Autour de l'Anne
After being a roadie in the UK for 90s bands like The Verve, Blur, and Radiohead, Anne Paillet settled into coporate life in the Parisian financial district of la Défense. But a brooding need for something more from life, and a bad car accident, set her on an entirely new course.
Looking to follow a new dream, she was set to take over a friend’s Languedoc vineyard. But the friend’s plan changed and Paillet’s own life took another twist when she met the love of her life, Loire Valley vigneron Gregory Leclerc. Determined to make her own distinct wines, she devised a cunning plan: she would work with Languedoc grapes in the couple’s Loire cellar! The grapes ripen in the hot Languedoc sun on vines belonging to grower Ludovic Gervais in Corconne (Pic-Saint-Loup). At harvest time, Paillet handles the fermentation on site, then brings the new wines home to the Touraine region for aging. The results are extraordinary - the full, succulent fruit of the southern Languedoc aged in the cool and humid climate of the Loire produces complex and delectable wines that Anne affectionally refers to as “Loiredoc.”
When we asked her whether she intended from the start to produce her wines naturally, she replied simply that it would have been impossible for her to do it any other way. The grapes are grown organically, hand harvested, and fermented with natural yeast and the least intervention possible. To try them is to savour the uniqueness both of their blended terroir and of the personality of the free-spirited and intrepid vigneronne who makes them.
Wonder Womanne - 2022
Willful demigoddess, undauntedly determined to save the world, graced with a powerful elegance… we’re not just talking about the superheroine here! Anne Paillet’s pet-nat made from the same grapes as the C.S.G. (Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache) will blow you away with its coral pink colour, it’s lively fizz, and its aromatic freshness. Perfect mastery of pet-nat with a lovely effervescence, dried roses, peaches. Dry with a very gentle acidity and honeyed tones.
CSG - 2022
Cinsault. Syrah. Grenache. The three are fermented separately (part whole cluster, part destemmed) and combine to create a smooth, structured, but supple red that just calls out for a slow cooked and hearty stew.
Lethal Weapanne - 2022
Cinsault - Syrah - Grenache - Carignan - Vermentino - Colombard!!! Just a fun, lively, fresh, easy-drinking co-ferment of a bit of everything from Anne's harvest. Here's how she describes it (per MYSA wine shop): "“I wanted to make a wine that is like a film with a lot of action and a lot of characters, all with different roles. Here, the star is Merlot, like Mel Gibson because the cuvée is 40 to 45% Merlot. The second big one, Danny Glover, is Syrah and then you have all the other characters—Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Colombard, and Vermentino; they all bring a little hint into the thing.”"
