Gourt de Mautens

The story of an avangardist estate in organic farming and biodynamics

As the son of winegrowers from the southern Rhône Valley (in Rasteau), Jérôme Bressy was quickly intrigued by the profession and its importance in the winegrower's work. Although his parents sold their grapes to the Cave Coopérative, Jérôme soon wanted to break free from this straitjacket and produce his own cuvées.

By the age of 17, he had dropped out of school and was accompanying his father, learning the skills of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape elders. Jérôme then developed a passion for great wines, and realized that for this he needed living land, and therefore organic plots, even though he was still dependent on the Cave Coopérative.

Following in his organic footsteps, he discovered biodynamic viticulture in 1993. At the time, he was more or less an enlightened man (or, in retrospect, an avant-gardist) in the eyes of others. In 1996, he decided to sign his first vintage in his parents' garage. Frightened at first, his parents soon realized how proud they could be of their son's work.

After two years' work, Jerome convinces the banks to finance a better winemaking system. His style stands out and is hailed by professionals and amateurs alike, who make him realize that passion is the best weapon for overcoming all kinds of trials.

Jerome Bressy also cultivates old varieties: he began in 1993 with Counoise (a black grape variety). Since then, he has grown Vieux Carignan, Syrah and Vaccarèse for the reds; Picardon, Clairette and Grenache for the whites. His way of working is simple: he tastes many grape varieties and selects only the best to work them in depth.

The estate comprises 15 hectares of vines with very low yields, thanks in particular to century-old plants that produce very little (80% of the vines are between 50 and 95 years old). Harvesting takes a long time, stretching into November. This risk-taking is done in the name of the perfect expression of terroir.

One of the secrets of his vineyard is also the small size of his team, made up of three full-time employees. The importance of being present on all fronts is as much a source of pride as it is a requirement to stay on target. This philosophy goes hand in hand with biodynamic viticulture. If the estate is certified, the label does not mention it, so as not to use it as a selling point.

During vinification, Jerome adds neither yeast nor enzymes. He simply adds a very small amount of sulfur after malolactic to stabilize the wine. Aging is long, with the domaine keeping the whites for an average of two years and the reds for three, so that they can be appreciated on release.

The wines

The domaine's wines are designed for long ageing (around 20 years), and only reveal their rich aromatic palette after 7 years. We recommend decanting young wines and opening mature ones an hour before the start of the meal.

The Domaine Gourt de Mautens Blanc 2016 is a complex blend that includes many grape varieties, including Grenache blanc, Grenache gris and Clairette. It develops aromas of white flowers, white currants and white peach that meld into this powerful, full-bodied fine white that possesses fabulous concentration and depth while remaining pure and balanced.

The 2016 Domaine Gourt de Mautense Jérôme Bressy stands out for its incredible opulence and sweetness of fruit. It offers aromas of black raspberry and strawberry mingling with notes of incense, white and black pepper, fruitcake, plums or even Asian spices. It has good purity, with a clean, dry finish that lacks the punch of sweet fruit. It needs a good airing on opening and can be kept for a good decade.