From La Défense to the Vine
Anne Paillet is one of France's most distinctive natural winemakers — a former corporate professional who turned a life-altering car accident into the catalyst for a radical new path. In 2011, she founded Autour de l'Anne, a unique "Loiredoc" project that sources biodynamic grapes from the sun-drenched Languedoc and ages them in the cool Loire Valley, where her husband Gregory Leclerc makes natural wine. The result is a portfolio of light, fruity, terroir-expressive wines that deliberately avoid the heavy, high-alcohol style often associated with the south. All wines are hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks, and bottled with zero added sulfur. The cuvée names — puns on her own name — reflect her playful, creative spirit: Pot d'Anne, Anagramme, L'Anne Fatale, Wonder Womanne. This is not merely winemaking; it is a second life, expressed in liquid form, with every bottle carrying the optimism of someone who chose to start again.
From Finance to Fermentation
The Anne Paillet story begins in La Défense, the financial district of Paris, where she spent years working for a large industrial company. It was a life of structure, spreadsheets, and corporate routine — until a serious car accident forced her to re-examine everything. The accident was a wake-up call: corporate life was not the life for her. In 2010, she made the radical decision to leave her job and join her husband Gregory Leclerc, a natural winemaker in the Loire Valley.
But Anne was not content to simply assist in her husband's cellar. Always up for a challenge, she wanted to make different wines — with different grapes, on a different terroir, with her own voice. She realised she needed her own vines for the style of wine that inspired her: light, fruity, expressive, and utterly drinkable. The heavy, high-alcohol wines typical of the south were not what she sought.
Her friend Christophe Beau, a biodynamic producer in the Coteaux du Languedoc, offered her a partnership on his 6-hectare estate, renting her 2.5 hectares of his land. In 2011, Autour de l'Anne was born — with the help of Christophe and his son Victor. The name itself is a playful twist on her name, setting the tone for a project that would never take itself too seriously.
The "Loiredoc" concept emerged organically: Anne hand-harvests the grapes in the Languedoc, ferments them spontaneously with wild yeasts in concrete tanks without any sulfur, and then — uniquely — transports the wine to the Loire Valley to finish its ageing at Gregory's winery. This dual-region approach is not merely logistical; it is philosophical. The warm Languedoc gives the grapes power and fruit, while the cool Loire air and Gregory's cellar guide the wines toward a lighter, more delicate, and refined expression. Anne's wines, she says, tend to be more similar to wines from the Loire Valley than the Languedoc — a delicious paradox.
"Anne Paillet makes the kind of wine that I like to cover my table with. Especially when a bunch of people are coming over."
— Burlington Free Press
Biodynamic Languedoc, Loire Cellar & The Mistral
Autour de l'Anne's grapes are sourced from Domaine Beauthorey in Corconne and the Pic-Saint-Loup area of the Languedoc — vineyards farmed biodynamically with Demeter and Nature & Progrès certifications. The farming is meticulous: Christophe Beau and his team tend the vines with minimal intervention, avoiding chemicals and favouring manual labour, cover cropping, and biodiversity. The soils are limestone and red clay, providing both drainage and mineral complexity.
The vineyard area Anne works with spans 2.5 hectares on Christophe's 6-hectare estate. The vines average 20 years of age — mature enough to produce concentrated fruit, young enough to retain vitality. The varieties are quintessential Languedoc: Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan for reds; Colombard and Vermentino for whites. These are grapes that thrive in the Mediterranean climate, but Anne's handling transforms them into something unexpected — light, fresh, and graceful.
The unique "Loiredoc" ageing process is central to the wines' character. After primary fermentation in concrete tanks in the Languedoc — typically in January or February — Anne transports the musts north to the Loire Valley. There, in Gregory Leclerc's underground cellars, the wines finish their ageing and are bottled. The French wine administration permits this arrangement as long as the respective vats and vessels are kept separate. The cooler Loire climate slows ageing, preserves acidity, and imparts a delicacy that would be impossible in the warm south.
Anne shares the cellar not only with her husband but also with Chahut et Prodiges, another natural wine project — a communal atmosphere that reflects the collaborative spirit of the natural wine world. The underground cellars provide perfect conditions: stable temperature, high humidity, and the quiet patience that natural wine demands.
Demeter and Nature & Progrès certified vineyards. Christophe Beau's meticulous biodynamic farming. No chemicals, manual labour, cover cropping, biodiversity. 2.5 hectares on 6-hectare estate. Limestone and red clay soils.
Grapes grown in Languedoc, aged in Loire. Primary fermentation in concrete tanks in the south. Transported north in winter to finish ageing in Gregory Leclerc's underground cellars. Cool Loire climate preserves acidity and imparts delicacy. A unique dual-region identity.
All grapes picked by hand into small crates. Selection begins in the vineyard. Berry integrity preserved from vine to tank. Labour-intensive but essential for the quality Anne demands. No mechanical harvesters.
Cuvée names are puns on "Anne": Pot d'Anne, Anagramme, L'Anne Fatale, Wonder Womanne, Los Annegeles. The humour reflects the project's spirit: serious about wine, lighthearted about everything else. Wine for joy, not for pretension.
Indigenous Yeasts, Concrete Tanks & Zero Sulfur
At Autour de l'Anne, the cellar philosophy is one of absolute purity: indigenous yeasts only, zero added sulfur dioxide, no fining, no filtration, no additives of any kind. Anne's process is defined by a commitment to minimal intervention that allows the pure character of the biodynamic fruit to shine through. The wines are fermented in concrete tanks — a neutral vessel that preserves temperature stability and does not impart oak flavours, letting the grapes speak for themselves.
The techniques are straightforward but demand precision:
Harvest: All grapes are hand-harvested from the biodynamic vineyards in Corconne and Pic-Saint-Loup. Selection is critical; only perfectly healthy fruit enters the cellar.
Fermentation: Spontaneous, with wild yeasts present on the grape skins. No commercial strains, no temperature control, no enzymatic additions. Fermentation proceeds in concrete tanks in the Languedoc, with Anne monitoring but never imposing.
The Journey North: After primary fermentation completes — typically in January or February — the wines are transported to the Loire Valley. This mid-process journey is unique: the warm southern fermentation extracts fruit and colour; the cool northern ageing refines and elevates.
Ageing: The wines finish their ageing in Gregory Leclerc's underground cellars in the Loire — concrete tanks and neutral vessels. The stable, cool conditions allow slow, graceful development. Time on lees provides natural stability and texture, eliminating the need for sulfur.
Bottling: Unfined, unfiltered, zero sulfur. The wines are bottled in the Loire, carrying both southern fruit and northern finesse in every bottle.
Anne deliberately avoids heaviness and high alcohol levels. Her style is lighter, more terroir-expressive, closer to Loire elegance than Languedoc power. This is not a rejection of the south but a reinterpretation of it — proving that Mediterranean grapes, when handled with sensitivity and aged in cooler climes, can achieve a grace that defies regional stereotypes.
The portfolio is a playful, pun-filled journey through Languedoc varieties:
"Pot d'Anne": 100% Cinsault. Light, gulpable, fruity — the ultimate natural wine for covering a table with friends.
"Anagramme": Pure Grenache. Bright, red-fruited intensity. The anagram of Anne, rearranged into something new.
"Lethal Weapanne": A blend of Merlot, Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Vermentino, and Colombard. Dangerously drinkable.
"Wonder Womanne": A heroic blend that lives up to its name. Powerful yet graceful.
"Los Annegeles": A popular red blend, often Cinsault and Grenache. Sunny, vibrant, Californian in spirit but French in soul.
"Bob dit l'Anne": A vibrant red blend with a name that makes you smile before you even taste it.
"L'Anne Fatale": A red wine with a distinctive, compelling profile. The femme fatale of the range.
"CSG": A pét-nat sparkling wine from Cinsault, Syrah, and Grenache. Bubbles with attitude.
"Pot d'Anne" Cinsault — "Light, Gulpable, and Utterly Joyful"
The "Pot d'Anne" is Anne Paillet's signature wine — a 100% Cinsault that demonstrates what happens when biodynamic Languedoc grapes are handled with Loire sensibility and zero intervention.
Sourced from 20-year-old vines on limestone and red clay soils in Corconne, the Cinsault grapes are hand-harvested and fermented spontaneously with wild yeasts in concrete tanks in the Languedoc. No sulfur, no additives, no temperature control. After primary fermentation, the wine is transported to Gregory Leclerc's underground cellars in the Loire Valley, where it ages in concrete tanks through the cool winter and spring, developing finesse and delicacy impossible in the warm south.
In the glass, it is pale garnet — lighter than most Languedoc reds, closer to a Loire gamay in colour. The nose is a fresh burst of red cherry, wild strawberry, pomegranate, and a hint of Mediterranean herbs. The palate is light-bodied and juicy, with gentle tannins, vibrant acidity, and a finish that is so drinkable it demands another glass immediately. This is not a wine for cellaring or contemplation; it is a wine for life — for covering the table with friends, for loud crowds, for the joy of being together. Anne makes the kind of wine you want to share, not hoard. Serve at 14–16°C. Drink young. ~€14–€18 / ~$15–$20.
The Autour de l'Anne Range
Anne Paillet produces a playful, terroir-driven portfolio of "Loiredoc" wines from biodynamically farmed vineyards in the Languedoc, aged in the Loire Valley. All wines are hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks, and bottled with zero added sulfur. No fining, no filtration, no additives. The portfolio spans light reds, a pure Grenache, multi-varietal blends, and a pét-nat sparkling — each with a pun-based name that reflects Anne's creative spirit. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.