Patrice Lescarret was born in Bordeaux, grew up in Bordeaux, and still sets sail for Bordeaux. But talking to him about Bordeaux is pointless. He doesn't care about the label: let's talk about the wine. Because in Causse Marines , they're not just winemakers: they make wine first and foremost, Gaillac wine.
Organic okay, biodynamic first
It was in 1993 that Patrice Lescarret settled on the Causse Marines plateau. The estate stretches across the hilltop: a continuous row of vines spread over twelve hectares, untrellised, almost wild. Vines that seem to dance on the lean, limestone soil. Vines that grow under the sky, under the sun, under the moon. Vines that live, as they always have: to the rhythm of the days, the rhythm of the seasons, the rhythm of the wind and rain, the rhythm of the planets and the tides. Viticulture on the Causse Marines is biodynamic , strictly biodynamic. It respects the vine, it cares for the soil, it structures the winemaker's work according to the needs of the plant and the cosmic calendar. From all this, the grape is the fruit.
Wine without upside down
To produce wine, everything had to be turned upside down. Not only the land, but also the way we thought about wine, the way we named wine. We had to plow wide, break the established order of words and appellations. Just to make wine worthy of the table. With Mauzac, we made Zacmau ; with Duras, we produced Rasdu . It's clear that the norm doesn't rule here. The only law in Causse Marines is that of the vine and the wine. In a world where chemistry isn't working properly, it was a matter of overturning the world order, just as it was the established order of words. From this reversal, wine was born, or rather, wine was resurrected. For it lay dormant there, in the ancient vines restored through massal selection . All that was missing was the winemaker's skill, patience, and intelligence to awaken the wine's flavor. Root after leaf, leaf after flower, flower after fruit.
Ecce Terra, and so on
At Causse Marines , in the winery, the wine almost rises on its own, thanks to the fruitful alliance of indigenous yeasts. The vats are watched over like incubators in a maternity ward. The wine is respected, not rushed. The song of the vines is listened to, the song of Ondenc, Petit Manseng, and all the siblings of the grape variety that sing in the vats. There's no fining, no filtering required, no chaptalization. The wine is listened to. And in the end, the fruit of this metamorphosis is reaped: the Syrah cuvée transforms into 7 Souris , while the one that was just spinning bubbles awakens to the destiny of Raides Bulles . And if you haven't understood any of this wine story, it's because you don't know how to read labels: Causse Marines is off-limits to badgers. Shocked? Too bad for you! With Patrice Lescarret, it's always Causse , no frills, just wine, like Présqu'ambulles . As for the rest: Mystery …
Causse Marines wines can be tasted at Restaurant Vine in Crowd, in Gaillac