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Les Tetes

Tete Red 2019

Price: $24.95
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Tasting notes

The combination of Cabernet Franc's red cherry brightness with Grolleau's spritzy acidity and white pepper snap gives this wine a refreshing, almost crunchy texture that is hard to put down. Fermented and aged entirely in concrete with no fining or filtration, it tastes alive in a way that many natural reds do not always deliver at this price point.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Taste profile
CherryRaspberryWhite PepperTomato Leaf
  • Style: Dry, light-bodied red; bright cherry color; red fruit, white pepper, herbal lift; 13.5% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Grolleau; Ecocert biodynamic; 25-year-old vines; sand and clay soils over tuffeau limestone; Panzoult, Touraine, Loire Valley
  • Winemaking: Hand-harvested; direct press; spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in concrete; aged in concrete; no fining; no filtration; low SO2 at bottling
  • Serving: Serve at 54-58F; light chill enhances freshness; no decant needed
  • Pairing: Charcuterie, country pate, Loire chevre, ratatouille, grilled chicken, pizza
  • Similar To: For fans of light Gamay and Pineau d'Aunis who want a crunchy, low-tannin Loire red

Tete Red is a Vin de France red made by Les Tetes, a collaborative project run by four friends — Nicolas Grosbois, Philippe Mesnier, Baptiste, and Vivien — working out of Nicolas's cellar in Panzoult, in the Touraine sub-region of the Loire Valley. The blend is 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% Grolleau sourced from 25-year-old vines growing in sand and clay soils over a tuffeau limestone bedrock, farmed biodynamically and certified by Ecocert.

Grapes are hand-harvested and direct-pressed, then fermented spontaneously with native yeasts in concrete tanks. The wine ages in concrete with no fining and no filtration. A small amount of sulfur is added at bottling. The result is a bright, crunchy red that sits on the lighter side of medium body, with lively acidity and low tannin grip — the kind of bottle that invites a second glass.

On the nose, red cherry, raspberry, and fresh strawberry are framed by a faint herbal lift typical of Loire Cabernet Franc. White pepper from the Grolleau adds a subtle spice on the finish. This is a glou-glou red in the best sense: dry, fresh, and built for drinking, not cellaring.

The wine is labeled Vin de France, giving Les Tetes the flexibility to blend across parcels and vineyards without appellation restriction. It is imported to the US by Zev Rovine Selections.

Works well with charcuterie, country pate, or a simple board of Loire Valley chevre. The wine's bright acidity also makes it a reliable match for tomato-based dishes such as ratatouille or a simple pizza. Lightly chilled at around 55F, it pairs equally well with grilled chicken or roasted vegetables.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2019
Alcohol:, 13.5%
Country:, France
Region:, Loire Valley
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.


Re-routing a Package

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

Les Tetes

Les Tetes is a small wine project run collaboratively by four friends: Nicolas Grosbois, Philippe Mesnier, Baptiste, and Vivien. They are based in the village of Le Pressoir in the Touraine area of the Loire Valley, with all wines vinified at Nicolas's cellar in Panzoult — the same cellar known locally for Chinon production. The project extends beyond the Loire, with the group traveling to vineyards in the Rhone, Bordeaux, and Occitanie to participate in farming and harvest decisions before bringing grapes back for vinification in Touraine.

The Tete Red vineyards cover 8 hectares planted with Cabernet Franc and Grolleau, with an average vine age of 25 years. Soils are calcareous clay and sand. Farming is biodynamic and certified by Ecocert. All grapes are hand-harvested.

Winemaking is natural throughout. Grapes are destemmed, direct-pressed, and fermented spontaneously in concrete tanks with indigenous yeasts. The wine ages in concrete. There is no fining and no filtration. A small addition of sulfur is made at bottling, typically kept low. The project's stated goal is fresh, fruity, accessibly priced wines that prioritize drinkability.

Wine region

Loire Valley, France

The Loire Valley stretches roughly 600 miles along France's longest river from the Atlantic coast inland toward the Auvergne. The Touraine sub-region, where Les Tetes is based, sits at the crossroads of oceanic and continental climates, with annual rainfall of approximately 550 millimeters in the west rising to 650 millimeters in the east. Touraine's soils are highly varied: tuffeau limestone bedrock underlies much of the area, overlaid with perruches (flinty clay-silica conglomerates), aubuis (warm, permeable clay-limestone), and aeolian sands. Panzoult, where Les Tetes vinifies, sits within easy reach of Chinon, one of the Loire's key appellations for Cabernet Franc.

The Loire Valley encompasses four main sub-regions: Pays Nantais, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, and the Central Vineyards, collectively covering a wide range of wine styles and appellations. Key red wine appellations include Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny, all built around Cabernet Franc. Indigenous varieties like Grolleau and Pineau d'Aunis contribute to the region's distinctive character, particularly in Anjou and Touraine. The Loire Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has embraced organic and biodynamic farming more broadly than most major French wine regions.

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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