Women Winemakers on the Rise
With coverage ranging from RobertParker, Decanter, Hachette and Jancis to Elle Magazine, these women are gaining well-deserved recognition for their wines.
Fontaine du Clos VACQUEYRAS
With their farming expertise and consumer orientation, Céline and Jean-François Barnier have propelled Fontaine du Clos Vacqueyras on to the scene. The wines have landed best-in-class scores from Robert Parker, Dunnuck, Wine Enthusiast and Hachette.
When it comes to selecting the blends, Céline seeks an elegant and food-friendly style, which distinguishes the wines from more extracted styles.
Selections from Fontaine du Clos
VACQUEYRAS BLANC, "Reflets de l'Ame" 2020 . "A terrific hidden little gem of a white" -Jeb Dunnuck
VACQUEYRAS ROUGE, "Reflets de l'Ame" 2019. Like Chateauneuf du Pape of yore, voluptous and elegant; lavender, black plum, pepper; juicy, persistent. 90 JD
VACQUEYRAS ROUGE, "Castillon" 2019. Intense and complex nose, black fruits and garrigue; smooth and full bodied on the palate. 92+ JD
Clos de l'Anhel CORBIERES
Winemaker and proprietor Sophie Guiraudon was a pioneer from the beginning, being one of the first producers to farm organically in the region. Even now 20 years later, just 6% of Corbières producers farm organically.
Her enology background gives her the confidence to continue to blaze a trail for transparent winemaking. "Cuvée les Autres" is what many define as a natural wine--no sulfur added, no fining, paper-filtered. She works tirelessly so that what you’re getting in the bottle and glass is one of the purest glimpses of Corbières. The wines have been featured in Decanter, Jancis Robinson and Elle Magazine.
Our pick from Clos de l'Anhel
CORBIERES, "Cuvée les Autres" 2018. From 100 year old, head-trained carignane vines, organically farmed, vinified with native yeasts; no sulfur added.
Château Trapaud ST-EMILION
Château Trapuad is located on the famed Côte of Saint-Émilion, not far from the legendary Ch. Pavie, Ausone, Valandraud and Pavie Macquin. The estate, which dates back to 1471, came into the Larribière family in 1927 and is now led by 4th generation Béatrice.
An only child, Béatrice may have been the obvious choice to lead the winery but she pursued it out of passion, gaining degrees in agricultural science and enology and then apprenticing in Australia and California. As winemaker, she converted to organic farming and modernized the winery. Today she is one of very few women winemakers in St-Emilion, even fewer organically farming, and still fewer with top ratings from reviewers such as James Suckling and Concours d’Or.
Our pick from Château Trapaud
ST-EMILION 2015. "Impressive concentration here; this smells of dark-berry pastries, plums and fresh cedary wood. Slick and flavor-packed palate with blueberry and deep-set plum-fruit flavors." 92 -JS