Matthieu Barret "Vilain" Syrah, Rhône Valley, France 2021

FROM T. EDWARD:

THE WINE: 100% Syrah.

THE PRODUCER: Matthieu Barret, the legendary winemaker behind Domaine du Coulet, embarked on an adventure to make his own playful range of wines using serious technique. The Matthieu Barret wines are considered to be some of the most coveted, yet accessible natural wines in France. A 7th generation vigneron, Matthieu Barret’s grandfather founded Domaine du Coulet after WWII, farming and selling grapes to some of the best-known producers in the Northern Rhône, including Chapoutier and Delas. In 1998, at the age of only 23, Matthieu took over the family’s 25 acres of vines in Cornas.

Matthieu has always felt the vine is happier in a wild environment—he created ‘green spaces’ around the farm, digging watering holes to nourish a diverse ecosystem of vines, forest, meadow, and woodland. He no longer uses machines, replacing them with mules, horses, and manual labor. In a pursuit of purity and expression, Matthieu radically changed his vinification process by utilizing concrete eggs rather than oak. The Matthieu Barret wines are from leased organic and biodynamic vineyards in the Rhône, and through thoughtful experimentation, the wines express the unique nuances of each micro-terroir, and the purpose of the winemaker. The joyful wines embody the spirit of the Little Bear, or Petit Ours, the affectionate nickname of Matthieu Barret.