Les Vignes d'Olivier "Deferlante"

Grapes: Merlot, Carignan, Ugni Blanc

Region: Languedoc, France

Vintage: 2022

Viticulture: Organic

Soils: Clay + Limestone

Vinification: whole cluster, 5 day co-maceration, spontaneous fermentation in cuves with indigenous yeasts

Aging: Cuves

Fining or Filtering: None

Sulfur: Minimal added

Notes from the Importer: Olivier Cohen is a young winemaker from the Languedoc in the area behind Montpellier called the Hérault. His domaine is called Les Vignes d’Olivier and he makes an absolutely stunning rose wine as well as a number of interesting red wines.

Olivier used to sell wine rather than make wine. He worked in Nice at the well-known natural wine bar La Part des Anges as well as nearby Vinivore. It was at these venues that he developed his passion for natural wine and he became determined to learn how to make his own.

He travelled to Corsica to work with stellar winemaker Antoine Arena. This was followed by stints at Domaine Valette (a leading winemaker in the Maçon), Frederick Rivaton in Roussillon and finally with the legendary Thierry Allemand in Cornas.

He finally started work in his own vineyard in 2013 in the Languedoc where he has several really interesting plots spread over different terroirs with different aspects.

His rose is the wine that initially turned heads in France and New York, but now his red wines are also gaining respect throughout the natural wine world.