MATTHIEU BARRET
2024 PETIT OURS ROUGE
This wine is made from Syrah grown near Visan in Vaucluse. It is farmed by Matthieu’s friend Rémi Pouizin whose family has been working organically for sixty years. The vines average fifty years old and are rooted in limestone and clay. The grapes are destemmed and fermented in concrete and stainless steel for two weeks before being pressed off. After a nine-month élevage the wine is racked twice, lightly filtered if necessary, and bottled with 10-20 ppm of SO2 under Ardeaseal corks. 13.5% ABV
2024 PETIT OURS BLANC
This wine is made from Roussanne (60%) and Marsanne (40%). The former is planted on sandy clay-loam over a calcareous bedrock while the latter is on limestone and clay. Matthieu works with the Famille Rozel in Vallaurie, Florent Bacconnier in Allan, and Remi Pouizin in Visan, all of whom are practicing organic. The average age of vines is roughly twenty-five years between the three sites. Grapes are gently whole cluster pressed into tank where the juice undergoes an eighteen-hour settling before being racked. Matthieu typically adds a little SO2 (max 20 ppm) before primary fermentation. After an eleven-month élevage in stainless steel the wine is lightly filtered and bottled with up to 20 ppm of SO2. 12.0% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $37.00 (AB) $43.50 (BC)
CSPC: 139764 (AB), 663223 (BC)
2024 PETIT OURS ROSÉ
Direct pressed grenache from his friend’s organic vineyard a little further south. Fermented and aged in stainless steel before bottling. 13.0% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $41.00 (AB) $54.00 (BC)
CSPC: 140255 (AB), 687726 (BC)
2024 J’AURAI TA PEAU
100% Roussanne from d'Allan, et Valaurie in the Drome. The sandy topsoil and limestone subsoil really help bring the freshness and minerality. The grapes were destemmed and fermented on skins before élevage in stainless steel and concrete. Our first allocation of his orange wine.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE:
750ml: $37.00 (846720 - AB) $48.00 (297529 - BC)
1.5L: $115.00 (743917 - BC)
2022 VILAIN
Thanks to light sandy soils in the Terroir De Roussas, this Syrah is typically their most light and lively. Simply destemmed, fermented for a week or so, then pressed into concrete for élevage. This is an everyday Syrah for the table.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $51.50 (BC)
CSPC: 743925 (BC)
2023 BLACK FLAG
Syrah coming from a stellar site in Villeneuve de Berg planted on limestone and clay. This special site always seems to give both exuberant dark fruit and ethereal freshness and saline minerality. The grapes were destemmed for a short maceration before being pressed off into both concrete and stainless steel for élevage. 11.5% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $51.50 (BC)
CSPC: 687660 (BC)
2023 ZINZIN
Matthieu really wanted to make a proper Southern Rhone red so this is a blend of Mourvèdre and Grenache from Visan. Soils are clay and limestone, helping the grapes retain acidity in the heat. The grapes were destemmed and fermented in tank before being pressed off into concrete for a nine month élevage. It may only say 13% ABV on the label, but it’s got great warmth.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $56.00 (AB) $63.00 (BC)
CSPC: 120858 (AB), 240116 (BC)
2023 NO WINE’S LAND ROUGE
Super wild site, 250m of elevation sitting on the unrecognized outcropping between Cornas and St Joseph. More clay-limestone soils but with calcareous shards and other chunks of rock. Full sunshine but cold. Destemmed for modest maceration followed by 11 months is diamond shaped concrete tank. Fresh acid, bright fruit, classic northern Rhone Syrah. 13.0% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $48.00 (AB) $59.50 (BC)
CSPC: 120856 (AB), 240125 (BC)
2023 NO WINE’S LAND BLANC
Way up on the plateau des Arlettes, essentially white Cornas, which doesn’t have an appellation to itself so he was able to plant both Marsanne and Roussanne in equal measure. Clay and limestone soils but with alluvial galets as well. Direct pressed into concrete for fermentation and élevage. Definitely a standout for me.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $45.00 (AB) $51.50 (BC)
CSPC: 120859 (AB), 240091 (BC)
2022 QUINQUIN
This cuvée is coming from the commune of Villeneuve de Berg and Morestel in Ardèche. Soils here are a mix of limestone and clay. The grapes (80% Chardonnay, 20% Sauvignon Blanc) are direct pressed into concrete for fermentation and a nine month élevage. Super zesty and fresh but with great texture.
2024 SAINT-JOSEPH D86
Grown in the town of Sarras just north of Hermitage. The 30-year-old vines are rooted in granite and wind-blown loess. After destemming into tank, the wine undergoes a week of pump-overs followed by a week of punch-downs. It is then pressed into concrete and amphora for élevage. Always super floral and rocky. The sinewy, lean cuvée but with dark fruit. Everyone was begging for more last year. 12.0% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $69.00 (AB), $81.00 (BC)
CSPC: 108727 (AB), 334072 (BC)
2023 PAS CALÉ
Matthieu trades a small amount of Syrah from Cornas for Pinot Noir from Pommard with his friend Phillipe Pacalet. The 35-year-old vines are deeply rooted in Jurassic clay-limestone. The grapes undergo carbonic maceration in flex tank for three weeks with occasional pump-overs of released juice. The pressed juice takes an additional two weeks to finish fermenting. The wine then spends eight months in 54L glass dame Jeanne and WineGlobe on full lees before bottling unfined, unfiltered, and with 20ppm of SO2.
2023 INGLORIOUS BROCARD SAINT-PERAY
This wine comes from the Northern Rhone commune of Saint Peray. Marsanne is grown on the steeply terraced lieu-dit of Fauterie on pure granite. The 25-year-old vines are tended by Cyril Milosevitch. Whole clusters are pressed into stainless steel for settling. The following day the juice is racked into tank for fermentation and élevage. The wine is lightly filtered before bottling with 20 ppm of SO2. 11.5% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $69.00 (AB), $78.00 (BC)
CSPC: 108729 (AB), 334084 (BC)
2019 CORNAS BRISE CAILLOUX BLANC
At the northernmost corner of Cornas, you’ll find both the Sommet Nord and Plateau des Arlettes. Planted on decomposed granite and clay-limestone loam, these 13-year-old vines are an anomaly. In a region dedicated exclusively to red grapes you’ll find Roussanne (50%), Marsanne (40%) and Viognier (10%). The grapes are pressed and settled in tank over night before being racked with 20 ppm of SO2 for fermentation and élevage in stainless steel. After a nine-month élevage, the wine is lightly filtered and bottled with 20 ppm of SO2. 242 cases were produced.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $98.00 (AB), $115.50 (BC)
CSPC: 840121 (AB), 334081 (BC)
2022 CORNAS BRISE CAILLOUX ROUGE
This is the estates flagship wine. It is typically a blend of all their parcels (Mazards, Patronne, Arlettes, les Eygas, Coulet, and Jouvet) planted between 1920 and 2014 with ancient selection massale. Soils on these impossibly steep slopes are primarily granite. Matthieu typically destems this cuvée into concrete eggs of varying shapes and sizes for fermentation. He likes to keep the temperatures quite cool to preserve aromatic intensity during the three weeks on skins. Élevage takes place in amphora and concrete for eighteen months before it is sometimes lightly filtered for bottling with 20 ppm of SO2.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $162.00 (BC)
CSPC: 687713 (BC)
2022 CORNAS GENIALE PATRONNE
Supremely rare expression of Cornas from their oldest vines in the lieu dits of Genale and Patrone. All selection massale for a hundred years ago. Mostly extremely degraded granite with a line of limestone running through the centre. Only 25hl/ha. Destemmed and fermented in tank on skins for a few weeks before being pressed into concrete diamond for a two year élevage. Raw and spicy. 13.0% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $205.50 (BC)
CSPC: 687718 (BC)
2021 CORNAS BILLES NOIR
Single plot called Le Bois at the South-East peak of the Vallée du Coulet, essentially the Northern most part of Cornas. The 65 year old vines are deeply rooted in highly degraded granite. The grapes are destemmed and fermented on skin for three weeks before being pressed into 10hl amphora and concrete. Only 20ppm of SO2.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $205.00 (AB), $234.00 (BC)
CSPC: 108730 (AB), 334089 (BC)
2022 CORNAS GORE
Matthieu’s top wine comes from Sommet des Arlettes, a north and east facing lieu-dit in Cornas. The soils here are severely weather granites locally known as Gore. The fifty-year-old vines were planted with selection massale. The grapes are destemmed and fermented in concrete on skins for three weeks with occasional pigeage. The wine is then basket pressed into concrete egg for a two-year élevage. It is occasionally lightly filtered before bottling with a minute 10ppm of SO2.
