The Melodic Wines of Jean-Philippe Padié

« Je peux pas vivre sans musique [I cannot live without music] » muses Jean-Philippe, splashing a blend of Grenache Noir, Syrah and Cinsault into our glasses as Jeanne Moreau croons in the background. The song is Le tourbillon de la vie, the title track of Jules et Jim — François Truffaut’s classic of the French New Wave — and the wine is Le Tourbillon de la Vie Rouge, Jean-Philippe Padié’s classic of the Roussillon’s new wave. 

Jean-Philippe Padié is a classic himself—a generous, buoyant, lovely man joining the ranks of Matassa, Gauby and Pithon, who first showed the world what delightfully subversive and lifted wines could come out of a region so defined by heat. 

That he is doing so in Calce is no coincidence.

Make no mistake, despite its microscopic size, Calce’s notoriety is distinct amongst natural wine faithfuls. Successive generations of producers have propelled the village to near global fame over the last few decades as a hotspot for hyper-soulful, hyper-expressive, hyper-inventive winemaking. Jean-Philippe Padié, who has been making wine on his own here since 2003, is one of those legends.

Jean-Philippe, who first worked under the tutelage of Mas Amiel and the ever-respected Domaine Gauby, began his own adventure with around 6.5 hectares here in Calce, which have blossomed to around 18 hectares over the last twenty years. These 18 hectares are spread over a mosaic of at least 30 different parcels, showcasing the stark variety of soil types, expositions, and elevations that make each Calce wine unlike any other.

Though scientific of mind, Jean-Philippe is ever-romantic about his cuvées. Before every wine he pours, he makes sure to cue a song carefully selected for each. Meanwhile, he’ll start regaling you about a wine—some technical details about a specific vintage, notes, or otherwise—and you’ll notice his mind begin to wander, as the music intensifies behind him. “I find, like with food, you can discover a good connection with the wine,” he says, “…but sometimes it’s not so easy.”

Jean-Philippe’s work has cemented him as one of the figureheads of winemaking in this place, noteworthy and well-regarded by many. Even though his tenure spans over two decades, that romantic twinkle hasn’t left his eye. As he puts it:

“I think it's great to see that people who come from so far away take the time to look for winemakers wherever they end up … it’s human [curiosity], it’s human connection that transcends borders. You learn things when you welcome people who come from afar and bring their cultures with them. It’s what brings us together. I think that’s what wine gives us — la chance de pouvoir voyager immobile: the opportunity to travel while sitting still. 

You can take pleasure in tasting a bottle that comes from the other side of the world, a bottle that will also tell a bit of your own story and take you back, rewind your memories. It's magic.”

JEAN-PHILIPPE PADIÉ

Country: France

Region: Côtes Catalanes

Sub-region or Appellation: Calce

Winemakers: Jean-Philippe Padié

Viticulture: Certified Organic, Practicing Biodynamic

Terroir: clay, limestone, schist, silex

Size: 18 hectares

PADIÉ :: Le Tourbillion de la Vie Blanc

A hyper-pure expression of the potential for white wines from Côtes Catalanes. Tropical and aromatic but countered by an unmistakable stony and saline finish. Powerful yet not overbearing; thirst-quenching without sacrificing tension.

Song: “Le tourbillon de la vie ” sung by Jeanne Moreau

Vintage: 2022
Varieties: 70% Macabeu, 20% Grenache Blanc + Gris, 10% Tourbat
Style: White Wine
ABV: 13%
Region: Côtes Catalanes
Sub-Region or Appellation: Calce
Viticulture: Certified Organic, Practicing Biodynamic
Soils: Clay, limestone, silex
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Direct-pressed into stainless steel
Aging: 10 months in stainless steel
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal at bottling

PADIÉ :: Le Tourbillon de la Vie Rouge

This Grenache-dominant blend harkens to a more historic take on these southerly reds; boisterous red fruits dance around silky tannins, kisses of herbs, and a spicy finish. Nimble and ballerina-like, with strength and grace that only a dancer could possess.

Song: “Le tourbillon de la vie ” sung by Jeanne Moreau

Vintage: 2022
Varieties: 90% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Cinsault
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 14%
Region: Côtes Catalanes
Sub-Region or Appellation: Calce
Viticulture: Certified Organic, Practicing Biodynamic
Soils: Clay, limestone, silex
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: One week of whole-cluster maceration in stainless steel before gentle pressing
Aging: 10 months in stainless steel
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal at bottling

PADIÉ :: Petit Taureau

This “little bull” shows a slightly more muscular side of Calce, with the peppercorn pizzaz of Carignan and the dark, sultry notes of Mourvèdre taking center stage. Flinty and herbaceous, a core of wild blackberries with hints of forest floor. Stylistically, this wine is unmistakably Padié": elegant yet rustic, emotional yet reserved.

Song: “Petit Taureau” sung by Claude Nougaro

Vintage: 2022
Varieties: 40% Carignan, 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 13%
Region: Côtes Catalanes
Sub-Region or Appellation: Calce
Viticulture: Certified Organic, Practicing Biodynamic
Soils: Schist, clay, silex
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Ten days of whole-cluster maceration in concrete tanks before gentle pressing, without temperature control
Aging: 8-10 months in concrete
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal at bottling

PADIÉ :: Gibraltar

A single parcel offering of 100% Grenache Noir, beauty personified. Cherry pie, sage, beautiful tannins and lingering, ever-present acidity. This wine feels like a Rembrandt, stoic and unwavering, but every small detail so painstakingly crafted and expressed that every sip beckons another.

Song: “Gibraltar” sung by Abd Al Malik

Vintage: 2022
Varieties: 100% Grenache Noir
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 13%
Region: Côtes Catalanes
Sub-Region or Appellation: Calce
Viticulture: Certified Organic, Practicing Biodynamic
Age of Vines: Old vines
Soils: Blue marl, a single parcel with southern exposition
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Fifteen days of whole-cluster maceration in concrete tanks before gentle pressing, without temperature control
Aging: Aged in foudre through the winter, then transferred into stainless steel in the spring
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal at bottling

PADIÉ :: Le Pacha

Carignan in its purest savory, structured, muscular form. If it were a person, it would be a seasoned dockhand who could throw a punch while respecting the value of a hard day’s work. It would miss smoking cigarettes indoors but would settle for a card table outside the café. If you sit with it, perhaps you’ll be out of your comfort zone at times, but you’re sure to leave with a bounty of wisdom that only the grizzled can share.

Song: “Requiem pour un c...” sung by Serge Gainsbourg

Vintage: 2022
Varieties: 100% Carignan
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 13.5%
Region: Côtes Catalanes
Sub-Region or Appellation: Calce
Viticulture: Certified Organic, Practicing Biodynamic
Age of Vines: Old vines
Soils: Marl, clay, schist
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Fifteen days of whole-cluster maceration in concrete tanks before gentle pressing, without temperature control
Aging: Aged in barrel through the winter, then transferred into foudre in the spring
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal at bottling