Les Tètes Triangle Bordeaux Superieur 2021

In the picturesque village of Le Pressoir in Touraine Azay-le-Rideau, four friends have created one of the Loire Valley's most charming natural wine projects. Les Tètes, founded by Nicolas Grosbois, Philippe Mesnier, Baptiste, and Vivien, embodies a refreshingly simple philosophy: make wines that friends love to drink together.

The name itself reflects their unpretentious approach—"Les Tètes" translates to "The Heads," and their lineup maintains this straightforward naming convention with bottles labeled simply as Tète Red, Tète Blanche, Tète Rosé, and Tète Orange. The exception is their celebrated pétillant naturel "Tète Au Bois Dormant" (Sleeping Beauty), named after the nearby Château de Rigny-Ussé, which inspired Charles Perrault's famous fairy tale.

Operating from Nicolas's cellar in Panzoult, near both Honoré de Balzac's birthplace and Alexander Calder's former workshop, Les Tètes sources grapes from their own biodynamically farmed parcels as well as from like-minded organic growers across France. The project extends beyond the Loire, with the quartet traveling to vineyards in the Rhône, Bordeaux, and Occitanie to personally participate in farming and harvesting decisions before bringing the grapes back to the Loire for vinification.

Their winemaking approach is decidedly natural: hand-harvested grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in concrete tanks, with no fining or filtration and only minimal sulfur additions at bottling (typically under 25 mg/L). This minimal intervention philosophy produces wines that are, in their own words, "fresh, fruity, and competitively-priced"—accessible natural wines that prioritize drinkability over complexity.

What sets Les Tètes apart in the natural wine movement is their collaborative spirit and focus on affordability. While many natural wine producers command premium prices, Les Tètes maintains that good, clean wine should be accessible to everyone. Their diverse range includes everything from light, peppery Pineau d'Aunis to vibrant Grolleau, crisp Chenin Blanc, and playful pétillant naturels made from unexpected grape combinations.

The project represents a new generation of Loire Valley winemakers who combine traditional terroir with modern sensibilities, creating wines that capture both the region's historic winemaking heritage and the contemporary natural wine movement's emphasis on transparency, sustainability, and above all, enjoyment.

Bordeaux stands as one of the world's most prestigious wine regions, encompassing over 120,000 hectares of vineyards in southwestern France. This historic region, where the Garonne and Dordogne rivers converge to form the Gironde estuary, has shaped global wine culture for over two millennia.

The region divides into distinct areas, each with unique terroir and traditions. The Left Bank, including the Médoc and Graves, produces powerful Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines from gravel soils. Here, legendary appellations like Pauillac, Margaux, and Saint-Estèphe house many of the 1855 Classification's most celebrated châteaux. The Right Bank, encompassing Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, favors Merlot on clay and limestone soils, creating wines of remarkable elegance and complexity.

Bordeaux's maritime climate, moderated by the Atlantic Ocean and Gironde estuary, provides ideal conditions for its primary grape varieties. Red Bordeaux typically blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, while white Bordeaux combines Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. The region also produces world-renowned sweet wines in Sauternes and Barsac, where noble rot creates liquid gold.

The concept of terroir reaches its apex in Bordeaux, where minute differences in soil, microclimate, and exposition create dramatically different wines. The region's classification systems, from the 1855 Classification to Saint-Émilion's regularly updated rankings, have influenced wine hierarchies worldwide.

Modern Bordeaux balances tradition with innovation. While grand châteaux maintain centuries-old practices, a new generation of winemakers embraces organic viticulture and minimal intervention techniques. The region produces wines across all price points, from everyday bottles to investment-grade rarities that appreciate for decades.

Bordeaux's influence extends far beyond France, inspiring winemaking styles globally and setting standards for quality, aging potential, and the very concept of fine wine itself.