Jérémy Quastana 'Côt Lectif' Vin de France 2023

As a first year history student, Jérémy Quastana worked for Olivier Lemasson (Les Vins Contés) as his only employee, and after finding himself more often in the cellar than the classroom, he exchanged his study of history for the study of winemaking in Bordeaux and never looked back. Following internships with Marcel Lapierre in Beaujolais and Louis-Antoine Luyt in Chile, he bought 2.2 ha of land not far from Olivier Lemasson’s main plot near Cheverny. He spent over two years converting the 40-50 year old gamay and côt vines to organic viticulture, and now makes clean, drinkable wines with very low sulfur. ‘Côt Lectif’ is an accessible, easily quaffable bottle made using carbonic techniques Jérémy learned from Marcel Lapierre. A departure from the usual style of côt (malbec), rather than structured, serious, and designed for aging, this is easygoing and meant to be drunk young. Made without the use of new oak, bottled without filtration, and with minimal sulfur (1g), this is spicy and fresh, with enticing notes of chocolate-covered prune, red and black plum, and hints of gravel on a finish supported by gentle tannins. Certified organic, low-intervention/natural wine.