Le Grain de Seneve

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Hervé Ravera is an excellent example of what has been described as a second career winemaker. Before he was a vigneron in Beaujolais, he spent several years as a nurse. However, he had always been drawn to nature and farming. In 2007, his interests outside of medicine became more and more consuming. He ultimately left nursing and bought an old house surrounded by 2 ha of old Gamay vines in the tiny village of Marchampt in the Beaujolais. The vines are grown in sand and granite with volcanic subsoil.

Hervé farms biodynamically and plows his steep slopes with the help of his horse (hilariously named “Reggae Nights”). The grapes are harvested with the help of friends and family and fermented whole cluster in concrete without any additives. Then they are pressed via a massive, 100 year old press in the winery that is attached to the house. In the cellar, there’s no filtration, no fining, and no use of sulfites.

In a world where the top wines of Beaujolais seem to be becoming more extracted and dense, Hervé’s wines have a transparency and purity, while still maintaining the varietal character of Gamay.

Media Links
Not Drinking Poison in Paris: N.D.P. in Beaujolais: Hervé Ravera, Marchampt