Carignan natural wine — no additives from old vines

Natural wine from Carignan is about one choice: letting the grape work on its own. No added yeast, no added sulphur, no filtration. It is a risk that requires healthy fruit — and that is exactly what old gobelet vines on poor soils provide.

The producers at PACT work with different maceration styles depending on the vintage and the character of each parcel. Alexandre Durand at Pèira Levada in Faugères runs 90-day maceration — exceptionally long, but the age of the vines gives the tannins the ripeness and structure to carry it. Pierre Regnault in Assignan opts for early harvest and whole-cluster maceration for maximum freshness and a little carbon dioxide as natural protection. Thomas Chany in Puisserguier works shorter with cold maceration to highlight the grape's fruit character.

The result is wines that vary more than conventional Carignan — that is the point. Without additives, each bottle tells its vintage and its soil in a way that standardised products never can.