Les Cailloux du Paradis sits in the Sologne, a landscape of woods, fields, and wetlands in the Loir-et-Cher that few people associate with viticulture. That is, in part, the point. Claude Courtois established his domain here in 1992 after decades of organic farming that stretches back to the 1970s and an earlier stint growing vines in Provence. He wanted a place where wine could be made on his terms, classified as Vin de France and free from appellation constraints.
Backstory
Claude is among the true pioneers of natural and organic agriculture in France, farming without synthetic chemicals long before the terms "natural wine" or "biodynamic" had commercial currency. Over the following decades his son Etienne gradually took over the main winemaking responsibilities, adding amphora and sandstone vessels to the cellar alongside the family's 30-year-old oak barrels and releasing a new generation of cuvées with tighter aging and brighter acidity. Claude continues to produce several single-variety wines, and the two generations work the domain together.
The Region
The estate is located in Soings-en-Sologne, about 35 kilometres from Blois, at the intersection of the Sologne forest country and the Touraine. The region is not a conventional wine landscape, which suits the Courtois family perfectly. The vineyards are interspersed with fruit trees, hedgerows, and grasslands, forming a self-sustaining mixed farm that is certified Nature et Progrès.
Vineyards and Farming
The estate covers 20 hectares of farmland, 6 of which are under vine, with soils described as flinty clay over ancient limestone, interspersed with quartz sand. The vine collection is exceptional: more than 40 varieties are planted, including Gamay, Côt (Malbec), Cabernet Franc, Pineau d'Aunis, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Romorantin, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Menu Pineau, Melon de Bourgogne, and Sémilon, among many others. Many vines are ungrafted. No pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or synthetic chemicals are used at any stage.
Winemaking
Grapes are harvested by hand and fermented with ambient indigenous yeasts on a century-old manual press. Aging takes place in 30-year-old oak barrels alongside Etienne's newer additions of amphora and sandstone vessels, ranging from a few months for the lighter cuvées to four to ten years for the most structured wines. No fining, no filtration, and zero or minimal sulfur addition.
The Wines
The portfolio includes Quartz, Racines Blanc, Racines Rouge, Romorantin, Evidence, Plume d'Ange, Or'Norm, Cuvée des Etourneaux, L'Icaunais, Camille, and Secalaunia. Each wine reflects a single variety or a specific parcels, and each is a direct expression of the Sologne's quietly extraordinary terroir.