Domaine Leon Barral Faugeres Jadis

Didier Barral is a tireless experimenter who forcefully espouses highly original variations on biodynamics and ideals of integrated farming and viticultural sustainability, among the most conspicuous of which is his deployment of Jersey cattle and horses as both source of fertilizer and sometime crew in managing grassy vineyards that he proudly describes as looking -like the Pampas.- (Except that some of these breezy, forest-rimmed sites are rather steep to support that analogy!). Barral is keenly absorbed in details of preserving plant and insect diversity in his soils as well as in perfecting traditional, open-armed goblet (-head-pruned-) training of all his vines, and his idealism extends to keeping one-third of his vineyard land fallow on a ten-year rotation. These practices in combination with his talent allows him to make some amazing wines.