionaries” - a term that seems oxymoronic, but within the framework of classic, naturally made wines it is often apt. Within the terroir, the climate, the work, the obstacles and gifts, there is required of the grower an intrepid quality. What to do? When faced with troublesome weather, or an unexpected blight (or bounty, for that matter)? Adaptation and heritage are not mutually exclusive: they go hand in hand.
Les Maou, Aurélie and Vincent Garreta, are making fascinating and wonderful wines in Vaucluse, between the Rhône and Provence. Their beguiling “Plan B” is the product of intuition and ingenuity, and it is among the many wines from talented folks that defy category - not because they lack specific attributes or formal poise, but because they are born out of a need that perhaps has not existed until recently. What to do - with ripening fruit in one parcel and late-arriving fruit in another? How to stave off oxidation without adding so2? How to use everything harmoniously?
“Plan B” ‘21 is direct press Grenache Noir and Blanc, all fermented and aged in stainless steel. Textural and lively, with both red fruited nose, pith and garrigue, and a river bed mineral refreshment.
From the Importer Super Glou: In the heart of Gordes, an area better known for breezy vacationers than for soulful wines, Vincent and Aurélie Garreta are producing some of the most earnest, balanced, super glou glou we’ve ever tasted.
The couple is a true team whose warmth and radiance translates directly to the grapes they farm—Grenache, Clairette, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Aubun (a local variety on the verge of extinction), Cinsaut (spelled the ancient way, taking the lead of renowned ampélographe Pierre Galet)—and the people who help them. Come harvest, they employ eleven workers (eight women, three men) from 8am to 4pm for a period of 10-15 days, depending on the year.
The workers break for a pause at 10am (café and pâté, wine on “special days”) and then lunch in the vines a few hours later (“real local proper food + tasting wine”). After they’re done in the vines, they take turns accompanying Vincent to the chai in groups of 3-4. In the chai, they add grapes to the tanks and footstomp before they wash the boxes, relax with a cold beer around 7pm, and return to their campsite on a nearby farm (paid for by the Garretas). Vincent finishes the day by cleaning the chai and is usually home to Aurélie by 9pm.
Much of the juice undergoes semi-carbonic maceration and ferments in cement, at which point it is left to age until blended and bottled in the spring. The results are jewels of varying degrees of ruby-red: from the light and bright “Entre Chats” + “Au P’tit Bonheur” to the fresh and lively “Vaste Programme” + “L’un Dans L’autre” to the deeper, darker “Entre Les Gouttes” + “Hauts Les Coeurs !” — all sure to deliver un coup de foudre.