Domaine L’Astre Onesta 2021

Domaine de l’Astré

Domaine de l’Astré was founded in 2017 by the young couple Aude Duval and Sylvain Ohayon. Having met in the Andean vineyards of Argentine, this former caviste and winemaker decided they wanted to make their own wines of emotion and terroir, together, in the South-West of France.

They took over a winery on a limestone cliff peaking above the Dordogne Valley with 8 hectares of forest-enclosed vineyard, containing Semillon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. On average 35 years old, these vines had been worked organically since 2012 and are now being converted to biodynamics by Duval and Ohayon. Although the vineyards lie in the Bergerac appellation and can also claim the Montravel appellation, Aude and Sylvain prefer the freedom that comes with labeling their bottles simply as Vin de France.

Their approach to winemaking is minimal-interventionist with a tendency towards experimentation, relying on spontaneous fermentations without additives, no fining or filtering and minuscule (1,5g/hl) sulphur additions at bottling. Macerations are short, white and red grape often combined and vinifications and élevage carried out in unintrusive materials like steel, terracotta and old oak.

All of this yields mysterious wines of great purity, unadulterated but with a precision that betrays the meticulous palate of a former career winemaker.