Cornas, Ardeche, Côtes-Du-Rhône, Southern Rhône, France
Wines by Matthieu Barret
Varietals and key wines include; ‘Cornas’, ‘Crozes Hermitage’, ‘Brise Cailloux’, ‘Billes Noire’, Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
In the east of France, over 100km south of Lyon, lies this family domain consisting of 20 hectares of vineyards on hillsides known locally as ‘Gore’.
Matthieu is part of the new wave of Cornas winemakers building upon a rich history of the world-class Syrah. He has a superb group of appellations from the northern Rhône Valley, Cornas, and Ardeche. Matthieu studied viticulture in Beaune and is the 7th generation vigneron in his family.
He is a certified organic and biodynamic winemaker and replaced machines with mules, horses, and manual labour in 2012. Matthieu believes promoting biodiversity enhances the final product. He has created green spaces around the farm, adding watering holes to support the species that make their home in the ecosystem. As such, he continues to pursue purity in wine production.
The ‘Petit Ours’ Côtes-du-Rhône, translates as ‘little bear’ and is a Syrah sourced from vineyards planted on clay and gravel soils. The north-facing vineyards are all farmed organically and worked using biodynamic methods, in keeping with Matthieu’s approach.
Grapes are hand-harvested and destemmed prior to fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats. This takes place for around 15 days. The wine is then lightly pressed and aged for approximately eight months in concrete ‘eggs’ to preserve freshness and purity of fruit.
Incredibly elegant fruit driven wines made to express the honesty and beauty of this region without any manipulation.
