Nestled in the small village of Montaigut-le-Blanc, at the heart of Puy-de-Dôme, Pierre Beauger has been crafting some of Auvergne’s most enigmatic and sought-after wines since the early 2000s. Trained under iconic figures such as Thierry Puzelat, Pierre returned to his native soils in 2001 to revive a forgotten vineyard planted on spectacular volcanic terrain. His parcels, never treated with modern chemicals, provide the perfect playground for natural, free-flowing viticulture deeply respectful of the living.
With barely a few hectares, Pierre cultivates Pinot Noir, Auvergne Gamay, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Syrah, and occasionally rare grape varieties, all planted by his own hand. Work is gentle, using animal traction with the help of his trusty ox named Bijou. From vineyard to winery, everything is designed to support the wine without constraint: manual harvesting, selective sorting, treatments with "Bordeaux mix"?–?a fungicide made from a mixture of copper sulfate and hydrated lime?–??gentle pressing, fermentations with native yeasts, no inputs or sulphur, long ageing in old barrels then in bottles, sometimes up to ten years before release.
His wines?–?at once ethereal, digestible and intense?–?are genuine poetic objects, reflections of a unique terroir and an unconventional winemaker. Labels bear enigmatic names such as Potion Magique?, Vitriol?, Champignon Magique?, Silice?, Lune Noire?, circulating under the radar in the most discerning cellars. Some cuvées now reach stratospheric levels on the secondary market.
Utterly discreet, Pierre Beauger cultivates his marginality as an art of living, favouring the slowness of time over market frenzy. His rare and sincere work marks him as one of the most singular winemakers in the French natural wine world.