Domaine du Vent
Fitou | Languedoc“We go where the wind takes us,” was long the motto of Nathalie and Benjamin Boyer, two talented winemakers-for-hire, who for many years crafted wines for other domaines across France.
After living in regions as diverse as Burgundy, Corsica and Monbazillac, the duo decided it was time to do their own thing. The wind finally brought them to a plot of land in Fitou, one of Languedoc’s oldest appellations, and a winery serendipitously named Domaine du Vent: “of the wind.”
Here this mountainous, Mediterranean terroir and its star grape, Carignan, give red wines of spice and substance.
FARMING & WINEMAKING
The estate includes some 37 acres of land across three appellations: Fitou, Muscat de Rivesaltes and Aude (IGP). Here a mix of higher-altitude plots and vines on the plains allows the Boyers to craft a number of different styles of wine.
Soils combine clay, limestone and sand. Red grape varieties include Carignan, the grape most associated with Fitou, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The couple cares for their land and vine according to organic agriculture, but the estate is not yet certified.
Grapes are harvested by hand, and destemmed before fermenting on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks.
Fitou 'Marindes'
The bold winds of southern France whip over the hills of Fitou to the Mediterranean sea — just the recipe for red wines that are bold and balanced, redolent of wild herbs and bay leaves and blackberry. Fitou is one of the Languedoc’s oldest appellations, long cherished for its rocky terrain and its star grape, Carignan.
- Download fact sheet (PDF)
Established: 2021
Winemakers: Nathalie and Benjamin Boyer
Region: France • Languedoc • Fitou
Vineyard size: 37 acres
PRACTICING ORGANIC
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