Super Natural

You know when you hear a "cover" that's so good, it overshadows the original—maybe Jimmy Hendrix's version of "Watchtower" (Dylan) or Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" (Parton)?

That's how I felt when I tasted "Cuvée les Autres," a Corbières red made by Sophie Guiradon.  

Now in her second decade as winemaker and sole-proprietor of her small Corbières estate, Clos de l'Anhel, Sophie is producing some of the most unique, inspiring, transparently made wines in the Languedoc. 

She was a pioneer from the beginning, being one of the first producers to farm organically in the region. Even now 20 years later, just 6% of Corbières producers farm organically. Very few are women.

Her enology background gives her the confidence to continue to blaze a trail for transparent winemaking. "Cuvée les Autres" is what many define as a natural wine--no sulfur added, no fining, paper-filtered. She works tirelessly so that what you’re getting in the bottle and glass is one of the purest glimpses of Corbières. When you learn that Sophie is on her own, the wine is all the more inspiring.

Sophie grew up learning about wine from her grandfather, a Languedoc wine broker. Over many years visiting wineries with him, Sophie developed a keen sense for what defined the best vineyard sites, the best producers, and what makes a great Corbières. 

After high school she pursued her passion for wine, earning a degree in enology school in Narbonne and then landing a job consulting to the vineyards and cellars of Corbières. All the while, she saved up to purchase her own site. 

That opportunity came in 2000, when she acquired a small vineyard in Lagrasse, a hilly commune in western Corbières, where altitude and sea breezes favor organic farming.

From the moment the site became hers, Sophie has been completely dedicated to showcasing it in her wines. 

She named the winery Clos d’Anhel ("slope of the baby of the sheep") in homage to the sheep barn still on the property. 

And she features the site's 105 year-old Carignane vines as the centerpiece of "Cuvée les Autres," giving the wine a rich, smooth and fruit-driven quality. 

When you open a bottle, you can picture the Mediterranean with pin-point accuracy. The wine opens with a hint of barnyard that natural wine lovers will adore, and others will appreciate in context, as it quickly blossoms into fields of wild lavender, rosemary and thyme that are unforgettably pure. It's a wine that makes you re-think what a great Corbières can be. 

Let me know if you'd like to pick up or taste this amazing wine.