As I scythe my way through yet another row of knee-high weeds, determined that my vines win this round in the ongoing battle for moisture, I wonder if I’m alone in this crazy plight. As one old timer after another shakes his head at me and tells me I’ve got rocks in mine – “just show ‘em the round-up!” – it does me no end of good to drink a wine from a producer like Olivier Pithon and remember what this caper is all about.
Pithon is a man steeped in principles he never compromises. And he’s a man who knows how to farm properly, walking out of his vineyard at sunset knowing he’s left it in a better state than when he entered at first light.
He gives everything he’s got to his vines. “You must be proud and put your guts, your sweat, your love, your desires, your joy and your dreams into your wine”, he says.
And his wine gives back in droves.
You can taste the sunshine in this blend of Macabeu, Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc grown on schist-scarped soils. With a nose like an orchard in spring and a soft, round and lingering palate, this wine is a joy to drink. And while the palate lets you know it’s from the southern part of France, its subtle linearity conveys its more specific schisty origins around the hills of Calce.
Pithon puts his back into those hills. He knows that to make something worth putting your name to your muscles need to ache and your hands need to blister. And though his name might not yet be well known, he should be very proud to put it on this bottle. What’s more, he’s motivated me to tackle another row.
:::BON:::
B = Biodynamic: cynics think it’s voodoo but this is basically holistic farming that uses manures and composts to improve soil life and the interaction of the vines with their environment.
O = Organic: farming without the use of inputs that can have adverse effects. ‘Non-systemic’ fungicides and pesticides are used in place of ‘systemic’ chemicals said to enter the ‘blood’ of a plant (akin to antibiotics in the human world).
N = Natural: no additives or aids (eg yeast, yeast food, added acid/enzymes/tannin) bar a touch of sulphur during aging or before bottling, if any at all.