It was a spontaneous grab in the small supermarket very close to the beach. A brown label, on it the name of the wine "Terre Nature", the organic label, the text: "vins issus de raisins de l'acrculture biologique" and in very small letters: "certifié par Ecocert SAS F-32600" (Ecocert is an organization for organic certification, founded in 1991 in France. It is based in L'Isle-Jourdain, Gers, in France, but carries out inspections in over 80 countries, making it one of the largest organic certification organisations in the world), nothing else, no vintage, no grape variety, no winery then the required information, alcohol content and a text about organic production and what food the wine goes with - and this also in English. Of course, I did not read all this when the wine was on the shelf.
Immediately, the term "natural wine" came to my mind, a movement that I like very much and that has more and more followers in many countries (also in France). Since the term is not protected, one can understand many things by it. For example, organic wines (with various certificates) or more generally (Wikipedia): "Today, the term no longer refers only (as it once did) to the abandonment of granulated sugar, but also to numerous other oenological V experienced, which are deliberately used or deliberately not used. What is new here is that very often sulphurisation is rejected. Besides, historical methods of winemaking are revived (example: Quevri) or oenological procedures outside the winemaking tradition (example: mash fermentation in Orange Wine) are introduced".
All this and more came to mind when I put the bottle in the shopping basket. It was only when I got home that I discovered its seductiveness. This wine also comes from Jeanjean and represents, as it were, the company's organic line. It is a Merlot (80%) and Syrah (20%) wine, a "Vin de Pay d'Oc" (Merlot is not one of the Languedoc appellation grapes), with no vintage or precise provenance. Even the wine house (Jeanjean) is kept secret. The claim: "Care of soil and vine mechanically without the use of chemicals, in accordance with biological cycles and the environment taking into account ecological knowledge for quality in production, balanced, more autonomy, more economical and environmentally friendly (freely translated)".
Yes, the business of nature, natural and organic is flourishing. Even a company like Jeanjean (Advini Group) does not want to do without it. It's probably not quite a deception package, rather a seduction package. Those who are looking for a natural wine will certainly not look for it at Jeanjean. Even if the wine itself is round, full and quite "natural" - without frippery in aromas and taste. A wine, quite dark, almost black, earthy and - I have to say it - a bit too simple. Natural it may be, but perhaps also - compared to other "natural wines" I've had - a bit overly simple.