The Flying Cellar, Rooted in the Aspres
Le Chai Volant is one of Roussillon's most intimate and poetic natural wine estates — a 3.5-hectare project led by Fatim Sabri in the ancient, arid foothills of the Canigou. At 700 metres altitude, in a traditional winemaking village facing the sacred mountain, Fatim cultivates old, co-planted Mediterranean vines across clay-limestone soils shaped by the Tramontane wind, sea breezes, and Spanish mists. Her name — "The Flying Cellar" — encapsulates everything she stands for: a free-spirited, non-traditional approach that reconnects with historical mountain viticulture while embracing modern natural philosophy. All grapes are hand-harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts in a mixture of steel and Italian amphora, and bottled without fining, filtration, or a single added input. The result is wines of startling purity, intensity, and freshness — a translation of wild, panoramic Catalan landscape into liquid form.
From the Mountains to Mas Batane
Fatim Sabri's story is one of deliberate return — to tradition, to altitude, to the raw soul of Roussillon. She established Le Chai Volant not in the fashionable plains but in Boule-d'Amont, a village at 700 metres in the Aspres — the first foothills of the Canigou, the sacred mountain of Catalan country. The name "Aspres" means "arid" in Catalan, and the landscape is exactly that: hot, dry, distinctly Catalan rather than French, where oak, olive, and cypress trees frame scattered old vines against a backdrop of rocky, sun-baked earth.
The choice of Boule-d'Amont was deeply intentional. Historically, this village possessed vines and traditional winemaking cellars in the isolated mountain farms — the mas — that dot the landscape. By setting up her cellar at Mas Batane, Fatim consciously reconnected with this forgotten tradition, reviving a practice that had nearly vanished from the high country. The cellar itself is an old, traditional farm building, allowing her to maintain a low-tech, gravity-fed approach that honours the historical methods of the region.
The name "Le Chai Volant" — The Flying Cellar — is both playful and profound. It speaks to Fatim's free-spirited, non-traditional approach to winemaking: unbound by convention, willing to take risks, and always in motion. The full story behind the name, she says, is for another time — a hint of the mystery and personality that infuses every bottle. What is clear is that this is not a project of replication but of reinvention: taking the ancient wisdom of mountain viticulture and filtering it through a modern natural wine lens.
Today, Le Chai Volant extends across just 3.5 hectares in two communes — Fourques and Trouillas — with a cellar in Boule-d'Amont. It is a small-scale, deeply personal project where every vine is known, every decision is felt, and every wine carries the unmistakable imprint of Fatim's vision and the wild Aspres terroir.
"Characterised by a mixture of intensity and freshness, the macerated whites feel nectar-like, profoundly herbal, and somehow timeless. The reds are aromatic, deeply concentrated and at the same time nimble and fresh — they offer a fascinating translation of this wild, panoramic landscape."
— Wayward Wines
Old Vines, Co-Planted & Wind-Sculpted
Le Chai Volant's vineyards are a testament to the diversity and challenge of high-altitude Roussillon. Spread across two communes in the Aspres, the 3.5 hectares are planted with a remarkable array of traditional Mediterranean varieties — a polycultural approach that reflects both the historical practices of the region and Fatim's belief in complexity through diversity.
The soils are primarily clay-limestone, interwoven with pebbles and sand — poor, well-drained, and mineral-rich. The old vines are trained in gobelet, the traditional bush vine method that limits yields and concentrates flavour. Many of the vines are "complantées" — co-planted with different varieties in the same plot, an ancient practice that creates natural complexity and low yields. As Fatim sees it, this is not merely a viticultural technique but a richness: "a diversity of culture and inspiration for vinification."
The Aspres climate is shaped by three powerful forces: the Tramontane wind from the north, cool sea breezes from the Mediterranean to the east, and mists rising from northern Spain. Together they moderate the intense Mediterranean heat, preserving acidity and freshness in the grapes. The altitude — 700 metres — provides cooler nights and slower ripening, allowing the old vines to develop depth and concentration without losing their nerve.
Farming is organic and biodynamic, with a focus on creating a healthy, living ecosystem. Soil work is limited, and vines are treated primarily with fermented plant-based extracts — a gentle, holistic approach that respects the natural balance of the vineyard. The vines are surrounded by oak, olive, and cypress trees, forming a biodiverse landscape that supports the vines and protects them from the harshest extremes of the climate.
Fourques and Trouillas in the Aspres, Pyrénées-Orientales. Clay-limestone soils with pebbles and sand. Gobelet-trained old vines. Co-planted plots for natural complexity. The full breadth of high-altitude Catalan terroir in every bottle.
Tramontane from the north, sea breezes from the east, Spanish mists from the south. Three moderating forces against Mediterranean heat. Acidity preserved where others find only power. The climatic signature of the Aspres.
Fermented plant-based extracts for vine treatment. Limited soil work. Biodiverse landscape with oak, olive, and cypress. Healthy ecosystem over chemical intervention. Patience and observation over shortcuts.
Carignan, Syrah, Grenache Blanc and Gris, Macabeu, Carignan Blanc, Muscat — all in the same small surface. Complantées for natural complexity. Low yields from age. Concentration and depth without heaviness.
Amphora, Indigenous Yeasts & Absolute Purity
At Le Chai Volant, the cellar philosophy is one of absolute purity and minimal intervention. Fatim works out of an old traditional farm building at Mas Batane, maintaining a low-tech, gravity-fed approach that eliminates unnecessary manipulation. Every step is designed to let the unique terroir and the grapes speak for themselves — without interference, without additives, without compromise.
The techniques are precise and uncompromising:
Harvest: All grapes are meticulously hand-harvested and carefully sorted. Selection begins in the vineyard and continues at the cellar door. Only perfectly healthy, ripe fruit enters the fermentation vessels.
Vinification: Whole clusters and native yeasts for fermentation. Depending on the cuvée, Fatim uses a mixture of stainless steel and Italian amphora — the clay vessels allowing for gentle micro-oxygenation while preserving the wine's natural energy and aromatic purity. No commercial yeasts, no enzymes, no temperature control beyond the natural coolness of the mountain cellar.
Ageing: Wines are aged to allow natural stabilization. The amphora vessels play a crucial role here, providing a neutral, breathable environment that respects the wine's evolution without imposing oak character. The focus is on purity, minerality, and the honest expression of the Aspres terroir.
Bottling: Unfined, unfiltered, zero sulfur. The wines are bottled as they are — alive, evolving, and completely unmasked. This requires impeccable hygiene, healthy fruit, and absolute confidence in the vineyard's quality. There are no chemical safety nets, only the truth of the terroir.
The portfolio is a range of vibrant, terroir-driven cuvées with creative, poetic names:
"Lèvre Voile": A skin-contact white from Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris. Nectar-like, profoundly herbal, structured yet fresh. The white that proves Roussillon can produce wines of power and elegance simultaneously.
"Syrah de Coeur": Pure Syrah from old vines. Delicate, elegant, and deeply expressive — a side of Syrah rarely seen in the south, where the grape is often forced into heaviness. Here it is nimble, aromatic, and full of heart.
"Carry Carry": A Carignan cuvée that showcases the bright fruit and rustic charm of this quintessential Mediterranean grape. Juicy, concentrated, and utterly drinkable.
"Hanah": A distinctive white blend — tropical, balanced, and pure. Citrus, white flowers, and a saline mineral finish that speaks of the Aspres' unique wind-sculpted terroir.
"Par faim' Florale": A powerful and aromatic Muscat d'Alexandrie — floral, intense, and unmistakably Mediterranean. The wine that captures the sun and the wild herbs of the landscape.
"Lèvre Voile" — "Nectar-Like, Profoundly Herbal, Somehow Timeless"
The "Lèvre Voile" is Le Chai Volant's most distinctive white cuvée — a skin-contact wine made from Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris that demonstrates what happens when old-vine Mediterranean grapes, high-altitude Aspres terroir, and amphora ageing converge in a single bottle.
The grapes are hand-harvested from co-planted old vines in Fourques and Trouillas, where clay-limestone soils and the moderating influence of three winds preserve acidity and aromatic complexity. The bunches are fermented whole-cluster with indigenous yeasts in Italian amphora, allowing for gentle maceration and micro-oxygenation that builds structure without heaviness. The skin contact adds texture, tannin, and a deep golden hue — but the high altitude and cool nights keep everything in balance, preventing the wine from becoming ponderous.
After natural stabilization, the wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with zero added sulfur. In the glass, it is deep gold with a luminous rim. The nose is a complex weave of white peach, apricot, dried herbs, fennel, and a distinct mineral stoniness — the clay-limestone soils speaking clearly. The palate is nectar-like and profoundly herbal, with a structure and power that belies its freshness. The finish is long, saline, and somehow timeless — a wine that feels ancient and modern simultaneously. This is not merely a skin-contact white; it is a meditation on what Roussillon's high country can achieve when tradition and innovation meet. Serve at 10–12°C. Drink now or cellar 3–5 years. ~$28–$38 / ~€25–€35.
The Le Chai Volant Range
Fatim Sabri produces a small, poetic portfolio from her 3.5 hectares of organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards across Fourques and Trouillas in the Aspres, Roussillon. All wines are hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts in steel and Italian amphora, and bottled unfined and unfiltered with zero added sulfur. The portfolio spans skin-contact whites, elegant reds, and aromatic Mediterranean expressions — each capturing the intensity, freshness, and wild character of high-altitude Catalan terroir. Prices are approximate and in USD/EUR.