Just north of Montpellier, at the base of one of southern France’s most iconic formations, lies the sleepy medieval village of Saint-Mathieu-de-Tréviers—population 5,000. Over the last thirty years, the three Ravaille brothers have helped turn this area into one of the most exciting sites for forward-thinking viticulture in France.
     Rewind to 1992, when brothers Jean-Marc, Xavier, and Pierre took over the family domaine in the shadow of Pic Saint Loup. They made two brave decisions almost immediately: to make wine from their own grapes rather than sell them to the local cave coopérative, and to pursue organic and biodynamic farming. “We wanted to be able to pick a bunch of grapes and eat them right there on the spot,” Pierre Ravaille tells me, “without having to wash off any product residues that might have remained on the skins.” This was brave, because the Ravailles’ home turf is humid and receives a lot of rainfall and the Mistral doesn’t blow as strong—i.e., it doesn’t wick away as much moisture and help as much with disease pressure—in Pic Saint Loup as it does in the nearby Rhône Valley. During the first few years of biodynamic conversion, Pierre says, “the vines lost vigor and became highly susceptible to disease. It is a phase where one must not lose heart; it takes five to six years to achieve stable yields and for the vines to build up a natural resistance to disease.” If you can persist, though, the payoff is more than worth the struggle. What’s more, the same terroir features that once posed challenges have become strengths, yielding reds of incredible freshness and finesse.
     I’ve always marveled that this business, led by three brothers, has thrived so long, but when you look at the decades-long harmony they’ve formed not just with each other, but with their vines and ecosystem, it shouldn’t come as a surprise after all. Redolent of black cherries, tapenade, and herbs, this stony and savory rouge is a beautiful testament to this corner of the south!