Olivier Pithon 'Mon P'tit Pithon' Côtes Catalanes IGP 2023

Yes, Olivier Pithon comes from a winemaking family. And yeah, he studied oenology properly, held a string of internships in Beaujolais and Juranço, and worked his way around the cellars of Saint Émilion. But it wasn’t until he met Stéphane Derenoncourt, the infamous Bordeaux winemaker and consultant, that he began to understand the importance of working in harmony with nature. Under Derenoncourt’s tutelage, he became fascinated with terroir and, ultimately, with biodynamic viticulture, and some five years later, decided to take on his own production endeavor. Settling in Calce, in a quiet village nestled between the Pyrenees, Corbières and the Mediterranean Sea, he purchased eight-ish hectares of old vine carignan and the rest, as they say, is history. Now 25 hectares of meticulously farmed vines (the carignan, but also grenache (blanc, gris and noir!) mourvèdre and macabeu) on complex schist, marl and calcareous-clay soils, the estate was certified organic in 2002 and fully biodynamic by 2010. In the cellar, as you may guess, vinification is as non-interventionist as possible. This convivial cuvée is the delicious culmination of Pithon’s partnership with a handful of fellow local organic winemakers: a wine designed to be quaffed joyfully with friends. Equal parts grenache gris, grenache blanc and macabeu, it spends seven months in stainless steel tanks, resulting in a smooth, clean sipper with lush tropical flavors on the palate. Zesty acidity supports notes of green pineapple, fresh herbs and a slightly saline finish. Organically grown, low-intervention/natural wine.