Vincent et Marie Tricot ‘Rasséréné’

Vincent et Marie Tricot ‘Rasséréné’ – a timelessly unique expression of Sauvignon Blanc that never fails to amaze. Neither fined nor filtered, it is fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel before a transference to old oak barrels and amphoraes. A staunchly honest reshaping of our collective perception of this varietal. Harbouring some of that classic exoticism, it surprises and delights with a plushness on the palette. Initially lunging from the glass are a myriad of feral citrus tones; pink grapefruit and lime zest rock the senses. Pineapple and dried pear waft excitably and chase a plump creaminess onto the palette, followed hastily by a stinging nettle. Pinpricks of white peach and camomile offer tranquil balance to the domineering energy.

Vincent, Anjou-born, discovered “le monde du vin naturel” and his love for it while helping Jo Cotton with a Beaujolais harvest . Having globe-trotted, doing stints in various wineries, he, his wife and two daughters moved to an Auvergne whistle-stop called Orcet. Wielding vast stores of passion and knowledge, they were determined to produce low-intervention wines. Moreover, Vincent was aware of the concentration of pre-phylloxera vines that dominated this region, a rare, opportunisitic blessing. Having been lucky enough to assume control of a site that had been working organically since 1971, they purchased 4.5ha of vines. Since 2011, they have been making wines without the addition of sulphites, focusing on terroir. Evidently, this powerhouse duo, married in both matrimony and philosophy, are aware of the mighty faculties possessed by Auvergne soils.

Vincent et Marie Tricot ‘Rasséréné’ – supremely spirited, to the point of over-zealous, yet conclusively cleansing. A joyous whirlwind of citrus fruits, tropicality and insatiable vivacity; a stalwart exemplar of ‘glou-glou’. Yet again, Vincent and Marie Tricot have harnessed the overarching might of these volcanic soils, fuelling this mighty cuveé with it.