Les Davoche
Tess Davison and her partner Charles Ripoche started Davoche Wines in 2021. They began with a négociant range called Clafoutis, purchasing fruit to make wine from responsible growers with whom they had close relationships. This activity soon expanded into a small estate of their own - 2.5 ha of heritage vines in the sun-drenched, wind-swept Roussillon village of Cassagnes. Both winemakers come from excellent backgrounds. Tess, originally from Australia, worked as a chef in prestigious kitchens around Europe, gaining experience at Noma, Mugaritz, and Le Manoir before turning to winemaking and completing a degree in oenology. She worked in a number of wineries across Australia, New Zealand, and France to get hands-on experience before following her passion of making wines of her own. Charles, a native of the Loire Valley, also graduated with an oenological degree and worked under Antoine Foucault of Domaine du Collier (son of Clos Rougeard’s famed Charly Foucault) and local legend Cyril Fhal of Clos du Rouge Gorge. Charles and Tess’s paths crossed while working at Felton Road Winery in New Zealand. They’ve now found their home in the south of France, and together, they believe in simple farming and little to no manipulation in the cellar. Things are carried out in a hands-on, old-school manner. They put lots of effort into a variety of labor-intensive projects that will reap benefits for years to come, such as planting nitrogen-fixing trees like carob in the vineyards to improve the content of their soils, alongside strawberry and peach trees, flowers, drought-resistant plants and shelters for birds, bees, insects, and bats to encourage biodiversity. They work biodynamically on their estate, and the goal is to make honest wines of great feeling while working as cleanly as possible and letting nature do her thing.
These are low to no sulfite, unfiltered wines that undergo very short macerations so as not to extract too much—in the style of their mentor, Cyril Fhal. We can’t wait to see what this exciting young couple has in store. In the meantime, it’s time to enjoy the delicious drinkers they’ve produced thus far!
Wines
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La Sardinière Grenache Blanc 2023
Appellation: Vin de France
Region: Roussillon
Variety: Grenache blanc
Soils: Schist slate Vine Age: young vines
Farming: organic
Vinification: This is a direct basket press of grenache blanc from schist slate soils. The juice goes into oak barrels, some of which are new for 12months before bottling.
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Sulfitage: <20 ppm
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Peychourigué Macabeu 2023
Appellation: Vin de France
Region: Roussillon
Variety: Macabeu
Soils: Schist slate
Vine Age: old vine
Farming: organic
Vinification: This macabeu comes from Charles and Tess’s 80 year old home block vineyard on schist slate soils. There is a 12 hour maceration after an initial foot stomp to release the juices. This is then basket pressed and aged in a combination of used and one year old barrels for 12 months Fining: none
Filtration: none
Sulfitage: none
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Karaka 2023
Appellation: Vin de France
Region: Roussillon
Variety: Macabeu, grenache blanc
Soils: Schist slate
Vine Age: old and young vine
Farming: organic
Vinification: This is a 50/50 blend of macabeu and grenache blanc from the 80 year old home block and the younger vineyard containing these varieties. The grenache blanc was picked first and de-stemmed, while the macabeu was picked at a riper potential and left whole cluster. A one week skin contact maceration followed the hand picking. The wine was then aged in old oak barrels for nine months before bottling. Six months of bottle age followed this before commercial release. Fining: none
Filtration: none
Sulfitage: none
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Sol y Lès Carignan 2023
Appellation: Vin de France
Region: Roussillon
Variety: Carignan
Soil: Schist
Vine Age: 80 years old
Farming: organic
Vinification: The old vine carignan is lightly foot tread and undergoes a four day maceration. It is aged for nine months in old oak barrels followed by six months of bottle aging before commercial release.
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Sulfitage: none
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Muti Vermouth 2023
Appellation: Vin de France
Region: Roussillon
Variety: Carignan and botanicals
Soils: Schist Vine Age: 80 years old
Farming: organic
Vinification: Vermouth of carignan noir. Grapes picked at 14 potential alc, then muted the fermentation with 95% grape alcohol when it had 4 grams of residual sugar left. Wine is aged in old oak for 8 months. Simultaneously macerations of fresh elderflower, bitter orange, wormwood and Angelica, were then added before bottling. This is a dry style vermouth, less bitter than floral, designed for digestive after dinner moments. Very limited quantities available.
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Sulfitage: none