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Les Equilibriste

Hirsute Red 2019

Price: $25.95
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Tasting notes

The whole-cluster fermentation and old-oak aging give this wine a crunchy red fruit core — cherry, raspberry, a hint of peppery spice — with enough earthy grip to keep it interesting. It punches well above its price point for a biodynamic Périgord red, bottled without fining or filtration.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
CherryRaspberryEarthBlack Pepper
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied red; Cabernet Franc and Merlot; red fruit, earth, peppery spice; 13.5% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: Cabernet Franc and Merlot; biodynamic farming; clay and gravel soils; IGP Périgord, Dordogne
  • Winemaking: Two-thirds whole-cluster fermentation in stainless steel; aged in old oak barrels; unfined, unfiltered; minimal sulfites
  • Serving: Serve at 60-64°F; can be enjoyed with a brief 20-minute open or light decant
  • Pairing: Duck confit, roast pork, charcuterie, mushroom dishes, soft cow's milk cheese
  • Similar To: For fans of Loire Cabernet Franc (Chinon, Saumur-Champigny) who want a softer, earthier southwest take

Hirsute Rouge is a red blend from the Périgord (Dordogne) in southwest France, produced under the IGP Périgord designation. The word "hirsute" means shaggy, a nod to the figure on the label and the wine's frank, unpolished character. Grapes are sourced from organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards in the region, grown on clay and gravel soils. The 2019 blend is built on Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

In the cellar, roughly two-thirds of the fruit goes through whole-cluster fermentation in stainless steel tanks, then the wine is aged in old oak barrels. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal added sulfites, keeping the wine close to its raw fruit and earth character.

Les Equilibristes was founded in 2015 by François de Monval, a Paris-based wine merchant and restaurateur, and Florent Girou, a winemaker and consulting oenologist based in the Dordogne. They source grapes from a collective of grower partners across France, all farmed organically, with biodynamic practices in the vineyard. Indigenous yeasts only, no corrective additives, and minimal sulfur are the non-negotiable rules across every cuvée.

The Périgord sits east of Bordeaux in the Dordogne department, a region better known for foie gras and truffles than wine. The IGP Périgord classification allows producers to work outside the stricter AOC Bergerac rules, giving flexibility on grape blends and winemaking approach. The same classic southwest varieties — Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon — are grown here on a mosaic of clay, gravel, and limestone-rich soils.

Works well alongside roast chicken, duck confit, or a simple charcuterie board. The moderate tannins and red-fruit profile make it a natural match for pork-based dishes and soft cheeses. It also holds up against earthy preparations like mushroom-based sauces or lentil stews.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2019
Alcohol:, 13.5%
Country:, France
Region:, Perigord
Appellation:, IGP Périgord
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

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Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


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Heat/Frost damage

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Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Les Equilibriste

Les Equilibristes — French for 'the tightrope walkers' — was founded in 2015 by François de Monval and Florent Girou. De Monval is a wine merchant and restaurateur in Paris (La Canonnière); Girou is a winemaker and consulting oenologist based in the Périgord. The collective now works with seven winemakers across five French regions, including Anjou, Périgord, Savoie, Languedoc, and Corbières.

The collective does not own vineyards. Instead, they purchase grapes from grower partners whose farming is certified organic or practicing biodynamic. Their stated principles are fixed: indigenous grape varieties, organic viticulture, biodynamic practices in the vineyard, indigenous yeast fermentation only, no corrective additives in the cellar, neutral vessels for aging, and minimal sulfur at bottling.

For the Hirsute Rouge, Florent Girou oversees winemaking at Château Combrillac in the Dordogne. The wine is fermented with roughly two-thirds whole clusters in stainless steel, then aged in old oak barrels. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered with sulfite additions kept to a minimum — under 10 mg/L total in some vintages.

Wine region

Perigord, France

The Périgord sits in the Dordogne department of southwest France, immediately east of Bordeaux. The region covers approximately 12,000 hectares of vines spread across 93 communes, with soils ranging from clay-limestone and sandy gravelly clay (known locally as boulbènes) to iron-rich clays and gravel terraces deposited by the Dordogne River. The climate is oceanic with a continental lean — slightly less rainfall than Bordeaux, more sunshine, and a longer ripening season.

Wines from this area fall under either the AOC Bergerac umbrella or the broader IGP Périgord designation, the latter offering producers more flexibility on grape varieties and style. The dominant red grapes are Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon — the same varieties used across the border in Bordeaux. Sub-appellations within the zone include Pécharmant for structured reds, Monbazillac for sweet whites, and Montravel for both dry whites and reds.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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