Pierre Colin and Paul-Louis Coudoumié, sommeliers

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What is the view of Occitanie wines from two sommeliers working for two Michelin-starred restaurants? When we jointly interview Pierre Colin, working at Michel Sarran , and Paul-Louis Coudoumié, who worked at La Table des Merville and then at Le Sept , some answers shed light on the subject.

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Qualitative objectivity

While winemakers are necessarily tied to a terroir and, geographically, to an appellation, the sommelier approaches the subject primarily through the lens of the wine's nature. The underlying principle could be summed up as a question: what type of wine is each terroir capable of producing? The answer quickly challenges preconceptions and traditions when Pierre Colin asserts that " Roussillon is a great terroir for white wines ." For what the sommelier seeks is fundamentally based on objective quality: balance, substance, and freshness. This immediately positions the Occitanie region as a place of exploratory discovery, where the focus is on the exceptional character of an estate or winemaker rather than the reputation of an appellation.

Creative postage

The wines of Occitanie are unique in that they are multifaceted in several ways: through the diversity of their terroirs, climates, grape varieties, and winemaking expertise. Furthermore, the creative freedom of the winemakers often stems from the production of wines liberated from the constraints imposed by the specifications of an appellation. It is therefore no surprise that the wines of Occitanie are approached by sommeliers in prestigious establishments without focusing solely on the AOP or IGP designation. The path of exploration in search of exceptional wines then becomes clearer. It leads them to those Occitanie winemakers who are far more committed to experimentation and research than to the strict adherence to standards defining the traditions of a terroir. A virtuous, environmentally conscious approach takes center stage. This is not simply due to ecological ethics, but also because of the qualitative truth it imparts to the wine and the genuine expression of its land.

An anthology of small estates

The points of view that Pierre Colin and Paul-Louis Coudoumié bring to the wines of Occitanie appear to be convergent. When they cite their references, one thing is obvious: they are mostly small farms where the vines are cultivated with care and the wine aged with precision. Often labeled organic or biodynamic, these wine estates are generally run by creative winegrowers and strongly committed to environmental respect. The wine-growing regions mentioned are preferably oriented to the south-east. We find there the terroirs of Terrasses du Larzac, Faugères, Saint-Chinian. The Roussillon also of course, the land of predilection for small plots with strong characteristics. When the gaze turns to the southwest, the names of Cahors, Fronton ou Gaillac detach. The qualitative choice is still made here on virtuous wine-growing approaches, often accompanied by a sincere, expressive, balanced wine production, always worked as close as possible to the qualities evocative of the terroirs and their favorite grape varieties.