Mont de Marie - 'Anathème Blanc' - Ugni Blanc, Viognier, Grenache Gris - Gard, FR - 2023

Notes from the Winery/Importer

VINEYARD DETAILS Anathème Blanc comes from 80% Ugni Blanc with Viognier, and Grenache Gris on 0.7 ha planted in the 1960s at 115 meters of altitude on ancient alluvial soils of sandy clay, red iron-rich earth, flint, and rolled stones with deeper conglomerates, facing slightly north on flat slopes. CELLAR NOTES Anathème Blanc was whole-cluster pressed and naturally fermented in 10-year-old French oak, then aged 9 months in 400 hl old French oak. Sulfites added after malolactic. No fining or filtration.

Notes on the Producer

On the rocky landscape of Souvignargues, directly west of Nîmes by 20 minutes, Thierry Forestier organically farms his twelve hectares of Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Ugni Blanc, and the rare aromatic and fine red, Aramon, on ancient alluvial soils of sandy clay, red iron-rich earth, flint, and rolled "poudingues" stones, with deeper conglomerates lending natural drainage and restraint. Cooled at night by descending air from the Gard’s Aigoual massif that complements the burning summer sun and the Mediterranean and African winds from the south, his stable of old vines (50-100 years old) produces small, balanced harvests of taut, early picked fruit that retain their aromatic purity and delicacy. His love for nature shifted him from a career in tech to a life immersed in farming, foraging, and viticulture, where he observes, rarely touches, but finishes his wines with purposefully clean and precise craftsmanship. Across his cuvées the through-line is freshness and clarity, a conscious selection of fruit in its earliest ripening phase that flutters yet remains taut with bright lift and modest alcohols, especially for this southern French area known for intense summer heat, while still grounded by the wisdom of his old vines. Thierry’s commitment to preserving the region’s heritage varieties, especially Aramon, underpins his production of intricate terroir wines sans artifice.