Henri Milan was among the first vignerons in Provence to take the organic movement two steps further, abandoning additives and added sulfur to make some of the region's earliest natural wines.
Backstory
Henri took over the family domaine in 1986 with the ambition of making the best possible wine while respecting the environment. A pivotal 1996 meeting with the renowned soil microbiologist Claude Bourguignon, who recognized the exceptional potential of the estate's soils, drew Milan into biodynamics. His son Theophile (Theo) gradually took the reins beginning in 2014.
The Region
The domaine sits at 941 Voie Aurelia in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, at the foothills of the Alpilles in southern France. The estate comprises roughly fifteen hectares planted to Rolle, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, Grenache Noir and Mourvedre.
Vineyards & Farming
Everything is grown organically and biodynamically. The domaine has been certified organic since 2002, though the same practices were already in place from the late 1980s.
Winemaking
Milan works with no chemicals, no additives and no commercial yeasts, and in many cuvees no added sulfur. The no-sulfur red Le Vallon, made since 2007, sees about a week of maceration with the varieties co-fermented, is pressed when fermentation is roughly halfway complete, then finishes and rests for six months in a large concrete tank before bottling.
The Wines
Alongside Le Vallon, the range includes the sulfur-free Papillon bottlings, the white Le Grand Blanc, Le Clos Milan, the Pinot Noir Le Premier and a series of macerations and rosados, all marked by a rare freshness given the warm, dry Provencal climate.
