Natural Star Wines – Gers Gers Bins
In 2012, his family estate in Courresan in Gers, southwest France was under conventional farming methods. Then Sébastien Fezas stopped the use of weedkillers and planted all the rows with green cover crops from autumn to spring, using organic practices. It has taken a few years to re-establish the soils, the biodiversity, the vegetation and thus to have grapes suitable for natural vinification.
In 2017, Sébastien made his first vintage of a rosé and a white with indigenous yeasts and no other additions, only 2mg/l of SO2 before bottling. Since 2019, with the help of Dominique Andiran (natural winemaker, friend, and neighbour), Sébastien has been proudly able to sell his ‘jus’ to other fellow winemakers (in the Loire to Bertrand Jousset & Frantz Saumon, and in Jurançon, Jean Baptiste Semmartin). He values their relationships and believes sharing of the same values with such passionate producers is essential.
Then Sébastien Fezas stopped the use of weedkillers and planted all the rows with green cover crops from autumn to spring, using organic practices…Since autumn 2018, organic conversion was initiated, with the implementation of biodynamics on the whole vineyard.
Since autumn 2018, organic conversion was initiated, with the implementation of biodynamics on the whole vineyard. Biodynamic compost (Maria Thun dung and preparation 500) is used alongside copper and herbal tisanes (dandelion, horsetail, comfrey, nettle, etc.) and applications are made according to the lunar calendar. A local shepherd has loaned his 50 sheep to graze the vineyards and reinforce the polycultural nature of the project.
Partie Fine is the white made from Colombard (75%) and Ugni Blanc (25%) from a vineyard on clay-limestone soils., whole bunch fermented in concrete, all natural, aged on the lees before blending. No sulphur. The wine is properly turbid with leesy intensity and flavours of grapefruit and white spice.
Franche Lippée (the expression refers to a free meal) is 100 % Syrah, part destemmed, the rest whole bunch, fermented also in concrete and pressed after 13 days after a semi-carbonic maceration. Inky-dark red with wild forest fruit notes, blackberries, and blueberries. The wine is glycerous and coats the mouth with thick layers of dark fruit. Again, no sulphites are added. If you have some herb-crusted salt marsh lamb in your back pocket that would be a fine accompaniment.
New to the crew is Pistache. This is 100% Tannat and we know what that means! Hand-harvested grapes are destemmed into cement vats, macerated for three weeks and pressed. Fermentation is spontaneous, of course, with one-year subsequent ageing in barrel and ageing and then a further 10 months in concrete. No sulphur is added whatsoever. Deep, structured red. Notes of garrigue and black fruits including blackcurrants, dark plums and liquorice. It is mouthfilling and gum-tingling without ever being a blow-your-gaskins-off Madiran-style of Tannat.
2021 Partie Fine
2022 Franche Lippée
2021 Pistache
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Interested in finding out more about the wines of Domaine Jeandaugé? Contact us directly:
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