Olivier Rivière's wine journey reads like an odyssey in an archipelago of genuine legends.
Born in Cognac, trained in Bordeaux, he could have settled for a comfortable life making conventional wine. Instead, he sought out the masters. First came Burgundy, where Lalou Bize-Leroy—the woman whose Domaine Leroy bottles are the holy grail of Burgundy collecting—taught him about biodynamics and the pursuit of perfection. Then Frédéric Cossard showed him natural winemaking. Elian Da Ros in Marmandais demonstrated how to challenge Southwest French conventions.
In 2004, Telmo Rodriguez hired him away to Spain to convert vineyards to biodynamics. Olivier was supposed to stay a few years. He stayed 16, revolutionizing Rioja by applying Burgundian thinking to Spanish terroir.
But home called. In 2022, he found his opportunity: 14 hectares in the Côtes de Bourg that seemed destined for him. Eight hectares came first—a mosaic of microclimates and soils that his Burgundy-trained eye immediately recognized as special. Then his only neighbor, already farming organically, offered the remaining seven hectares. Suddenly Olivier controlled an entire hillside.
Working with a geologist, he discovered why this site felt special. At the crown of his flagship parcel, Le Grand Puy, sits calcaire à Astéries—Saint-Émilion limestone, the same rock that makes parts of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion legendary. The northern exposure keeps things cool, preventing the overripeness that plagues warm-climate Merlot.
The winemaking blends everything he's learned. Hand-harvesting by parcel, just like at Leroy. Gentle extractions in neutral tanks. Aging in his collection of Burgundy, Haut-Brion, and Rioja barrels, plus foudres and concrete eggs—each vessel chosen for what it brings to the final blend.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT
Unassailable pedigree: To be trained by Lalou Bize-Leroy and Elian Da Ros is about as good as it gets in French winemaking pedigree. NOBODY is better-positioned to take a humble terroir in Bourg and turn it into something very special.
Saint-Émilion Limestone in Bourg: That calcaire à Astéries is magic, imbuing Merlot with a lovely truffly, plummy, lithe complexity that makes much more expensive appellations sing.
Revolutionary in Waiting: Olivier calls Bordeaux “the only region in France that still needs a winemaking revolution.” He’s the man to lead it. Get in before everybody else piles on, and this wine is $80+.
Burgundian Bordeaux: Northern exposure, parcel-by-parcel vinification, old barrels, minimal intervention—this is Merlot made like Grand Cru Burgundy, which flaunts a freshness and elegance that most Right Bank wines can only dream about.
HOW TO SERVE IT
Serve at 58-62°F in Bordeaux stems—cooler than typical Bordeaux to preserve the freshness Olivier worked so hard to capture. Decant for 30 minutes.
Drink now through 2032. While it's approachable today with its fresh fruit and silky texture, wines made with this level of precision only get better with time.
Perfect roasted chicken with tarragon, or even lamb chops with mint and sage. The northern exposure and limestone subsoil makes it more versatile than typical Merlot.
