Anders Frederik Steen In the shadow of NV

In the Shadow of the Morning Sun is 100% Grenache Noir sourced from the organically farmed vineyards of Domaine Le Mazel in Valvignères, a village in the southern Ardèche whose Roman name, Vallis Vinaria, translates as "valley of the vine." The vineyard takes its name literally: the morning sun crests a mountain peak and leaves this particular parcel in shade during the early hours of the day, shaping how the grapes ripen on clay-limestone and blue marl soils that distinguish it from most of the surrounding valley floor.

Winemaking follows the same approach Anders Frederik Steen applies across all his red wines: 80% direct press and 20% hand-destemmed grapes, with three weeks of maceration and spontaneous fermentation in fiberglass tanks outside under open air. No sulfur is added at any stage. The wine is bottled unfiltered and unfined, classified as Vin de France.

Anders Frederik Steen and his partner Anne Bruun Blauert settled permanently in Valvignères in 2016, farming around four hectares. The vineyards at Le Mazel, tended organically for decades by Gérald and Jocelyne Oustric, are the source of fruit for this cuvée. No two vintages of this wine are produced the same way; maceration lengths, proportions of pressed versus destemmed fruit, and blending decisions are made at harvest based on what the grapes show that year.