La Buvette a Paulette

A quote from the architect Mies Van der Rohe says of architecture that “less is more”. And this can be applied to almost every aspect of life. So much so that even winemakers who are revolutionising the world of wine with minimal intervention can use this phrase like a mantra in their day-to-day work. In Jeff Coutelou’s case, the quote fits him perfectly, because on the family estate where 30 years ago he had more than 20 hectares of vineyards and produced an average of 1,800 hectolitres per year, there are now only 13 hectares planted with vineyards with an average of 500 hectolitres per year. However, it was all in the name of grape quality.

In his winery, Mas Coutelou, located in Puimisson, a commune in the Languedoc-Roussillon area (France), as Jeff himself puts it, he makes “happy wines from vineyards cultivated with love and good humour”. Wines like La Buvette a Paulette, a blend of Merlot, Mourvèdre and Syrah from vines planted in soils mainly composed of red clay and limestone. The vines are cultivated using organic agriculture without the use of chemical products and with respect for tradition and the environment. Following a manual harvest, the grapes undergo a short maceration with some whole bunches and fermentation takes place spontaneously in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts. Finally, it is bottled without being clarified, filtered or adding sulphur.

In a region where there is a tendency towards a rather monothematic style, Jeff Coutelou, a genius of minimal intervention, is a breath of fresh air. Something that is clear to see in his cuvée La Buvette a Paulette, a wine that has everything without adding anything.