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Mas Coutelou

Sauvé de la Citerne 2019

Price: $27.95
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Tasting notes

This is a concentrated southern red that avoids the overripe, heavy extraction trap — the no-sulfur, gravity-bottled approach keeps it lively with red and black fruit, herbal garrigue character, and a saline edge from the Mediterranean air around Puimisson. It is fruit-forward but finishes dry and structured, with enough grip to reward a 30-minute decant.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
BlackberryGarrigueBlack PepperPlum
  • Style: Dry, full-bodied red blend; Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache; brambly fruit with herbal and spice notes; 14.5% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache; certified organic since 1987; clay-limestone soils; Puimisson, Hérault, Languedoc
  • Winemaking: Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts; no fining, no filtration, no added sulfites; gravity bottling
  • Serving: Serve at 62-65F; decant 30 minutes before serving
  • Pairing: Roasted lamb, merguez, braised beef, aged sheep's milk cheese, olive tapenade
  • Similar To: For fans of structured southern Rhône blends who want zero-sulfur, minimally interventionist winemaking

Sauvé de la Citerne is a red blend from Mas Coutelou, made from organically farmed Cinsault, Syrah, and Grenache grown around the village of Puimisson in the Hérault, just north of Béziers. The vines grow on predominantly clay-limestone soils in a Mediterranean climate moderated by sea breezes off the coast. The wine is classified as Vin de France, as Puimisson sits outside the boundaries of any named Languedoc appellation.

In the cellar, Jeff Coutelou works with spontaneous fermentation using only indigenous yeasts. The wine is not clarified or filtered, and no sulfites are added at any stage. Bottling is done by gravity. The result is a concentrated, fruit-driven red with herbal notes, lively acidity, and a savory finish.

Mas Coutelou has been certified organic since 1987, one of the earliest estates in the Hérault to receive that distinction. Jeff has progressively reduced the estate from 20 to 13 planted hectares, replacing parcels bordered by conventionally farmed neighbors with olive groves and hedgerows to protect biodiversity and soil health.

Serve alongside roasted lamb, grilled merguez, or slow-cooked beef. The savory, herbal notes in the wine align well with dishes seasoned with rosemary, thyme, or black olive tapenade. A firm aged sheep's milk cheese like Ossau-Iraty also works well.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Full Body
Grapes:, Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2019
Alcohol:, 14.5%
Country:, France
Region:, Languedoc
Appellation:, Vin de France
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

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


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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If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


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

Mas Coutelou

Mas Coutelou is a family domaine in Puimisson, Hérault, operated by Jean-François 'Jeff' Coutelou. The Coutelou family has farmed and made wine in the village for multiple generations. Jeff's grandfather acquired the estate's core vineyards, and Jeff gradually took over from his father during the 1990s. The estate's cellar is located in the center of the village, with vineyard parcels spread across the surrounding area.

The domaine was certified organic in 1987, at a time when fewer than 200 hectares in the entire Hérault department were farmed without synthetic inputs. Jeff has since reduced the planted area from 20 hectares to approximately 13 hectares of vines, replacing parcels surrounded by conventionally farmed neighbors with olive groves and hedgerow plantings to increase biodiversity and reduce chemical drift. The soils are worked manually to avoid compaction, and treatments rely on plant-based preparations. Part of the estate functions as a nursery for rare and near-extinct southern French grape varieties including Castets, Servant, Picardin, and obscure Muscat clones.

Winemaking at Mas Coutelou follows a minimalist approach. Fermentation is spontaneous using only indigenous yeasts, with maceration length and method — whole bunch or destemmed, punch-down or pump-over — adapted to the vintage and grape variety. The wines are not fined or filtered, no sulfites are added, and bottling is done by gravity. Jeff describes the approach as allowing nature to dictate in the cellar, with the real work done in the vineyard.

Wine region

Languedoc, France

Puimisson is a small commune in the Hérault department of the Languedoc, situated a few kilometers north of Béziers on France's Mediterranean coast. The climate is classically Mediterranean: hot, dry summers with low rainfall concentrated in winter and spring, tempered by sea breezes that bring salinity and humidity from the coast. The Tramontane wind, blowing from the north and northwest, is a regular presence and helps keep disease pressure low in the vineyards.

The Hérault encompasses a wide range of soil types, from hard limestone and clay-limestone to schist and marl. Around Puimisson, the dominant soils are clay-limestone. Mas Coutelou's vineyards fall outside the boundaries of any named AOC or AOP, so its wines are classified as Vin de France, the broadest French table wine designation. Key named appellations in the broader Languedoc include Faugères, Minervois, Pic Saint-Loup, and Saint-Chinian, all of which allow southern varieties such as Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, and Mourvèdre.

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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