A tense, mineral expression of granite-grown Syrah, pulled from the steep terraces above Tournon and Sécheras. It’s all whole-cluster, zero additions, aged in old wood—just pure vineyard soul with nothing between you and the place. Deep but lifted, it shimmers with dark berries, graphite, crushed herbs, and a smoky, bloody edge.

Christian Lericq & Collette Barrier – La Ferme de l’Arbre 

In a region as combed-over as the Northern Rhône, finding something new feels nearly impossible. But somehow, Christian Lericq and Collette Barrier slipped through the cracks—quietly making soulful, untamed Syrah on steep granite terraces around Tournon-sur-Rhône. Christian has been at it for over 25 years, bottling under his name and keeping things small, local, and decidedly out of the spotlight. It wasn’t until 2016, with the creation of La Ferme de l’Arbre, that he and Collette formed a proper domaine—though the name remains as anonymous as they are.

Their 4.5ha of vines—once all within the Saint-Joseph appellation—are farmed by hand, with tools as analog as a pickaxe and winch. Everything is done without chemical inputs, nourished by compost and herbal teas, with only trace amounts of copper or sulfur used in extreme cases. In the cellar, it’s whole-bunch fermentations, native yeasts, no fining, no filtering, and no additions—just raw, expressive wine left to age in old barrels under their home.

Though their friends and neighbors (Souhaut, Dard, Ribo) have become names in natural wine circles, Christian and Collette have quietly let their wines speak. And speak they do—bloody, electric, and buzzing with immediacy. These are not polished, prim Rhône Syrahs. They’re the wild, emotive counterparts.. They don't just stand apart from the crowd—they exist on their own wavelength.