Natural wines made from biodynamically grown grapes seem almost commonplace now (at least in our tiny artisanal corner of the wine world). This didn't just happen on its own; the path to this moment was... Read More

Natural wines made from biodynamically grown grapes seem almost commonplace now (at least in our tiny artisanal corner of the wine world). This didn't just happen on its own; the path to this moment was cleared by some true pioneers. Every French region has a few brave producers who started experimenting with these techniques long before it was the hip thing to do. In St. Joseph, La Ferme des Sept Lunes blazed those trails with hardly any company at all.

No, not a Château, but a Ferme. And it is, literally, a farm. The vines share space with fields of grain and orchards. True polycultural farming. They have been doing it this way since 1997. In the winery, the approach is consistent: very little intervention, long, slow and natural fermentations; aging strictly in older barrels; no or tiny amounts of sulphur added.

Early results from the Ferme, were, not surprisingly, a bit mixed. Nobody had ever made Syrah like this before! And this is why it’s important to pay attention to the pioneers. It often takes years of experimenting and tinkering to make natural wines that really sing the local terroir. Sept Lunes has put in the time.