2020 Julien Peyras Syrah Nostra

WINEMAKER: Julien Peyras
REGION: Languedoc, FR
VARIETAL: Syrah
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic

"This wine is made purely from Syrah picked from 40 year old vines which thrive in Villafranchienne soils (the soils are limestone mixed with white and pink quartz). The only sprays that are used on this plot are natural sprays made from thistles, comfrey and horsetail. The harvesting is always done by hand into small containers so that then grapes are not damaged during this process. The skins were kept in contact with the juice until the fermentation was complete. The wine was vinified by the natural yeasts on the grapes and was then matured in stainless steel vats." - Living Wines

Julien is based in Paulhan in the Languedoc, north-west of Sète and due west of Montpelier, where he has almost 10 hectares of vines. His work in the vineyards is exemplary. He has worked without pesticides or herbicides for many years, well before we met him, and we got the feeling talking to him this year that he now feels all that hard work is paying off and his soils are reaching a point he is really happy with. He uses biodynamic techniques including tisanes made from nettle and fenugreek and adds animal compost to the soils. He has been working with cover crops for some time, including broad beans, and types of rye and wheat but has now extended the plants to include garden crops like radishes, chickpeas and turnips, which as well as being able to harvest for eating, he says help retain what little precious rainwater he receives. In the last year he planted 10 different crop varieties.