IMPORTER NOTES: Pauline and Laurent had their “A-ha!” moment while working on a farm in Australia, that their calling was to work on an organic vineyard and make wine. While interning with Aimeric Mélaric, Pauline met Françoise and Philippe Gourdon of Tour Grise, who were retiring and in search of young talent to take over their historic estate. Today, the couple has 6.2 hectares, and they continue that pioneering domaine’s legacy by farming some of their best single parcels organically. They also organically farm 4 hectares of vines from their neighbors, Domaine des Noades (Véronique and Jacky Ripoche). Having access to two neighboring, established organically farmed estates as well as a troglodyte cellar was an exceptional stroke of luck; this has given Pauline and Laurent a variety of complementary sites to work with on Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame’s famed Turonien chalk. In addition to Chenin and Cab Franc, l’Austral now has estate parcels of Grolleau Gris and Grolleau Noir. Vinification and aging takes place in cement tank, clay amphora, or neutral barrel, depending on the cuvée. Fermentation is always with native yeasts and bottling is with minimal addition of sulfur. Their long term vision is to make wines that truly reflect a sense of place and their individual terroirs by focusing on healthy, living soils with a rich and diverse microbial presence. SOIL: Turonien chalk FARMING: Ecocert Organic Certified AGING: 24 months in neutral barrels ABV: 11-13% YEASTS: Indigenous
