Grapes: Grenache Gris, Grenache Noir, Muscat, Marsanne
Region: VDF
Vintage: 2023
Viticulture: Organic + Biodynamic
Vinification: Maceration on skins, then fermented and aged in amphora
Aging: 9 months
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None
Notes from the Importer: Notre Terre is a new side project from Brunnhilde Claux, who has run Domaine de Courbissac, located in the heart of the Minervois, since 2013. Brunnhilde got her start at Domaine Gauby, where she learned how to handle the natural exuberance of grapes grown in the generous Mediterranean climate. From there she moved on to Terroir al Limit in Priorat where she worked with Dominik Huber for three vintages before coming to lead Domaine de Courbissac in 2013.
In 2019, she decided to isolate a parcel of Grenache Noir and Terret she is particularly fond of. She began the project with the idea that ‘our land’ – Notre Terre – should be the most important factor in winemaking. There is a big emphasis on whole bunches and concrete vats, with little to no intervention during a short élévage. For the red she employs a long maceration, often more than 2 weeks, and for the white, a very slow pressing followed by a few months in concrete before bottling. Beginning with 2020, she added a rose and a skin- contact white to the range, which come from an adjacent parcel. The rosé is predominantly grenache, while the skin-contact comes from a field blend of multiple white varieties. The wines of Notre Terre are transparent, passionate, and a soulful expression of this beautiful terroir, made without the inhibiting forces of intervention or over-extraction.
