Nicole, she grew up in Narbonne, with her "accent du SUD", her laugh, her contagious enthusiasm. John, he came to St Jean de Minervois from much farther west, the land of horses and bourbon, Kentucky.

In 1996, this sud French girl convinced her southern bred boy that the white rocks of St Jean were the most beautiful rocks in the world. Now he sings, she dances.

It was a real life choice, giving up the pleasures of the wide world for an arid rocky plateau and a village of 49 souls. But it was the choice of a Terroir, white phonolithic gravel and it was a choice that’s made so much difference.

The rocky land immediately brought to mind thoughts of moonscapes. The wines might be considered lunar in their minerality, some might even suggest lunatic…but always delicious.

Their vineyards, 9 hectares on the 270 meter altitude Causses of St Jean and Cazelles, benefit from ample summer sunny days and a cooling breeze blowing down off of the Montagne Noire at night.

The minerality of the land is also the signature of the wines.

Biodiversity is the goal so organic agriculture was the starting point.

Nicole has planted more than 100 fruit trees--pomegranate, fig, apricot, cherry…and hedges on the edges of the vineyards.

Little by little, she is trying to turn each vineyard into an oasis, a refuge.

In addition to biodynamic preparations, we are cover cropping most of the vines with legumes, grasses and flowers to build up a mulch which will never leave the ground surface bare, increasing water retention and encouraging life.