Henri Chauvet left banking and office work in 2021, to settle on the gravelly hillsides of the Saint-Nectaire region. Having just turned 30, he obtained an advanced technical diploma in viticulture and winemaking through correspondence and went on to train with Jérôme Bressy at his Gourt de Mautens estate, in the southern Rhône Valley. He subsequently acquired the Sauvat estate, comprising more than ten hectares of vines. Each parcel of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay flourishes on volcanic soils composed of blue marl. Henri Chauvet has been converting his vineyard to organic viticulture since the day he arrived, convinced of the benefits for vines and wine and, above all, driven by a desire to get back to the land. Even if his methods have much in common with natural wines, Henri Chauvet doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed, so he retains complete freedom to create his authentic, flavoursome wines.

Qui Sait is a unique white wine produced in Auvergne, one of the lesser known winegrowing regions in France, but a historically rich region nonetheless, and one that is currently undergoing a renaissance. This wine is produced from vines that are grown in volcanic soils, rich in basalt and pozzolan. These dark and mineral soils give the wine tension, acidic texture and a profoundly earthy character. The vineyard remains proudly organic and natural, with no chemical inputs. The wine is produced using natural methods such as hand-harvesting of the grapes, a lack of sulphur, spontaneous fermentation and lastly, short ageing on lees without fining or filtration.
Throughout tasting, this yellow-coloured wine has a cloudy appearance, which is typical of unfiltered wines. The nose evokes aromas of candied citrus fruits, crisp apple, warm stone and a hint of smoke. On the palate, the attack is lively, stimulating and tense, enhanced by a beautiful freshness and a mouth-watering finish with salty and stony hints.