Christine Dupuy - Pacherenc Blanc Sec, France (2022)

Regarded as one of the very finest contemporary producers in Madiran, the estate has two stars from La Revue du Vin de France (out of a maximum three, more or less equivalent to two Michelin stars for a restaurant). She is also a part of the organic growers association A Bisto de Nas, which includes many of the finest like minded estates of the Southwest.

Fresh out of enology school, she found herself in charge of the family estate in 1992, Domaine Labranche Laffont, one that had been in her family since before the revolution, upon the unexpected death of her father. She had to ask neighbouring domaines for help, which they generously gave. Christine has come a long way since those early days, making a name for her strikingly contemporary wines. Today she farms just over 56 acres of vines, all hand-harvested and tended without pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fungicides. Of that total, 44 acres are in appellation Madiran and 12 are in appellation Pacherenc du Vic Bilh (same area but dedicated to white varieties such as Petit and Gros Manseng) for dry and sweet whites. She is also fortunate to be one of only two growers in the region to own tannat vines dating back to 1870 before phylloxera.