Alexandre Bain
Born in Pouilly, Alexandre Bain is an emblematic winemaker of natural wine. It has been established since 2007 in Tracy-sur-Loire, in the heart of the Pouilly-Fumé appellation, a few kilometers from the famous town of Sancerre in the Loire. He was born without vines and started with 5 hectares at a place called Boisfleury, producing his first, more than promising vintage. Alexandre Bain now owns around ten hectares, worked biodynamically. His taste for the land is undeniable and he owes it in particular to his grandfather who was a farmer. A fan of biodynamic cultivation, some of his terroirs are plowed using a Percheron draft horse bearing the pretty name “Phénomène”. The Pouilly-Fumé appellation was withdrawn from 2014 for various reasons (height of the grass between the rows in particular, etc.). After a long fight, Alexandre once again obtained the right to the Pouilly-Fumé appellation.
The philosophy of the estate is to bottle natural wines, 100% grape juice. On certain vintages, it happens every year, on others the question may arise depending on the quality of the vintage; generally speaking, very few inputs or other oenological products are used at the estate.
The style of his wines is the reverse of what has been done in the Pouilly-Fumé appellation for several decades. When conventional viticulture seeks extreme clarity, tending towards under-ripeness, Alexandre Bain will instead seek optimal maturity. It thus gradually became renowned for its extraordinary Sauvignon Blancs, vinified as freely as possible in the world, some aged for several years. Always golden Sauvignon with very heady aromas, sometimes like spices, exotic fruits... vintages that are always stunning and have an undeniable ability to combine freshness and maturity.
Alexandre's natural wines are different from the classic and traditional style of Pouilly Fumé but are so pure and alive. We met Alexandre by chance, and for once not in the vineyard, but at home. A friend of friends, he actually came to meet us in the heart of summer on the island of Oléron, and we are impatiently waiting to be able to meet him on his land.
