Clos Fantine Vin d'Orage Mourvedre 2018

Vin d'Orage is a single-varietal Mourvèdre from Clos Fantine, grown on the schist hillsides of Faugères in the commune of Cabrerolles, Hérault. The estate's vines are trained as untrellised bush vines (gobelet), which the Andrieu siblings consider essential to the biodiversity and balance of the site. Row middles are left unplowed — grasses grow through summer and sheep graze them down in winter.

Fermentation is spontaneous with native yeast, the only method the family uses across all their wines. Corine Andrieu, who studied oenology at Montpellier, avoids pump-overs entirely, instead breaking cap by pouring wine over the top. The wine is unfined, unfiltered, and bottled with no added sulfites. Vinification takes place in concrete vats, consistent with the estate's broader approach of aging each variety separately before any blending decisions are made.

Mourvèdre is a late-ripening variety that thrives on Faugères schist, a metamorphic rock that absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night, allowing the grape to ripen fully without loss of structure. The result is a wine with concentrated dark fruit, black pepper, garrigue, and firm but integrating tannins. The 2018 vintage in Languedoc was warm and dry, producing wines of depth and structure with good natural concentration.

Sold as Vin de France, as 100% Mourvèdre falls outside Faugères AOC blending requirements, which mandate at least two grape varieties.