The White Buttocks 2018

Les Fesses Blanc 2018,

Frédéric Gounan

A beautiful, rich, and distinguished gastronomic wine, beautifully mineral, dominated by notes of honey and white fruits (quince, apple, pear, rhubarb) of remarkable purity. No provocation in the appellation, Les Fesses is the name of the plot from which this white Sauvignon and Pinot Gris, produced biodynamically and using natural vinification, comes. The soils are rich in minerals: clay-limestone, granite, and basalt. The direct-pressed Sauvignon must ferments for six months in vats with the destemmed Pinot Gris, before aging for three years in barrels.

To find out more
Coming from a farming family established in the commune of Saint-Sandoux (Puy-de-Dôme) for at least two centuries, Frédéric Gounan was in his first life a mechanic and prototype designer for the French motorcycle brand Voxan, whose headquarters were in Issoire. He turned away from the industrial world to devote himself to wine with his partner Caroline. He intends to take advantage of the magnificent terroirs of his native village, far from "pissing the vines", as was done in the past: he notes that everything that comes from this land has exceptional taste qualities. He took over plots of Gamay from Auvergne, planted other grape varieties, and ended up producing vintages that are among the tastiest and most sought-after in Auvergne. On this land of the Chaîne des Puys, Pinot Noirs grow on black basalt soils, while Sauvignons and Pinot Gris grow on white clay-limestone soils with basalt pebbles. A fan of organic and biodynamic farming, Frédéric also applies methods that he considers appropriate to the climate and terroir: to facilitate photosynthesis in this harsh and contrasting climate, he practices lyre trellising, which allows the vines' foliage to be aerated and exposed to the sun, guaranteeing ripe fruit at harvest. Always a mechanic at heart, he makes his tools and tinkers with his tractors according to his needs. Its wines are rare and distinguished, highly sought after by connoisseurs: small estate (less than two hectares), small production (by volume, not by spirit).