To make wine, one must know how to ‘let go’, trust oneself, and trust the quality of the freshly harvested grapes. This is not an endorsement of ‘doing nothing’. It means aiming to do just what is necessary, nothing more, while monitoring closely to step in if needed. An article explaining our approach to vinification at Cazebonne.

Not confusing letting go with laissez-faire 

Indeed, letting go means intervening as little as possible in the wine. It involves allowing fermentations, whether alcoholic or malolactic, to unfold spontaneously. Wine generally does not require the addition of commercial yeasts, enzymes, or other additives. The must will turn into wine, provided we ensure the necessary conditions are met.

Nor is it an apology for laissez-faire. Checking the pH, malic acid levels, and the nitrogen required for a healthy fermentation are best measured as soon as the harvest arrives at the cellar. Letting go does not mean working blind, and it would be a pity to forgo these analyses, which allow us to anticipate potential fermentation issues (and make any necessary corrections in case of an imbalance).

Aiming for clean, precise wines

I must admit that I began my first vintage (in 2017) determined to make natural wine at all costs. I encountered real vinification challenges with the 2020 vintage. Coming off a rather successful 2019 vintage, I fully intended to continue along this natural wine path. However, 2020 was a solar, warm vintage, producing wines high in alcohol and low in acidity. The problem is that bacteria and *Brettanomyces* (the yeasts responsible for ‘brett’ aromas in wine) thrive in such conditions, particularly in the absence of sulphur.
The wines were bottled with very little sulphur, but at these pH levels, sulphur is far less effective, and faults developed in the bottle. I had to discard part of the production that was no longer merchantable.

I swore I would not be caught out again. Certain vintages simply do not allow for strict natural winemaking on our terroirs, especially if one prefers harvesting fully ripe grapes with lower acidity.

Making natural wine requires favourable conditions

The paradox of non-interventionism lies in the fact that, to be able to ‘do nothing’ in the cellar, everything must have already been done, and done well, beforehand. Everything begins in the vineyard, long before the harvest. Healthy, perfectly ripe, and balanced grapes are key. Rigorous soil management, careful canopy management to fine-tune ripening, and constant observation of the vegetative cycle yield raw material of impeccable quality. The less pristine the grapes, the more corrective interventions they will require in the cellar. Meticulous winery hygiene is also non-negotiable. Clean equipment and a spotless environment significantly reduce the risk of unwanted micro-organisms developing. Finally, precise temperature control is essential to gently guide fermentations and protect the wine at every stage.

Prerequisites for letting nature take its course

A healthy crop and balanced grapes

Healthy, sorted grapes, with as many intact berries as possible and no pockets of rot. This means walking the vineyards regularly to monitor sanitary conditions, which can deteriorate very quickly once the grapes reach full ripeness.

As mentioned above, pH plays a crucial role. It is difficult to stabilise wines if the pH exceeds 3.7. Yet, during heatwave years, this is becoming the norm. Above this threshold, a slight acidification of the must becomes necessary.

Nitrogen levels must also be monitored, even though we rarely encounter nitrogen deficiencies in our living soils, enriched by cover crops and legume sowings. Yeasts require adequate nitrogen in the juice to complete the fermentation of sugars.

Trusting indigenous yeasts

We almost always favour spontaneous fermentations, relying on the indigenous yeasts naturally present on the grape bloom (as well as in the winery). I say almost always because we have occasionally used commercial yeasts to finish fermenting sugars in a few stuck vats, or to inoculate a batch that suffered severe grey rot in the parcel.
However, these indigenous yeasts must be helped along to prevent undesirable bacteria or wild yeasts from colonising the must first. To do this, two days before each harvest day, we prepare a *pied de cuve* (fermentation starter), which allows us to kick-start a temperature-controlled fermentation, lightly sulphited to prevent bacterial development. This starter is then used to inoculate the whites after settling and the reds as soon as they are vatted.
Why indigenous yeasts rather than commercial ones? Because yeasts have a major influence on the complexity and aromatic profile of the wine. Every year, our wines reveal unique aromatic palettes, rather than the predictable profiles of pre-selected commercial yeasts. I often say that buying yeast is a bit like asking Van Gogh to paint his sunflowers with only a single tube of yellow. Allowing wild yeasts to do their work offers a far richer palette of colours. It also embraces an element of the unexpected in what the vintage will reveal. Letting nature take its course.

Similarly, we keep oenological additives to an absolute minimum. Let nature do its work whenever conditions allow. I am not saying we will never intervene. I am saying we will do so when strictly necessary to save a vat, because our livelihood is making wine, and we depend on every harvested batch.

Yet letting go requires keeping an eagle eye on fermentations to ensure everything proceeds smoothly. The goal is for fermentation not to stall until all sugars are consumed. Residual sugar is the enemy that opens the door to spoilage bacteria. Fermentations must reach completion, and prompt action is required if they stall.

For white wines

We typically carry out very light settling (débourbage) for our whites. This yields deeply coloured whites, often golden yellow, far removed from the pale green, overly acidic profile.
The first reason is that we harvest ripe, very ripe. The second is that our fermentations take place in a medium rich in lees and suspended solids. This helps ensure complete fermentation (harder to achieve with heavily settled wines with very low turbidity) and, above all, gives us more complex white wines. For these whites, we generally allow malolactic fermentations to occur naturally, adding further complexity.
After 12 months of ageing, if the wines have clarified naturally over time and through sedimentation in vats post-blending, we generally do not need to fine or filter them. Avoiding fining and filtration preserves the richness and depth of our whites.
The wines are lightly sulphited after malolactic fermentation and post-bâtonnage (lees stirring) for basic protection during ageing. We may adjust the sulphur before bottling, aiming for a total of 50 mg/l of sulphur (compared to 150 mg/l permitted in organic farming and 200 mg/l in conventional winemaking).

For red wines

Vinifications are generally carried out without added sulphites (occasionally 3 g/hl on the grapes if sanitary conditions are compromised). The wines are aged in vats, barrels, and amphorae depending on the cuvée. They receive a light dose of sulphur prior to ageing, once malolactic fermentations are complete.
We usually filter our reds lightly before bottling to prevent any subsequent spoilage, adjusting sulphur if necessary to ensure sufficient free SO2 in the bottle.