Olivier Cousin
Olivier Cousin cultivates 12 hectares of vines in and around Martigne Briand, which is nestled in the fertile and generous Loire Valley. His vineyards are planted with Gamay, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and Chenin Blanc. All of the wines Cousin crafts are certified biodynamic. He plows his vineyards with his horse Joker, and only uses indigenous yeasts and shuns enzymes, sugar and sulfites. Oliver Cousin is constantly experimenting to improve the quality of his wines, where they often undergo an extended maceration that adds greater character to the final wine. Cousin crafts wines that celebrate the harmony that exists between man and nature. His hard work and understanding of the vines in his small Loire Valley vineyard represent some of the finest natural wines that are currently available in the United States.
Read Nick’s latest blog post about the experience of staying at Domaine Cousin-Leduc.
Certification: Biodynamic Demeter.
Pur Breton: — Back to the top
Age of Vines: 40 years
Yields: 30hl/ha 6,500 bottles
Pruning Method: Guyot
Soil: Black loam infused with deep beds of limestone
Varietals: 100% Cabernet Franc
Vinification Method: The grapes are hand-harvested, brought to the winery by a horse, destemmed and gently pressed. Only natural yeasts are used and the juice undergoes an extended maceration. Aged in old oak barrels.
Tasting Note: Ripe plum, juicy cherry, red apple core and chalk tones dominate the nose. Crushed strawberries mixed with invigoratingly fresh Bing cherry and red apple flavors explode on the palate.
Pairing: Works with herb encrusted roast chicken, pan-seared duck breast, artisan pork, duck or rabbit paté, cured meats and young or aged mild cheeses on rustic bread.
Gamay VDT: — Back to the top
Age of Vines: 30 years
Yields: 15 hl/ha
Pruning Method: Guyot
Soil: Black loam infused with deep beds of limestone
Varietals: Gamay
Vinification Method: The grapes are hand-harvested, brought to the winery by a horse, destemmed and gently pressed. Only natural yeast are used and the juice undergoes an extended maceration. Fermented in tanks.
Tasting Note: Deep cherry red in the glass with a shimmering amethyst rim. The nose is vibrantly alive with loads of crushed red and black cherries and backed by deep inflections of pounded limestone and a dusting of savory herbs. Sticky red cherry fruit dominates the palate on the attack while the bright underpinning of supple minerality and moderate tannins provides the finish with an outstanding, lip-smacking succulence.
Pairing: Works with herb encrusted roast chicken, pan-seared duck breast, artisan pork, duck or rabbit paté, cured meats & young or aged mild cheeses on rustic bread.
Grolleau: — Back to the top
Age of Vines: 30 years
Yields: 30hl/ha 3,500 bottles
Pruning Method: Guyot and gobelet
Soil: Black loam infused with deep beds of limestone
Varietals: 100% Grolleau (An ancient variety indigenous to the Loire that Olivier Cousin has brought back from the brink of extinction.)
Vinification Method: The grapes are hand-harvested, brought to the winery by a horse, destemmed and gently pressed. Only natural yeasts are used, the juice undergoes an extended maceration. Fermented in tanks.
Tasting Note: Midnight purple in the glass. The nose is loaded with red berries, barnyard funk and deep inflections of limestone. The palate is rich and supple with crushed red fruit flavors backed by chalky minerality and notes of iron. This is a buoyantly fruity and dynamic medium-bodied red with loads of supple minerality backed by a silken note of acidity.
Pairing: Works beautifully with rabbit stew, veal chops, braised pork loin, paté, herb encrusted roast chicken or simply by itself.
Vielles Vignes Cabernet Franc: — Back to the top
Vielles Vignes tech sheet
Age of Vines: 65 years
Pruning Method: Guyot
Soil: Black loam infused with deep beds of limestone
Varietals: 100% Cabernet Franc
Vinification Method: The grapes are hand-harvested, brought to the winery by a horse, destemmed and gently pressed. Only natural yeasts are used and the juice undergoes an extended maceration. Fermented and aged in a large wood tank (500 Liters) for 18 months.