La Vignereuse (Marine Leys)
We are absolutely thrilled to present the wines of Marine Leys, a talented and promising winemaker in the Tarn. Marine farms 5 hectares of hillside vines planted to Duras, Syrah, Braucol, Mauzac, Loin de l’oeil and Gamay.
Before starting the Vignereuse, she had worked for years behind the camera in film production across Europe, where she then moved to Canada, Ireland and eventually, Turkey. It was there that Marine found herself helping her employer plant a vineyard. She worked in the cellar and eventually handled the winemaking after studying in Beaune.
In 2012, Marine made her way to Gaillac to work and learn under the guidance of her friends, the legendary Plageoles family. In 2014, she found 5 hectares of vines in Andillac and the Vignereuse project was launched. Her first vintage delivers precise, flavorful and refined wines that speak both to the quality of the Gaillac as one of the most underrated AOP in France, and to her skills as a young winemaker.
https://www.facebook.com/Vignereuse/
- CroiZade
- A la Santé des Mécréants
- Mayga Watt
- Mayga Dark
- 6 Filles Si Fine
- Gaia Quoi
- Broco lee
- La Gamelle du iench
CroiZade — Back to the top
Soil: Calcerous Clay
Varieties: Syrah and Duras
Vinification Method: Grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, and fermented in cement tanks for about 15 days with regular pumping over.
A la Santé des Mécréants — Back to the top
A la Santé des Mécréants tech sheet
Age of Vines: 40 years
Soil: Calcerous Clay
Varieties: Duras
Vinification Method: Grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, and fermented in cement tanks for about 15 days with regular pumping over.
Mayga Watt — Back to the top
Total Production: 3500 bottles
Age of Vines: 35 years
Yield: 35-40 HL/HA
Soil: Calcerous Clay
Varieties: Gamay
Vinification Method: Grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, and fermented in fiberglass tanks. The wine macerates on the skins for about 3 days. It is bottled unfiltered just before the fermentation is finished to finish as a pet nat rose in the bottle. Zero sulfur added.
Mayga Dark Pet-Nat — Back to the top
Marine on this wine: “This cuvée is a one-off – as 2020 was a very hot and dry year, the grapes that would normally become Mayga Watt got very concentrated, dark-skinned and ripe, resulting in a slightly different expression of the site, with more cherry-like, “kir cerise” aromas, so I thought a different name would be more fitting for this particular vintage!”
Grapes: Gamay
Vineyard: 40-years-old vines on calcareous clay, farmed organically (certified) by Marine herself
Making of: the grapes are hand-harvested, sorted, and direct-pressed. The spontaneous fermentation starts in tanks and is bottled unfiltered, just before the fermentation is finished to finish as a pet-nat in the bottle. Disgorged, zero sulfur added.
Personality: rich and fruity red bubbles, with deep Amarena cherry both on the nose and the palate.
6 Filles Si Fines — Back to the top
Age of Vines: 35 years
Yield: 30 HL/HA
Soil: Limestone
Varieties: Mauzac (70%), Loin de l’oeil (30%)
Vinification Method: Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented as whole bunches in fiberglass tanks.
Gaia Quoi — Back to the top
Total Production: 1200 bottles
Age of Vines: 30 years
Yield: 30 HL/HA
Soil: Limestone
Varieties: Syrah
Vinification Method: Grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, and fermented in fiberglass tanks. The wine ferments in tank for 3 months and then is bottled unfiltered just before the fermentation is finished to finish as a pet nat red wine in the bottle. Zero sulfur added.
Broco lee — Back to the top
Eat your veggies: this fruity fizzy light-red from Gaillac’s indigenous Braucol variety makes it really easy! “Lovely with tapas,” says Marine, the winemaker herself.
Age of Vines: 30 years
Yield: 30 HL/HA
Soil: Limestone
Varieties: Braucol
Vinification Method: Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented in fiberglass tanks. The wine macerates on the skins for about 3 days. It is bottled unfiltered just before the fermentation is finished to finish as a pet nat rose in the bottle. Zero sulfur added.
La gamelle du iench — Back to the top
Linguistic fun fact: The name of this wine refers to Sebastien, Marine’s vineyard helper and creator of this wine – his rugby nickname is Le iench, the verlan version of chien, the French word for dog (verlan is a type of French slang where the syllables are reversed).
Grapes: Duras
Vineyard: clay-limestone bordering the limestone plateau of Cordes, in Andillac. Southern exposure. Vines planted in 1994, certified organic.
Making of: the grapes are hand-harvested at optimum ripeness and sorted. Spontaneously fermented as whole bunches in stainless steel for 8 days (carbonic maceration), then pressed and aged for one year in fiberglass tanks. No fining, no filtration, no SO2 added.
Personality: berry good! The carbonic maceration brings soft, crunchy tannins and a glou-glou vibe with lots of expressive red and black fruit. The perfect summer red to be enjoyed thoroughly chilled.