OLIVIER PITHON, Côtes de Roussillon
Olivier Pithon grew up in the wine business. His grandfather was a vine grower in Anjou, and when he was very young, Olivier’s big brother, Jo Pithon, settled on the hillsides of Layon in the Loire. After learning his craft in Bordeaux, his brother introduced him to Gerard Gauby (Domaine Gauby) who farms near the village of Calce in the heart of Roussillon, tucked against the Pyrénées. Olivier fell in love with the land and established his winery in 2000.
Calce is a unique place situated between the Mediterranean, the Pyrénées and Corbières. Located at an altitude of 300m the land is influenced by the Tramontane wind which blows from the north-west. It is dry and cold bringing clear blue skies and relief from the heat in the summer and cold air in the winter that allows the vines to rejuvenate. The soil is a mixture of limestone, schist and marl; and Olivier has 5 different sites that comprise a total of 24ha. Since the beginning he has farmed organically and with harmony for the entire vineyard, lessons he learned from his many mentors in Bordeaux that include the highly regarded Bordeaux consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt. His winery and vineyards are now certified organic, and Olivier has been farming biodynamically since 2010. In Olivier’s words ‘I discovered the sensitivity of how wines can become pleasure, balance and lightness’.
From the ground to the bottle, Olivier Pithon is focused on one simple rule: making wines the most natural way possible, and with respect to the environment. This means without the use of chemicals, but Olivier works in harmony with the environmental cycles and uses cows, bees and sowing. His main estate cuvée, Laïs, is named after his cow. Olivier does purchase fruit from like-minded organic growers for his entry line Mon P’tit Pithon. The winery is thoughtfully laid out with concrete, stainless steel and large oak vats used for his 3 ranges. Low yields from a combination of Grenache (Gris, Blanc and Noir), Macabeu, Carignan, Syrah and Mourvedre produce beautifully balanced wines that age in a magical way,with fine tannins and appealing acidity. Total annual production is about 60,000 bottles (5,000 cases).
