2021 Julien Peyras Séraphin

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

"Séraphin is an intensely flavoured red wine made almost entirely from Grenache and this year with a little Clairette added. The forty year old vines grow in quartz and limestone clay and Julien treats the vines using biodynamic techniques including nettle and fenugreek sprays. The grapes ripened well in the 2021 summer. The grapes were picked by hand and then completely destemmed before being macerated for 2 weeks to extract the colour from the skins. The wine was fermented naturally and then transferred to three year old 400 litre barrels where it matures for 6 months." - 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.