We first met Géraldine at La Tour Cassée, the legendary haunt in Valvignères and meeting place for the winemakers who call the Ardèche home. The village of Valvignères (literally, ‘valley of the vines’) is steeped in history, the last few decades being catalysts for an unprecedented identity shift, thanks largely to Gérald Oustric and his sister Jocelyne of the domaine Le Mazel. It became a siren song: the desire to move away from co-op focused wineries and refocus on the beauty of one’s own terroir. Winemakers relocated to the Ardèche in droves, motivated by the romance of pursuing that path, and many have made a household names for themselves—and for the region—as vital players in the global natural wine scene.

And yet, in these dimly lit halls animated by winemakers and their friends, Valvignères proves that it has more surprises up its sleeve. Géraldine pours us a taste of the fairytale cuvée “Il Était Une Fois…” and it feels like a revelation in our glasses, a secret hidden in plain sight.

Géraldine and her husband Méryl Crozier, though, are no newcomers to the Ardèche.

Il était une fois (once upon a time)…Méryl’s grandparents were winegrowers in Valvignères, leading Méryl to work alongside Le Mazel in the late ‘90s, studying oenology and helping with harvest. Géraldine’s family, on the other hand, made wine in Burgundy, and Géraldine chose to pursue law until finally getting a master’s degree in terroir management. It was here in Valvignère that the two met and fell in love. Instinct told them that the Ardéche was the place they would call home. They married at La Tour Cassée and have been here ever since.

After arriving in 2011, they took over 2.5 hectares of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that belonged to Méryl’s family, and immediately found another 2.5 hectares of Grenache, Ugni Blanc, Viognier, Merlot, and more. These vines, old and steadfast, sit amongst the rocky terrain of the Ardèche, surrounded by small foothills and wildflowers that weave in and amongst the rows. The wines themselves (especially the reds) mirror this unabashed rusticity; spicy, raw, and real.

Géraldine and Méryl are a calm presence in a crowded room–whether that room is literal, filled with rowdy winemakers, or figurative, filled with voices telling them to farm conventionally and use additives in the cellar, as they teach you in winemaking school. They exude intentionality and patience, a quiet confidence in the path they have chosen. Their choice to eschew any and all additives, and to farm strictly organically, presents its own set of challenges (think biblical hail and shockingly late ripening). Yet, in the face of these odds, they continue to produce quantities of wine that feel like small gifts, secrets, waiting to be shared.

LA VRILLE ET LE PAPILLON

Country: France

Region: Ardèche

Sub-region or Appellation: Valvignères

Winemakers: Géraldine & Méryl Crozier

Viticulture: Biodynamic

Terroir: Limestone and Clay

Size: 5 ha

Website: lavrilleetlepapillon.fr
Instagram: @la_vrille_et_le_papillon

LA VRILLE ET LE PAPILLON :: Il Était Une Fois

The domaine's first "monocèpage" bottling of Grenache Blanc. Truly special, epitomizing balance while playing into Grenache Blanc’s inherent opulence. Mezmerizing and endlessly drinkable.

Vintage: 2022
Varieties: Grenache Blanc
Style: White Wine
ABV: 11.5%
Region: Ardèche
Sub-Region or Appellation: Valvignieres
Viticulture: Biodynamic
Age of Vines:
Soils: Limestone and Clay
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Direct-pressed
Aging: Stainless steel
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added

LA VRILLE ET LE PAPILLON :: La Bruit des Glaçons

50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah, from fruit that survived the trecherous hailstorms in the spring of 2021.

Vintage: 2021
Varieties: Grenache Noir, Syrah
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 12.5%
Region: Ardèche
Sub-Region or Appellation: Valvignieres
Viticulture: Biodynamic
Age of Vines:
Soils: Limestone and Clay
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification:
Aging:
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added

LA VRILLE ET LE PAPILLON :: Kairos

A blend of Syrah from the 2020 vintage and Grenache that was harvested late-season in November of 2021.

Vintage: 2020, 2021
Varieties: Syrah, Grenache
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 12.5%
Region: Ardèche
Sub-Region or Appellation: Valvignieres
Viticulture: Biodynamic
Age of Vines:
Soils: Limestone and Clay
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification:
Aging:
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added

LA VRILLE ET LE PAPILLON :: Novemberlot

90% Merlot from the 2019 vintage, 10% blend of white grapes (Viognier, Ugni Blanc, Grenache Blanc) that was harvested in November 2021.

Vintage: 2019, 2021
Varieties: Merlot, Viognier, Ugni Blanc, Grenache Blanc
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 13.5%
Region: Ardèche
Sub-Region or Appellation: Valvignieres
Viticulture: Biodynamic
Age of Vines:
Soils: Limestone and Clay
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification:
Aging:
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added