Domaine Ricardelle de Lautrec

Domaine Ricardelle de Lautrec is nestled in the commune of Coursan in the Aude region of the Languedoc-Roussillon, at the crossroads of the La Clape, Minervois, and Corbières. History has always played an important role in the story of this property. The Via Domitia, the ancient Roman road connecting Rome to Spain, runs directly through the domaine. More recently, the estate belonged to the Toulouse-Lautrec family, a rich and vibrant heritage that is still felt in the estate’s name and 19^th century cellars. For the last 25 years, Lionel Boutié and his family have been the owners and stewards of this rich tradition. The family has devoted themselves to their land in the form through biodynamic farming, achieving Demeter certification for the entire domaine, and only harvesting by hand. For Lionel, this extremely high level of farming is key to making terroir-expressive wines that maintain balance in their warm micro-climate. As he says, “working in organic and biodynamic agriculture is, above all, a mindset—a way of being. It is about respecting the land, the animals, and the people. It is recognizing that we are part of a whole. It is constantly striving for balance and harmony in all things.” This thoughtfulness extends to the cellar where only ambient yeast are used to allow the fermentations to begin spontaneously in the various vessels they use. SO2 is avoided whenever possible and the wines are bottled according to the lunar cycle. These are beautifully vibrant, juicy, high-acid, joyous wines that represent some of the finest values to be found in the South of France.