Les Deplaudes de Tartaras “Ciel d’Orage” 2021

Anne and Pierre-Andre Deplaudes were farmers working with dairy cows, grains, and fruits until a drop in the price of milk about twenty years ago prompted them to shift their business towards scaling up the tiny amount of wine they also made. They still have a mixed-farming polycultural operation and have never stopped being farmers responsibly tending their land. The wines are sturdy, understated, and simply delicious. The Ciel d’Orage is a blend of Gamay, Syrah, and Pinot Noir, and it’s easy to pick out each of those varieties. The Gamay provides all the yummy blackberry notes, the Syrah adds a little black olive brine, and the Pinot Noir adds umami and juicy finesse. The mix of darker tones and fresh purity makes sense given their location between the Loire and the Rhone, about 2 hours due west of Lyon. [Jonathan Kemp 9/26/19]