About the Wine
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Marsanne harvested from the organic vineyards of Le Mazel in Valvignères. A wine that reflects the wonderful, rugged side of the Ardèche with a wild edge and that offers a raw energy via a heady mix of ripe stone fruits, citrus and wildflowers. Rounded and ripe with a great coil of acidity. Delicious now, it will reward careful cellaring for years to come.
The Sauvignon and Chardonnay come from the 2022 harvest, the grapes are hand-picked and were pressed slowly over 4 days, before being blended with a little Marsanne from the previous year. The wine rested in an old Alsatian foudre until the following spring. The combination of Ardèche grown grapes and Alsatian foudre gives the wine a wonderfully unique expression, rich in fruit with an almost northern-style acidity.
About Anders Frederik Steen
Anders and his family have now settled in the beautiful village of Valvignères in the Ardèche, a beautiful spot amongst a wide, open valley. The many varieties grown here thrive on a perfect mix of clay and limestone and the vineyards are full of life, having been tended organically for decades. As well as his own vineyards, Anders also picks grapes with the Ousrics in Valvignères and further afield with the Bannwarth family in Obermorschwihr, Alsace. In his previous life Anders was both a chef and sommelier, working at the best restaurants in his native Denmark. First as a sommelier at Noma, later opening Manfreds and Relae. This experience informs his winemaking in that he does not seek to follow rules and doesn't feel the need to do the same thing every year. Instead, as he harvests he tastes the grapes and begins to imagine the kind of wine he might be able to make. This refreshingly logical, creative approach yields wines that are truly one of a kind.
