Michel Autran, Les Enfers Tranquilles, 2023

Although Michel Autran’s first official vintage was only 2013, he is already making headlines as one of the most gifted and exciting vignerons in Vouvray. Ex-GP, Michel joins the ranks of ‘néo-vignerons’ such as Richard Leroy and Pierre Fenals who changed careers to follow their passion. And he explains, “I have dreamt of becoming a paysan since I was a kid, simply because farming creates life, and that's an amazing feeling.” Leaving his job in 2006, armed with little more than a keen amateur’s knowledge, Michel made a point of learning from the best producers in Vouvray and Montlouis. He studied under Vincent Carême and Damien Delecheneau, staged with the Joussets, Mathieu Cosme, Frantz Saumon, and worked for François Pinon until setting up shop in 2011. Calm and focused, Michel took the time to select his vineyards with care and now owns 3.5ha of old vines – the youngest being 50 years old – on prime sites in Noizay. Michel recently started to work more intuitively in the vineyard, closely observing how his vines respond to his methods and trusting his instincts instead of reaching for ready-made solutions. He is assisted by a geobiologist who comes once a year to help him better understand the energy and natural balance of the plants as well as the microbial life of his soils. Although he doesn’t want to be tagged as a biodynamic grower, he follows the lunar calendar and uses preparations such as the 500 and 501, supplemented by tisanes (decoctions)