Matthieu Barret Petit Ours Blanc VDF 2020
  • Roussanne, Viognier
  • Biodynamic, Natural, Organic, Vegan-Friendly
  • Dry
  • Medium Bodied
  • 750ml
  • 13% alc./vol

Matthieu Barret Petit Ours Blanc VDF 2020

Côtes du Rhône, France
$36.95per bottle ($443.40per case)
12 bottles per case
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Floral & Mineral

One of the most coveted, yet accessible natural wines in France. From legendary winemaker Matthieu Barret of Domaine de Coulet in Cornas. The Matthieu Barret labelled wines are from a leased organic and biodynamic vineyard in Visan, about an hour South of the Domaine. 

Petit Ours Blanc is a Roussanne dominant blend with a touch of Viognier. The grapes come from biodynamic vines planted in the alentours of Autichamps, a village just outside of the Diois region. The soils here are a mixture of clay, silt and sand above the hard limestone mother rock, a foundation that gives the wine a special mineral character. The grapes are harvested just before fully ripe to obtain a sharp and fresh wine, something that is enhanced by the altitude at which the vines sit – 420 meters above sea level.

Matured in vats, neither fined nor filtered, and with just a micro-dose of sulphur, this white wine is essentially the opposite of the style of wine we typically expect from these two very aromatic grape varieties. It has a very expressive – not exuberant – floral nose, with notes of apricot and dried fruit. The palate is bold yet smooth, well-balanced, and mineral, with fine bitter notes. This wine has a good intensity and a fresh acidity due to the early harvest. 

About the Winery

Domaine du Coulet - Matthieu Barret

Matthieu Barret was born in Aix-en-Provence in 1975 and studied viticulture in Beaune.

He is the 7th generation vigneron and joined his grandfather in Cornas in 1997. Previously, his family had only been farming and selling grapes. He practices biodynamic viticulture, obtaining very low yields (23 hl/ha) and extraordinary quality. He describes his wines as being 100% grape, with a very low sulphite addition. His wines are extremely clean, and, true to the Cornas character. Domaine du Coulet was founded by Matthieu Barret’s grandfather after WWII, and over the years has supplied grapes to some of the best known producers in the Northern Rhône, including Chapoutier and Delas. While his father eschewed the agrarian lifestyle, opting instead for a career in international business, Matthieu knew early on that he wanted to be a vigneron. In 1998 at the age of only 23, he took over the family’s 25 acres of well-situated vines on the terraced hillsides of Cornas.

From the beginning, Matthieu has employed natural, organic practices and by 2002 (his second year of production) the domaine received its biodynamic certification. With each vintage, Matthieu has gained a better understanding of his vine parcels and through thoughtful experimentation, he now turns out a remarkable selection of Cornas wines that express the unique nuances of each micro-terroir. No new oak, no racking, minimal use of sulfur and no fining or filtration. Pure, sexy Syrah.