Meet a "natural" wine from a Bordeaux fifth-growth producer

Meet the first organic and "natural" wine from an 1855-classified fifth growth Pauillac Grand Cru. 

Cérès, from Château Haut-Bages Libéral, is being promoted as coming from a biodynamically farmed vineyard and having no added sulphites, Vitisphere reports. 

The 2020 Cérès AOC Haut Medoc “ticks all the boxes," says winery owner Claire Villars-Lurton. 

"It comes from a biodynamic vineyard with ground cover and trees in the vineyards. And what's more, it has no added sulphites." 

She points out that the reduction in sulphite concentrations already imposed by Demeter standards for biodynamic farming meant that the winery was already equipped to produce wines without added sulphites.

With a price tag of €20 to €22 in wine merchants, Cérès is being sold by G&C Lurton Estates through Bordeaux merchants. 

"Selling a natural wine is a bit of a first for our merchants, who specialise in Grand Cru wines,” says Villars-Lurton. 

“The more we have this type of project, the better it will be for Bordeaux.” 

Cérès should not be confused with Central Otago producer Ceres. Both share the name of the Roman goddess of agriculture and fertility.