La Petite Baigneuse (The Little Bather) was established in 2007 by Philippe Wies and his wife Celine. 

Originally market garden farmers, of heirloom vegetables and rare breed chickens, in the Ardeche, they sold in 2005, packed up their bags and young children and spent 18 months sailing around the Northern Hemisphere. Returning to France, they went looking for property, Philippe having the wish to make wine. They purchased 8.5 hectares of vines near the village of St Paul de Fenouillet in the appellation of Maury. 

The wide ranging Languedoc-Roussillon area is the largest wine producing region in France, it stretches from the western border of the Rhone to the Spanish border of Catalunya. Circled by the Massif Central and Pyrénées mountains with the Mediterranean Sea on its east. The climate is warm and dry, influenced by the Mediterranean, Perpignan being one of the sunniest places in France with an average annual temperature of 15 degrees. 

Philippe has the highest vineyards in the appellation of Maury at 370 meters altitude, ensuing cooler night time temperatures during summer months. It is also special for the Tramontane winds — the strong cold winds that pass between the Pyrenees and Massif Central on average 200 days per year.

The vineyards are located where the Pyrenees and Corbiere ranges meet and where the underlying schist is vertical pushing up. Schist soils also have good heat retention properties, essential in warm regions allowing slow ripening of the grapes during the evening.

Roussillon’s affordable land has made it a magnet for natural wine pioneers: Cyril Fhal (Clos du Rouge Gorge) Loïc Roure (Domaine du Possible) as well as Philippe. From the initial 8.5ha, the estate now consists of 13 hectares. 3 of these are designated to white grapes (Macabeau and Grenache gris) and the remaining 10 to red (Grenache, Carignan, Lledoner Pelut (Hairy Grenache), Cinsault and a small portion of Syrah). The Mediterranean Sea sits 20 kilometres away, the old goblet vines are surrounded by garrigue (scrubland) with the cliffs offering protection to the north.

Since taking over in 2007, everything is organically grown with some biodynamic methods used, adapted where necessary to the climate and location. The soil now teems with life and energy. In February 2020 when I visited Philippe we spoke about the rapidly changing climate, especially in Languedoc-Roussillon. In the spring (April) they planted peach, olive and almond trees, for poly-culture of the soil and to hopefully provide some shade protection. He is also experimenting with goats milk whey in his spray to protect the vines, with good results so far. Philippe has constructed and built everything himself, engaging local tradesman for extra manpower where necessary. This includes the winery, which is built into the side of the land, the concrete fermentation tanks and the press.

Everything has been designed so the cellar operates by gravity. Fermentation is with natural yeasts only and always in ambient concrete tanks. Vinification takes place with de-stemmed fruit, sometimes he will incorporate carbonic maceration. There is no punching-down of the cap and pumping over is used sparingly. Èlevage of the whites is in tank, while for the reds it occurs in tank, old barrels and foudres. The wines are unfined and unfiltered and without sulphur. Annual production is approximately 30,000 bottles.

These are clean and precise wines, wines of freshness with distinct minerality.