Domaine Bordes

Domaine Bordes is a collection of organically farmed vineyards on the windswept slopes of the Saint-Chinian AOC, from which Philippe and Emma Bordes craft their lineup of natural wines. A Langeudoc native, Philippe had a long career as a plumber, but he eventually started craving a pastoral life, so he turned his eye to the hills around his childhood home. He and Emma settled on nine hectares at the foot of the Massif Central’s southern slopes, containing old vines of historic grape varieties. Their plots here are isolated, rich in biodiversity, rooted in clay-limestone and shale soils, and surrounded by garrigue. Philippe and Emma didn’t have any formal winemaking training, but they made up for it with their insatiable appetites for learning. They studied books, analyzed the techniques of other winemakers, learned a ton from their mistakes, and released their first vintage in 2001. As Epicureans and longtime advocates for organically grown food, they didn’t see any other way to farm. They began plowing by horse and making their own compost, plus carefully controlling yields to encourage natural pest immunity, and in 2008, they became one of 15 organic producers in Saint-Chinian. The duo intervenes as little as possible in the cellar, and schedule every step of vinification in accordance with the lunar calendar. Fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts and without temperature control, and Philippe adds nothing except a small amount of sulfites for stabilization. The result is rich and expressive bottles of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache Gris, and Ugni Blanc.