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.

Historically, Auvergne was one of the largest wine-producing regions in France, with over 40,000 hectares in the 19th century. After the phylloxera crisis, rural depopulation and deindustrialisation, only a few hectares survived. Hence the evocative name: The Survivors, for these old vines which have traversed through time. Planted on volcanic soils composed of clay and basalt, on the slopes of ancient cones, the vines benefit from a unique terroir, which gives them minerality, salinity and tension. Henri Chauvet grows his parcels organically, without the use of chemical inputs and using natural methods. The grapes are harvested by hand, lightly pressed, then fermented with indigenous yeasts. Ageing lasts for several months, without fining or filtration, to preserve the pure identity of the grape and of the place itself.
It is pale yellow in colour with silver glints. The bouquet is characterised by aromas of candied citrus fruits, white flowers and gunflint. The lively, direct and tense palate delicately leads to a salty and lemony finish.