Marie & Vincent Tricot

Vincent Tricot, a journey between Anjou, Beaujolais and Auvergne

From first harvests to the discovery of living wines

Raised in Anjou, near Savennières, Vincent Tricot discovered the world of wine during his first harvests, where the desire to work in this field gradually emerged. He then decided to pursue a degree in viticulture and oenology in Beaujolais, a region where he met Marie, a native of Beaujolais (her father owned a wine trading house).

His apprenticeship took place with Guy Cotton. Guy, who had worked with Jules Chauvet, introduced him to his first living wines, natural and without added sulphur. This discovery through tasting left a lasting impression on Vincent. Although he had the opportunity to train with Marcel Lapierre, Vincent and Marie chose instead to explore winemaking techniques in the New World. They were 27 — the age for great journeys.

Travels, experience and settling in Auvergne

They travelled to Chile, working in a conventional estate, as Vincent had not managed to find a place in organic farming… After this experience, they returned to France, and Vincent took a position in the Costières de Nîmesappellation in the Languedoc. There, he found himself managing a 120-hectare estate, a true large-scale operation, which lasted for three years.

In 2003, the couple moved to Auvergne, where they acquired a 5-hectare estate that had been farmed organically since 1971 — a real opportunity. The previous owner had even replanted the vineyards four years earlier using massal selection, a perfect starting point for a young project. They thus became neighbours of another iconic Auvergne natural wine grower: Patrick Bouju.

A radical choice: no sulphur

In 2011, another key moment in the life of the estate came with the decision to produce all wines without added sulphur. Vincent and Marie chose to work only with grapes, and nothing but grapes, and the wines they have produced since clearly demonstrate it: natural wine has a very bright future ahead.