Anne Pichon
Rhône, France
Winemaker Anne Pichon crafts tiny batches of classic Rhône wines from a lovingly restored vineyard at the foot of Mont Ventoux. In the 1990s, seeking an agrarian-bohemian lifestyle, Anne and her late husband Marc grew enamored with the 60-hectare Domaine le Murmurium estate in the Côte de Ventoux village of Mormoiron. So they bought it and began living in an abandoned farmhouse nestled in the rolling hills. The domaine—whose name is Latin for "The Buzzing Song of Bees”—also contained 15 hectares of neglected vines.
Despite their poor condition at the time, they’d been farmed organically for years, and were ready for a revival. When the husband-and-wife duo started revitalizing the property, they discovered just what beautiful terroir they had. The arid land is a veritable painter’s palette of optimal winegrowing soils, like sand and white clay. At this elevation, the cold Mistral wind sweeps up from the hills below, protecting the vines from disease and making it easier for Anne to employ organic and biodynamic farming practices. Carefully and manually managing the estate’s rows of native Rhône grape varieties, Anne keeps yields low and production small—producing no more than 40 barrels per year. She named her wines Sauvage, which translates to “wild,” inspired by her deep affection for the nature in these untamed hills. Like the foothills of Mont Ventoux, the wines are pure, dynamic, and refreshing.
Despite their poor condition at the time, they’d been farmed organically for years, and were ready for a revival. When the husband-and-wife duo started revitalizing the property, they discovered just what beautiful terroir they had. The arid land is a veritable painter’s palette of optimal winegrowing soils, like sand and white clay. At this elevation, the cold Mistral wind sweeps up from the hills below, protecting the vines from disease and making it easier for Anne to employ organic and biodynamic farming practices. Carefully and manually managing the estate’s rows of native Rhône grape varieties, Anne keeps yields low and production small—producing no more than 40 barrels per year. She named her wines Sauvage, which translates to “wild,” inspired by her deep affection for the nature in these untamed hills. Like the foothills of Mont Ventoux, the wines are pure, dynamic, and refreshing.
