KERMIT LYNCH WINE MERCHANT

Unlike so many of our producers who were born into the trade, Emmanuelle Dupéré and Laurent Barrera did not start their careers in wine.  Emmanuelle was, and still is, a professional singer, and Laurent a geological engineer on the island of Réunion, near Madagascar.  In 1998, Laurent decided to change direction and enrolled in viticultural school in the Var.  Emmanuelle already had a degree in Wine Commerce, but went back to school to learn the production side of the business. Their studies brought them together with great winemakers from various regions of France, and as they learned from these experienced producers, they gained a deep respect for the unadulterated expression of the fruit so prevalent in naturally-made wines.

There is nothing average about this husband-and-wife team of enologists:  they consider every detail with both brainy enthusiasm and heart.  These eco-conscious artisans could never be accused of not walking their talk, either. They adhere to organic methods in the vineyards and are now also incorporating biodynamic practices, adding even stricter discipline to their intense workload. Their winemaking process allows the natural character of the wine to speak for itself, with minute doses of sulfur, no fining or filtration, and bottling during optimal weather conditions when the atmospheric pressure is just right. Their Côtes de Provence “Clos de la Procure” is sourced from a rocky, terraced site, influenced by cooling winds from the Mediterranean. The wine never sees a pump and everything is done by hand, from harvest to bottling.