Les Equilibriste Hirsute Red 2019

Hirsute Rouge is a red blend from the Périgord (Dordogne) in southwest France, produced under the IGP Périgord designation. The word "hirsute" means shaggy, a nod to the figure on the label and the wine's frank, unpolished character. Grapes are sourced from organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards in the region, grown on clay and gravel soils. The 2019 blend is built on Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

In the cellar, roughly two-thirds of the fruit goes through whole-cluster fermentation in stainless steel tanks, then the wine is aged in old oak barrels. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal added sulfites, keeping the wine close to its raw fruit and earth character.

Les Equilibristes was founded in 2015 by François de Monval, a Paris-based wine merchant and restaurateur, and Florent Girou, a winemaker and consulting oenologist based in the Dordogne. They source grapes from a collective of grower partners across France, all farmed organically, with biodynamic practices in the vineyard. Indigenous yeasts only, no corrective additives, and minimal sulfur are the non-negotiable rules across every cuvée.

The Périgord sits east of Bordeaux in the Dordogne department, a region better known for foie gras and truffles than wine. The IGP Périgord classification allows producers to work outside the stricter AOC Bergerac rules, giving flexibility on grape blends and winemaking approach. The same classic southwest varieties — Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon — are grown here on a mosaic of clay, gravel, and limestone-rich soils.