Domaine Villet, Savagnin Ouille, 2022

Domaine Villet is a family estate that was started in 1900. Christine and Gérard took over in the 80's and converted to organic viticulture in 1988, making them one of the first estates in the region to do so. Gérard felt the results were better with organic agriculture, so he eliminated the use of chemical fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fungicides, favouring the use of manure, compost and organic elements. By the early 2000s, the only treatments used in the vineyard were copper (bouillie bordelaise) for mildew, and sulphur for oïdium. Since then, they have been minimising the use of the copper and sulphur in the vineyard and relying instead on plant extracts, such as tea nettle, prêle (horsetail), willows, dandelions, and the like. The Villets believe firmly that vignerons must be working in the vines throughout the year in order to be attentive to the health of the vines and to reduce risks. They let natural grasses grow, but till to limit proliferation. They only use natural yeasts in vinification, as Gérard feels yeasts that are introduced are standardised and lead to a uniformity of taste, whereas natural yeasts allow the terroir to be fully expressed. A very low amount of sulphur is used at bottling. Christine and Gérard are a warm and humble couple, and it's clear that they love what they do. Their commitment to organic farming, and to the health of their vines and the greater ecosystem, has inspired others (the surface area of organic vineyards