Bois de la Gravette, Lucie Mançais, Idyllik 2022, Moulis-en-Médoc, Bordeaux, France

There's not a lot of Bordeaux at Iron & Rose for the simple reason that there's not so much that fits our vibe. As a region it seemed to lose its way in the 2000s with greedy pricing and unwise stylistic decisions, a swing to making big, highly alcoholic and extracted wines that appealed to certain American journalists but obliterated any notion of terroir.

Happily there are signs of life, metaphorically and literally. At the forefront of this renewal are growers like Lucie Mançais. Just in her twenties she must be one of the youngest wine growers in the Medoc and works four hectares of vines which are in conversion to organic farming by herself. And, although her grandparents were involved in wine her parents were not, she nearly became a sports teacher instead. But the lure of working outdoors (and the fact that she loves driving a tractor!) led to a degree in viticulture and oenology and those four hectares of vines came to her through her mother. 

Idyllik is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and has lovely pure fruit, a real vibrancy and brightness. While it certainly has typical varietal characteristics of Cabernet and Merlot, it has much more feel of a wine of the South West, juicy and dense, than the cedary, drily tannic reds often found in the Medoc. That it is in a slope shouldered bottle rather than the traditional Bordeaux shape also appeals to our anarchic nature!

Producer - Lucie Mançais
Country - France
Region - Bordeaux
Variety / Blend - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Wine Style - Red Wine
Farming - Organic 
Vegan