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There are estates that live up to their name. The Domaine du Chant des Loups, nestled in the jagged foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirail, in the Vacqueyras appellation, is one of them. Here, the wind blows between cypress and olive trees, the garrigue scents with thyme and lavender, and the vines seem to listen to the voices of wind and stone. This estate, at once discreet and charismatic, cultivates an authenticity rare in the southern Rhône Valley winegrowing landscape.
Conducted with conviction and humility by Jean-François and Marie-Christine Pochon, the Chant des Loups is today an essential landmark for those seeking vibrant, sincere vins de Vacqueyras bio intensely linked to their terroir. These winemakers, who have come from different horizons, have managed to tame the wildness of the place without ever totally taming it. The result: deep, inhabited wines, where fruit rubs shoulders with stone, where the sweetness of the sun meets the freshness of Provencal nights.
The story of the Domaine du Chant des Loups begins in the 1990s, when Jean-François Pochon, an agricultural engineer by training, decided to leave the urban world to put down roots in the land of the South. With his wife Marie-Christine, he settled in Vacqueyras, seduced by the wild beauty of the landscape and the complexity of the soils. The estate was then to be built: a few old plots, vines to be taken over, a winery to be created.
The name "Chant des Loups" was an obvious choice. It evokes the free and untamed nature, but also that inner music we hear when the wind rises on the slopes of the garrigue. Here, the vine is not a decoration, it's a living being," Jean-François once confided. You can't tame it, you have to listen to it."
From the outset, the couple chose a biological approach that respects the life of the soil. No chemicals, no herbicides: just light ploughing, natural treatments, manual harvesting and gentle vinification. Over the years, the Domaine du Chant des Loups has established itself as one of the symbols of an authentic Vacqueyras, artisanal and vibrant.
The estate's 18 hectares of vines stretch across the alluvial and clay-limestone terraces of the Dentelles de Montmirail foothills. This geological zone, formed by the uplift of the massifs in the Cretaceous period, offers an exceptional diversity of soils: gray marl, limestone scree, sand and rolled pebbles. It is this mosaic that gives the wines their complexity and depth.
The climate is typically Mediterranean, but the winds - particularly the mistral - bring welcome freshness and beautiful aromatic concentration. Thermal amplitudes between day and night allow a slow and balanced ripening of the grapes, guaranteeing ripe tannins and preserved freshness.
The vineyard is planted mainly with Grenache noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault for the reds, and Roussanne, Clairette and Bourboulenc for the whites. Each grape variety finds its natural balance here, contributing to the sunny yet taut identity of Chant des Loups wines.
Jean-François Pochon's approach is that of a modern farmer: he observes, understands, then acts. Work in the vineyard is based on biodiversity and soil balance. Ploughing is done to the rhythm of the seasons, composts are homemade, and the soil's microbial life is carefully nurtured.
Treatments are limited to minute doses of copper and sulfur, accompanied by infusions of horsetail and nettle. The aim: to reinforce the plants' natural resistance without ever rushing it.
The grape harvests are carried out with the utmost care.
Harvesting is entirely manual, grapes sorted on the vine, then partially destemmed depending on ripeness. In the cellar, fermentations are carried out using indigenous yeasts, without the addition of selected yeasts or correctors. The sulfur is used in homeopathic doses, even eliminated on certain cuvées.
The long, patient ageing process takes place in cuves béton, foudres or demi-muids, depending on the nature of the wine. No fining, no systematic filtration: the wines are bottled as they "sing", to use the winemaker's favorite expression.
Le Chant des Loups produces wines with an instantly recognizable style. Far from over-concentration or massive extractions, here everything exudes the transparency of the fruit and the purity of the terroir.
The reds combine the gourmandise of Grenache with the mineral tension of Syrah and Mourvèdre. The nose often evokes black cherry, pepper and garrigue, but without heaviness. On the palate, the material is silky, balanced, carried by a natural acidity that prolongs the finish on saline and spicy notes.
The rarer whites play the card of freshness and texture. Neither too rich nor too lively, they offer a subtle balance between the roundness of the sun and the chalky straightness of the terroir.
The whites are more rare, playing the card of freshness and texture.
A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, this cuvée embodies the spirit of the estate. The nose opens with aromas of ripe red fruit, tapenade, black pepper and thyme. The palate is full-bodied, but without excess: the tannic structure is fine, the texture velvety. The freshness on the finish brings a rare elegance for the appellation.
Wine and food pairings: grilled lamb chop with Provence herbs, lamb tajine with apricots, or Provençal daube.
This confidential white, made from Roussanne and Clairette, stands out for its expressive nose of white flowers, honey and fresh almond. The palate is full-bodied, structured by chalky minerality and salinity on the finish. A balanced white, both sunny and airy.
Wine and food pairings: sea bass with fennel, asparagus risotto, or pressed cheeses.
A rare parcel, produced on sandstone and sandy soils, where Syrah expresses all its brilliance. The wine reveals a nose of blackberry, violet and licorice. On the palate, it combines power and freshness, with a long, peppery finish.
Dining and wine pairings: duck breast with honey, beef daube, or game birds.
Beyond wine, the Domaine du Chant des Loups is a place of life, almost an ecosystem. Olive trees, aromatic plants and fruit trees are grown here. You can hear the rustle of bees and the cry of cicadas.
Jean-François and Marie-Christine have always refused to give in to the temptation of expansion or volume. Here, production remains limited, on a human scale. Each cuvée is a fragment of the landscape, a way of listening to the land and restoring its voice.
Their son, Baptiste Pochon, is gradually taking up the torch, with the same respect for balance and an even more radical vision of natural viticulture. The domaine is now moving towards sulfur-free vinification and longer ageing, without losing the precision that has always made its reputation.
Le Chant des Loups doesn't seek to seduce: it seeks to move. It embodies a new generation of Vacqueyras, far from the stereotypes of power and exuberance. These are wines that breathe, to be drunk with pleasure, but also with reflection.
Each bottle carries the memory of wind, sun and stone. Each sip is a reminder that wine is not a product, but an encounter.
Wine is not a product, but an encounter.
The Domaine du Chant des Loups, through its consistency and sincerity, has established itself as a landmark for lovers of living wines. Rooted, sun-drenched wines, but always shot through with an inner vibrancy.
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The Cuvée Les Lèbres from Domaine Chant des Loups is a superb Vacqueras. This organic wine has a deep red to purple color, a powerful and pleasantly fruity nose. On the palate, there are morello cherry notes accompanied by the scent of undergrowth. Superb balance.
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