and the Wines of Les Vignes de Babass

Sébastien Dervieux, better known in the vinous circles under his surname Babass, is an icon in the natural wine movement. For over 20 years Babass has produced fresh and wild red and white wines grown from a small organic vineyard in Anjou, France. He first started Domaine des Griottes in the early 2000s with partner Pat Desplats. Together, they became rebel winemakers in the Anjou region. The goal was to make wine as naturally as possible, including refusing to use sulfites at any point. Babass and Pat parted ways in 2010 and split the landholdings.

Les Vignes de Babass

Babass’s three hectares of organic vineyards were first planted in the 1950s and 60s by the late Joseph Hacquet. Hacquet was a pioneer of natural wine. Not only did Hacquet farm organically, but he also avoided the use of any additives and produced more than fifty vintages with no added SO2. Babass has continued that non-conformist winemaking style today. He makes wines forged by the climate of the vintage, the terroir, the grape variety, and his decisions (good or bad). Babass grows Grolleau, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, and Chenin Blanc with both organic and biodynamic preparations. The harvest is done by hand with multiple passes through the vineyard.

In the Cellar

In the cellar, the fermentations use only natural yeast and without sulfur or other inputs (“except sometimes for a few drops of sweat,” says Babass). The red wines are macerated in whole bunches for 12 to 15 days. The whites are pressed slowly in an old vertical press. All the wines are aged in fiberglass vats and are neither filtered nor fined, simply racked as needed and without harsh techniques. 

Small Production

We currently have a small allotment of three Babass wines available. The Groll n Roll is a fruity and crunchy red made from Grolleau. If you have never tried this grape before, you owe it to yourself to buy it! The Au Bon Secours is a bright and living Gamay that could match anything from Brouilly. And the Roc Cab is probably his most famous wine, made from Cabernet Franc and as wild and free as Babass himself.

The Wines of Les Vignes de Babass