Stéphane Lucas, "Papillon d'Orphée" 2021

Stéphane Lucas works in France’s southwest in an area more broadly defined as “Gailllac” whose viticultural heritage is most widely renowned for its expressions of large red blends dominated by the local Braucol (also known as Fer Servadou), Prunelard, or Côt (Malbec), or, alternatively, pét-nats produced from the Mauzac Vert variety. The more precise area where winegrower Stéphane Lucas is working would be called the Tarn department whose wine-specitalty would squarely be Braucol – quite distinct from the Fer Servadous produced by Nicolas Carmarans in the Aveyron, these bottlings tend to wear their rusticity in a different way. Think earthy and solidly structured but with a wink of something even brighter than the blue-ish fruited aspects of Carmarans’ renditions. Coming from a miniscule vineyard (his holdings barely eclipse a single hectare) these are truly backyard wines cored with passion and specificity.

Côtes du Tarn. A fresher take on the rare Gaillacois varietal Braucol, aka Fer Servadou. The grapes are destemmed and macerated for 12 days, followed by aging in stainless steel for 10 days. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with just a dash of SO2.