If you aren't yet acquainted with the Côtes du Marmandais, you're in the right place! Elian Da Ros was the one of the first wine makers to leave the area's cooperative in 1997, when he struck out on his own to make wine on his own terms. The appellation now counts 8 producers among its number and has begun to see some real success. Not far from Bordeaux, this region in the South-West is distinguished by its climate, its terroirs and its grape varieties, most notably Abouriou. Our wine maker is the grandson of an Italian migrant who came to France when farms were in need of labourers, and the family gradually bought their own land. Elian's father dedicated himself to vine-growing, which gave Elian a taste for that world from an early age. He formed his desire to make wine soon after and this goal never left him. Trained at Domaine Zind Humbrecht in Alsace, he returned to the family land in 1997. He left the cooperative, buying some new vines and selling others, before building his winery. His wines very quickly made their way to the top of the appellation, flavoursome and characterised by beautiful fruit.

A lovely cuvée named after its producer: an ambitious wine maker who didn’t waste a second in becoming a pioneer of the Côtes du Marmandais appellation. Elian Da Ros was the first producer to pull out of the cooperative to make his own wines. This cuvée comes from vines around 3à to 40 years old that are planted in chalk, limestone and clay terroirs. The grapes are fully destemmed and macerated for 2-3 weeks. Each grape variety is then vinified and matured separately so that their identities can fully flourish. Maturation takes 16 months in foudres. It is not fined, though there is a light filtering carried out before bottling. This is a complex and fruity cuvée, nicely expressing the Cabernet Franc that makes up half of its profile.