Mary Taylor (Sophie Siadou) Valençay

This cuvée is known as “les griottes” or “the cherries”, because the flavor offers gentle notes of ripe red cherry, with a hint of spice on the finish. Ruby in color, this wine has a savory nose of juicy red berries, dried field grass, sage brush, and violet. On the palate, just-ripened red cherries are laced with chalk and limestone. Although the winery functions as a family affair, it was Sophie’s unique vision that informed this specific bottling, to which she has lent her name. Reflecting her holistic approach to the ecosystem of the vineyard and her careful attention to the nuances of her terroir, this wine was allowed to ferment naturally, using only the indigenous ambient yeasts present in the surrounding environment, the vineyard and cellar. In the glass, the decision to allow natural fermentation comes across as an almost electric vibrancy— not so much a beverage but a living, breathing thing.