70% Syrah, 30% Grenache from the Ardèche courtesy Jean-Daniel and Thomas Ozil of Domaine Ozil who tend 16 hectares of vines in their fifth-generation polyculture farm in the south of central France's Ardèche not far from the Gorges de l'Ardèche and the Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave. 

The Syrah is spontaneously fermented whole-cluster for 10-days. The Grenache is destemmed prior to a 3-week carbonic maceration. Blended and bottled unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2. 12% ABV

Domaine Ozil

In 2010, brothers Jean Daniel and Thomas Ozil vinified their first vat of wine with their friend and renowned Ardeche winemaker, Antonin Azzoni, using grapes from their father. It was an initial attempt at making wine from their estate's fruit, which had been selling grapes to the local coop for four generations prior. The wine turned out mediocre, tasting somewhat like piquette, but there was a spark and the brothers Ozil were determined to continue on in their quest to turn their family domaine into something they could be proud of. The following year, they continued to experiment, creating a blend of well-ripened Syrah and acidulous Ugni Blanc. This batch was successful. In 2013, the Ozil brothers converted their family vines to organic farming and officially launched their winery, producing 8,000 bottles in the first year. Prior to this, their parents practiced conventional farming, delivering grapes to a cooperative and using some herbicides while maintaining grass in every other row and applying chemicals around flowering. Now, the Ozil brothers are well-established and have truly hit their stride in the cellar. A common, but always welcomed, tale of a new generation working to reverse the harmful affects of chemical farming practiced by their predecessors and another exhibit of proof that if you lead with doing right by the land, the wines will follow.