The Tomorrows That Sing
Alexandre Michel is one of the Ardèche's most compelling new natural winemakers — a former literature student and photographer who traded books and cameras for vines and grapes, bringing a profound sense of sensitivity and artistry to the winemaking process. In 2018, he established Domaine Les Lendemains qui Chantent near Mirabel in the Southern Ardèche, after years of "unlearning" conventional practices at Domaine de Sulauze in Provence. His philosophy is simple yet powerful: to create vibrant, expressive wines that are a true reflection of their terroir through a hands-on, low-intervention approach. The name — "the tomorrows that sing" — speaks to his optimistic, poetic vision. All wines are organic or in conversion, hand-harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and made with zero added sulfur. This is not merely winemaking; it is a literary act — each bottle a chapter, each vintage a story, each cuvée a character with its own voice.
From Literature to the Vine
The Alexandre Michel story begins not in a vineyard but in a classroom — studying French literature, immersed in words, narratives, and the architecture of language. Photography followed, a visual poetry that captured light and shadow, moment and meaning. But around 2006, something shifted. A desire to work closer to nature, to touch soil rather than paper, to cultivate rather than capture, led him to abandon his planned career and seek a life in agriculture.
He began working at a winery in his native Provence, simultaneously tending market gardens and keeping bees. This was not yet natural winemaking; it was conventional viticulture, the standard practices he had been taught. But the seed of doubt was planted. He realised that what he had been making and drinking, what he had been taught by those around him as "good wine," was in fact not what he wanted to create himself. The dissonance between convention and conviction grew.
The turning point came in 2016, when Alexandre began working with Guillaume Lefevre at Domaine de Sulauze on the Mediterranean coast near Marseille. Sulauze is a large property — around 30 hectares — but it practices organic and biodynamic viticulture. Over four years, Alexandre slowly "unlearned" the conventional practices of his previous experience. He came to understand that wine could be something else entirely: alive, honest, unbound by industrial standards. It completely reset his ideas of what wine could be.
Armed with this new mindset, he moved with his family to the southern Ardèche around Valvignères in 2016 — a heartland of natural winemaking and a place where he was sure he could find affordable vines. For the next couple of years, he made "Vin de Pirate," buying grapes from friends and making his own wines, learning, experimenting, and building community. In 2018, after successful crowdfunding and tremendous help from friends, he acquired 2.5 hectares of vines and officially launched Domaine Les Lendemains qui Chantent. Today, he owns four hectares around the village of Montfleury.
"He came to realize that what he had made and drunk before, and what he had been taught by those around him as being 'good wine' was in fact not what he wanted to make himself. It completely re-set his ideas of what wine could be."
— Bon Raisin Wines
Montfleury Hill, Clay-Limestone & The Mistral
Domaine Les Lendemains qui Chantent's vineyards are nestled on the steep, clay-limestone slopes of Montfleury hill, near Mirabel (Saint-Laurent-sous-Coiron), at an altitude of approximately 300 metres (1,000 feet). This is challenging terrain — steep slopes demand manual labour, and the southern Ardèche heat can be intense. But the vineyards benefit from a natural air-conditioning system: the mistral, the cold wind from the north, sweeps down from the plateau at 1,100 metres (3,600 feet), bringing fresh air that mitigates the heat and preserves acidity in the grapes.
The estate now spans four hectares, up from the initial 2.5 hectares acquired in 2018. The varieties are planted with purpose: Chardonnay and Viognier for whites, Syrah and Grenache for reds, plus Gamay for the playful "ChâtoMékouye" cuvée. The clay-limestone soils provide both water retention and mineral complexity, while the altitude and wind exposure create conditions for fresh, vibrant wines despite the southern warmth.
Farming is organic, with some vineyards already certified and others in conversion — all wines from the 2024 vintage will be fully certified organic. Alexandre's approach is meticulous: gentle pruning, light soil work, green manure sowing to move toward permanent grass cover without tillage, and vegetable-based preparations to reduce copper doses. Nothing is used in the vines except limited, carefully considered applications of copper and sulfur. Harvesting is always by hand, into small crates to preserve berry integrity.
The commitment to manual labour extends beyond harvest. Cover cropping, careful canopy management, and ecosystem health are all tended by hand. This is not a romanticisation of hardship; it is a practical recognition that steep, clay-limestone slopes defy machinery, and that the best wines often come from vineyards where the vigneron has touched every vine.
Some vineyards certified organic, others in conversion. All wines from 2024 vintage fully certified. Gentle pruning, light soil work, green manure, permanent grass cover. Limited copper and sulfur only. Vegetable-based preparations to reduce inputs.
Steep Montfleury hill, ~300m altitude. Clay-limestone soils provide water retention and mineral complexity. Challenging terrain, impossible for machinery. Hand-tended vines on slopes that demand respect and labour.
Cold north wind from 1,100m plateau sweeps down to mitigate heat. Natural air-conditioning preserves acidity. Fresh, vibrant wines despite southern warmth. The Ardèche's secret weapon against climate extremes.
All grapes picked by hand into small crates. Berry integrity preserved from vine to press. Selection begins in the vineyard. No shortcuts, no mechanical harvesters on these slopes. Labour as a form of quality control.
Zero Sulfur, Creative CO₂ & Indigenous Yeasts
At Les Lendemains qui Chantent, the cellar is an extension of the vineyard's philosophy: minimal intervention, maximum expression, and creative problem-solving. Alexandre prefers not to use sulfur dioxide at any stage in the process — a bold choice that demands impeccable hygiene, healthy fruit, and careful cellar management. The stability he achieves, he attributes to the lees: time spent on fine sediment provides natural protection and texture, eliminating the need for chemical preservatives.
The winemaking is a blend of tradition and inventive resourcefulness:
Pressing: Alexandre began with an old manual basket press — a traditional ratchet press that demanded physical effort and patience. He has since acquired a pneumatic press, discovered in Normandy, that was originally used for making cider. This hybrid equipment reflects his adaptive, non-dogmatic approach: use what works, regardless of its original purpose.
Fermentation: Indigenous yeasts only. No commercial additions, no temperature control beyond ambient conditions. Fermentation takes place in a variety of vessels — fiberglass tanks, stainless steel, barrels of 228/225 litres, and demi-muids — each contributing its own character to the final wine.
Ageing: Wines achieve natural stability by spending time on their lees. This hands-off approach builds texture, complexity, and protection without additives. Barrel and demi-muid ageing adds subtle wood influence for the reds; neutral vessels preserve freshness for the whites.
Creative CO₂ Recycling: One of Alexandre's most distinctive techniques came from Gilles Azzoni: using the CO₂ naturally released during fermentation in one tank and directing it via small tubes to other tanks where he wants to perform carbonic maceration. No need to buy CO₂, no waste — a perfect example of natural winemaking's circular logic. This technique is used for the "ChâtoMékouye" Gamay (full carbonic) and the "Pulpe Friction" Syrah (semi-carbonic).
The portfolio is a gallery of characters, each with a distinct personality and technique:
"Forficule": 100% Viognier, slow direct press. An expressive, aromatic white that captures the southern sun without losing freshness.
"Salut À Toi": 100% Chardonnay, slow direct press. Vibrant and elegant, with the minerality of clay-limestone soils.
"Pulpe Friction": 100% Syrah, semi-carbonic maceration. Lively, bursting with fruit — "fruit with wine behind it."
"La Rage Qui Touche": 100% Syrah, destemmed and crushed. A more purist, hands-off style — "wine with fruit behind it." Raw power and elegance.
"ChâtoMékouye (Sans Gluten)": 100% Gamay, full carbonic maceration using recycled CO₂. Playful, approachable, 12% alcohol — "fruit, fresh, glou-glou."
"GRRR" (2023): A bold blend of Grenache and Syrah. Generous and structured, for those who want depth.
"ChâtoMékouye" Gamay — "Fruit, Fresh, Glou-Glou"
The "ChâtoMékouye" is Alexandre Michel's most playful wine — a 100% Gamay made via full carbonic maceration using recycled CO₂ from other fermentations, demonstrating the creative resourcefulness that defines Les Lendemains qui Chantent.
The Gamay grapes are hand-harvested from the organic vineyards on Montfleury hill, then placed whole-cluster into a tank that receives CO₂ diverted via small tubes from another active fermentation — a technique gifted by Gilles Azzoni. This natural carbonic environment allows intracellular fermentation within the intact berries, extracting vibrant fruit flavours without harsh tannins. The result is a light, juicy, utterly drinkable wine at just 12% alcohol.
In the glass, it is bright purple with a playful, almost effervescent energy. The nose is a burst of fresh strawberry, raspberry, bubblegum, and violet — the classic Gamay carbonic profile, but with an Ardèche twist of wild herbs and garrigue. The palate is light-bodied and refreshing, with gentle tannins, vibrant acidity, and a finish that invites another sip immediately. This is not a wine for contemplation; it is a wine for joy, for picnics, for Tuesday nights when you need something that tastes like happiness. The name — a playful nod — and the "Sans Gluten" subtitle are pure Alexandre: literary, humorous, and unpretentious. Serve slightly chilled at 12–14°C. Drink young. ~€10 / ~$12.
The Les Lendemains qui Chantent Range
Alexandre Michel produces a focused, characterful portfolio from his four hectares of organic vineyards on Montfleury hill in the Southern Ardèche. All wines are hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts, and made with zero added sulfur dioxide. No fining, no filtration, no additives. The portfolio spans expressive whites, carbonic and traditional reds, and a bold blend — each with a literary name and distinct personality. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.