Xaviere Hardy's Profound 2024

We are privileged to release the 2024 vintage wines from Xaviere Hardy's uniquely personal project, Les Terres Bleues. 60km north of Nantes in the village of La Chappelle-Glain - with no other vineyards for miles around - Xaviere farms an isolated 1.5 hectares on blue schist, trained in the Albarello style. Farming organically and biodynamically, Xaviere prioritises a homoeopathic attitude to her human-scale farming utilising a library of plant-based treatments for the vines stress (nettle and comfrey teas, horsetail, oak bark and willow).

The 2024 releases are some of the most astonishing wines we have tried from Xaviere, with profound tension and energy.

Speaking with Xaviere recently, she said of 2024: "It was a true challenge. If I still needed to learn, 2024 taught me selflessness in the face of the elements. I fought but I didn't "win" against nature; rather, I chose to work alongside it. These wines are a true reflection of that struggle and what the earth gave us: vibration and a very particular energy."

Of the wines received, some are available in the smallest quantities - Xaviere was able to make less than 20% of her usual XH2 production for instance, with up to 60% losses to yields with incessant rain and cold - so we'd encourage fans of these to avoid hesitation!

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ROSE

2024 - Baraka - Grolleau
Direct-pressed Grolleau, with drive and attack for 2024, Xaviere has been enjoying this with pan-fried cockles recently, salt and richness being a perfect foil for its vibrancy.

RED

2024 - Ma Garance Voyageuse - Grolleau
An assemblage of three macerations, bags of fresh, juicy fruit this year, a lighter version of the cuvée, with lovely structure.

2024 - XH² - Pinot Noir
A really complex and graceful expression of Xaviere's Pinot, lower in alcohol than recent years, fluid and nimble, black fruited and supple.

Xaviere's Miracle 2023

60km north of Nantes in the village of La Chappelle-Glain, Xaviere Hardy makes nuanced, delicate wines from an isolated 1.5 hectares on blue schist, (hence Les Terres Bleues).

After close analysis of the terroir, and lobbying the local council to allow her to do so: Xaviere planted her vines in 2013. Being the only vineyard for miles around and with no precedent to follow, she focused her efforts on Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Grolleau, trained in the seldom-seen (in the Loire) Albarello style to help with sun exposure.

Working in such a unique way isn't the easiest path, but the wines are clearly worth it.

Xaviere describes her 2023 vintage as a "true miracle" - especially in contrast to some of her neighbours who lost huge amounts in battles with mildew given such a wet growing season and a humid summer. Xaviere was blessed with quality and quantity - a reward that brought its own challenge: accommodating all that fruit in her tiny cellar.

She's thrilled to have had this challenge to handle, particularly as 2024 brought catastrophic losses after incessant rain and cold, losing up to 60% of her yield. This is the harsh reality of climate change and the dramatic swings it is presenting growers with, particularly in regions like the Loire.

But with plenty of juice in 2023 Xaviere was able to expand her range from her usual four cuvées to six. A joyful collection of wines with a sense of energy and generosity.

The new wines are all available now and detailed below:

WHITE

NEW 2023 - AWA - Pinot Gris

Pressed directly, with 60% of the blend aged in 5-10-year-old barrels, and the remainder in stainless steel tank for 10 months before assemblage and bottling with no additions. Incredibly long and mineral, elegant.

SKINS

NEW 2023 - Michel'Ange - Pinot Gris

From the same pick as AWA. A short 24-hour maceration of fruit destemmed by hand on a wicker de-stemmer. Aged in a combination of both barrel and tank before blending after 10 months. Usually a white but the warm, ripe vintage has yielded more colour from such a short maceration, a wine with body and complexity.

NEW 2023 - Jeannette - Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir

A direct pressing of Pinot Gris (two-thirds) & Pinot Noir picked and vinified together. Aged in tank and barrel for 10 months before bottling with no additions. Generous, complex, serious and long.

ROSE

NEW 2023 - Baraka - Grolleau

Grolleau pressed directly and fermented in tank to preserve the fruit before gently racking to barrel to fill out its edges and allow its complexity to develop. Taut, fleshy fruit, pithy citrus and salinity.

RED

NEW 2023 - Ma Garance Voyageuse - Grolleau

Continuing Xaviere's masterful blend of three vinifications she perfected for this wine in 2020 – one-third as a carbonic maceration aged in stainless steel, one-third de-stemmed and aged in old barrels, the final third comprises a tank layered with 30% whole bunch fruit to 70% destemmed – she believes it lends the wine balance and synergy. Deep with fruit, soft and easy with just the finest frame of tannin.

NEW 2023 - XH2 - Pinot Noir

An infusion maceration in tank: 30% whole bunch, 70% de-stemmed for eight days, with two thirds aged in old barrels and the remainder in stainless steel. The two vinifications are assembled after 10 months before bottlling with no additions. A generous and round Pinot with supple tannins and elegant length and minerality.

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Thrilling New Wines from Xaviere Hardy

LES TERRES BLEUES - XAVIERE HARDY

60km north of Nantes in the village of La Chappelle-Glain, Xaviere Hardy makes nuanced, delicate wines from an isolated 1.5 hectares on blue schist, (hence Les Terres Bleues).

After close analysis of the terroir, and lobbying the local council to allow her to do so: Xaviere planted her vines in 2013. Being the only vineyard for miles around and with no precedent to follow, she focused her efforts on Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Grolleau, trained in the seldom-seen (in the Loire) Albarello style to help with sun exposure.

Working in such a unique way isn't the easiest path, but the wines are clearly worth it.

2022 marked a fairly triumphant year for Xaviere, with three long nights battling the threat of frost in early Spring, the vines remained well-protected. Come summer, with strong heat waves in the region, she dilligently sprayed her plants with chamomile and yarrow to help them cope with the drought. Benefitting hugely from the vines being trained on stakes, the height of the canopy created great shade, with the fruit seeing no sign of dehydration.

Good rain two weeks before harvest led to perfect ripening before a beautiful harvest in terms of both quantity and quality. Given the struggles Xaviere has faced in recent years, working incredibly hard to make the best of a tricky situation, its a true joy to see her finishing a vintage very happy with the resulting fruit.

The wines are a beautiful reflection of a good year, and are available now:

AVAILABLE NOW

WHITE

2022 - AWA - Pinot Gris

A beautiful vintage for the Pinot Gris, managing to be both concentrated yet fresh and energetic. Incredibly long, textured. A triumph.

ROSE

2022 - Baraka - Grolleau

The 2022 Baraka has the profile of a Blanc de Noirs with just a little colour, waxy, generous and long. Pithy citrus with a very fine line of tannin, beautiful texture and finish.

RED

2022 - Ma Garance Voyageuse - Grolleau

Assembled this year from three different vinifications of her Grolleau parcels, one de-stemmed and macerated before ageing in barrique, one as a 70:30 blend of de-stemmed and whole-bunch, and another as a proper carbonic maceration- both aged in tank. Blended together after 9 months and bottled with no additions.

2022 - XH² - Pinot Noir

Incredibly fine, beautifully pure and expressive. Deep, pure fruited with a brilliant fine line of tannin. A brief, 7 day fermentation (Xaviere's Pinot is often a very fast fermentation)

FOR WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: HELLO@WINESUTB.COM