When hail decimated Didier Barral's first vintage in 1993, something shifted in him. Perhaps it was the realization that nature holds all the cards, or maybe it was the work of 12 generations of ancestors anywhere he looked. Whatever the catalyst, Barral emerged from that trauma transformed into something more than a winemaker—he became a shepherd of his vines, overseeing thirty hectares of ancient schist.

Ever since then, in the remote hamlet of Lenthéric, Barral has served as an exemplar of natural winegrowing. Twenty cows, horses, and pigs serve as his vineyard crew through winter, their hooves aerating soil that tractors would compress, their presence nurturing a teeming underworld of fungi, earthworms, and beneficial insects. This isn't just farming; it's ecosystem management.

His “Jadis” cuvée, meaning “once upon a time,” comes from vines between 30 and 60 years old, their gnarled trunks trained in the traditional gobelet style to shelter the fruit from the punishing Mediterranean sun. These south-facing parcels of pure schist produce grapes of remarkable intensity, which Barral shepherds through month-long macerations and years of patient aging in concrete and old oak with a very light touch.

Why You'll Love It

• Pure Terroir Expression: This is the voice of the soil in your glass—mineral, sauvage, unspoiled, where garrigue and dusty rocks take center stage and fruit is the supporting actor.
  

• Natural Wine Royalty: Long before natural wine was a phenomenon, Barral pursued hands-off winemaking on his own. Writer Paul Strang once observed, “He claims that his vinification is of the simplest kind, though the results make that hard to believe.”
  

• Rustic and powerful: Where modern wines often chase polish and fruit-forward charm, “Jadis” offers something more primal—wild brambles, leather-bound books, and the dusty, sleepy hillsides of the Mediterranean outback.
  

• Built for the Long Haul: With its firm tannic backbone and firm acidity, this 2019 is just entering its sweet spot. It will continue evolving for another 5-8 years.

How to Serve It

• Serve at 55-62°F. This wine demands a little air; decant for at least an hour.
  

• Pair with foods that match its rustic soul: grilled lamb with salsa verde or a crusty cassoulet. The wine's high acidity and grippy tannins crave fat and protein