Tailleurs
Cueilleurs
The Deal That Fell Through
Chloé Bey (from Nîmes) and Jordan D'Osualdo (from Alsace) met harvesting for Bruno Schueller in 2018 [^13^]. They traveled together—working at Denis Montanar's in Friuli, Italy—before deciding to settle. In 2020, they found a property in Bugey, but days before harvest, the sellers backed out [^5^].
Undeterred, they convinced local landowners to sell them small parcels scattered across three sectors: Varey, Poncieux, and Dalivoy. They found a building in Saint-Jean-le-Vieux near Cerdon, renovated it in time, and made their first vintage in 2021—eight cuvées from 4 hectares [^5^][^8^].
Wild Agriculture
Their name literally means "pruners-pickers"—evoking craft, care, and manual labor. But their philosophy is "non-action": soils are never ploughed, grasses grow wild, and biodiversity reigns. They practice biodynamics with fervor—horn dung, silica, cosmic rhythms, lunar calendar [^18^][^8^].
"The vine is at the center of a true ecosystem," they say. They've planted 21 fruit trees (2022) and want cows grazing between rows. Soils stay covered to maintain humidity and combat global warming—precision through letting go [^18^][^5^].
Bruno Schueller
Denis Montanar
Parcels Gained
8 Cuvées Born
Biodynamic Bugey
Zero Sulfur
No SO2 at any stage—from harvest to bottling. Gravity bottling without filtration. "This minimal intervention allows wines to speak naturally of their terroir." Clean, precise, unadorned mountain expression [^5^][^8^].
Demi-Muids
All wines age in large format oak or acacia demi-muids for exactly 9 months—old wood, no new oak influence. Chardonnay sees acacia for floral lift; reds get French oak for structure. Resting on fine lees, hand-disgorged [^1^][^8^].
Three Sectors
Varey (300m, south-west), Poncieux (500m, high altitude, oldest vines), Dalivoy (400m, Chardonnay). Clay-limestone, marl, and calcareous slopes at the crossroads of Jura, Savoie, Burgundy, and Beaujolais [^1^][^8^].
"We practice biodynamics with fervor... the diversity of our plots is essential. We let the grass express itself—natural soil decompaction, variety of insects, fungi, bacteria, and our beloved bees forage."— Wild Agriculture Philosophy
The Collection
Eight cuvées from 4 hectares—ancestral sparklers to century-old Gamay, all raised in demi-muids [^8^].
Sarvazo
Gamay and Pinot Noir direct-pressed, méthode ancestrale. Fermented in oak demi-muid, hand-disgorged and stapled. Spiced pears, white pepper, citrus zest. Nine months on lees—bubbles from the Bugey crossroads [^1^][^8^].
Grenalâ
From 50-year-old vines at 500m in Poncieux. Semi-carbonic maceration three weeks, no pigeage. Red cherry, blueberry, savoury prune, violets. Whole cluster magic in high-altitude clay-limestone [^1^][^14^].
A l'abada
110-year-old Gamay Freu from selection massale. Poncieux plot "La Buidase" at 500m. Destemmed, three weeks maceration with light pigeage. From pre-phylloxera vines to demi-muid—history in liquid form [^8^].
Kovè
Young vine Gamay and Mondeuse from Varey (300m). Velvety red cherry, fresh blackberries, pencil shavings, sumac, dried flowers. Mondeuse free-run blended with Gamay press juice—Savoie meets Beaujolais [^1^][^8^].
Lyëna
From Dalivoy at 400m on marno-calcareous soils. Direct pressed, fermented in French oak demi-muid then transferred to acacia barrels. Fresh stone fruit, wet stones, daisies, and cream. Alpine tension [^1^].
Novêra
80-90-year-old vines in Poncieux at 500m, selection massale. Destemmed, three weeks with pigeage. Aged in acacia demi-muid. The concentration of ancient vines at altitude—pure biodynamic expression [^8^].