SÉBASTIEN RIFFAULT
Loire, Sancerre, France
12 ha

Sébastien Riffault took over the vineyard at the age of only 21 from his father. He started with a 2-acre parcel as it was not common in the Loire Valley’s Sancerre region to follow organic or biodynamic practices. Soon after he started organic viticulture, he turned to biodynamic in 2004 and has been practicing it ever since. He ploughs with horses and  aims to present Sauvignon Blanc in its original, pure form – far from the usual Sancerre rules, like overripe grapes for example. This gives these natural juices a distinctive scent. The Riffault wines have their own special characters, however, once you’ve got sucked into this world, you may never leave again! Sébastien follows low-intervention methods in the cellar, as well. No sulphites, no fining or filtration and  bottling by gravity.