Les Grangeons de l’Albarine
Luc Bauer worked his way around France before finding his own piece of forgotten terroir. In 2011 he purchased the last remaining vineyards on the Coteau d’Argis, a limestone cliff above a steep south-facing slope of fragmented scree. These last three vineyards total 1.5 hectares, a far cry from the 100 hectares that were planted on the same slope in 1905.
A staunch practitioner of biodynamics, Luc certainly picked the most difficult way to farm on the most difficult slope possible! Most biodynamic sprays need to be applied by backpack on a slope as steep as 45 degrees in sections, with no solid footing to be found. Despite his stature, this is no easy task, but his doing-it-the-hard-way approach pays off the moment his wines are opened.
These are some of the most beautiful and ethereal wines I have ever tasted. It’s easy to lose the nuance in limestone-acid-driven wines but these maintain so much character.