DIDIER CAZAC
La Cuvée à Poils 2021
Ardèche, France
Grenache from a forty year old parcel planted over clay and limestone, the grapes destemmed and macerated on the skins for three weeks before a short ageing in cuve. The result is as pure and vibrant a take on the grape as we have tried. Displaying a wonderful purity of fruit, with lifted aromas of red berries, herbs and brine making for a wine of real charm.
Grenache
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Didier Cazac is amongst a handful of talented young growers leading the next generation in one of France’s most exciting regions, the Ardèche.
We first met Didier in 2021 at the home of Samuel Boulay, who had spoken highly of his young friend’s work. As a discreet man who isn’t fond of fanfare, Sam’s praise had got our attention and the wines we enjoyed over lunch and afterwards at Didier’s cellar left a lasting impression.
Didier has worked in vineyards for the best part of two decades, growing fruit for others and saving enough money to travel in his free time. However, it was a harvest spent working alongside legendary Ardèche vigneron Giles Azzoni that opened his eyes to a new way of making wine, leading him down the path he follows today.
Didier now farms two hectares of vines amongst the forest outside the picturesque village of Vallon-Pont-d’Arc in the region’s south. Planted over clay and limestone, they are surrounded by forest and benefit from a proximity to several streams, which lend freshness in what is an increasingly warm and arid place in which to grow grapes. In his small cave in the village, he works with the most basic of tools in a decidedly unfussy fashion, producing pure, nourishing wines with a great sense of place.
Despite his laidback and easygoing nature, Didier’s talent for growing and gentle hand in the cellar allow him to produce wines that pair nuance and complexity with plenty of the inimitable charm for which the Ardèche is so well known.