Stéphane Bernaudeau 2022 Les Ongles

A child of the region, Stéphane Bernaudeau is a very discreet, calm and determined winemaker who spent more than ten years alongside Mark Angeli before gradually creating his domain in 2000.
Harvests are manual,  whole bunches are pressed in a vertical press, the juices spontaneously ferment  either in 228 liter barrels of several wines or in Vicard foudres (15 hl) in two small rooms adjoining his house. The malos usually happen but are not forced. Today there is no botrytis in any cuvée, as he thinks botrytis brings too much honeyed, heavy aromatics and structure (even though he recently enjoyed a 2001 Nourrissons). Over the years Stéphane has rightly established himself as an inescapable reference of the region with his different plot vintages with strong identities.