Clos Sauvage Goes Live with Les Grappes! - Portraits

Marine had the opportunity to interview David Devynck, winemaker at Clos Sauvage, live on air to learn more about his vision for viticulture—specifically organic and sustainable practices, and in particular agroforestry, which is at the heart of the project.

David and his wife, Sophie, settled in Leynes in 2019, on the border between Beaujolais and Burgundy. They took over 4 hectares of neglected vineyards that had been left to grow wild, surrounded by dry-stone walls, forests, heathland, and natural springs at an elevation of 450 meters. The vines are all hillside-grown: Gamay on granitic soils for their Beaujolais and Saint Amour wines, and Chardonnay on clay-limestone soils for their Bourgogne Blanc and Saint Véran.

Sophie and David Devynck: winemakers who made it on their own!

David and Sophie are both from northern France and do not come from winemaking families. David says his family works in the medical field—quite a different world from winemaking, indeed!

Before diving into the world of viticulture, David was a skilled agronomist for whom agroforestry played a significant role. He explains that the term refers to all practices that combine trees with various crops on the same agricultural land.

David and Sophie met six months before leaving for overseas territories, where David went to work in agroforestry and Sophie went to work in communications. Upon their return from the islands, Sophie landed a job in Toulouse, so they settled there and were delighted to discover this region, which was still unfamiliar to them.

David took on a series of odd jobs in agriculture, and one thing led to another until he began doing internships with various winemakers in the region. He entered the world of winemaking with an internship at Domaine Laubarel in Gaillac. These experiences allowed him to learn the basics of viticulture and gain a comprehensive understanding of the wine industry. David eventually completed his training and earned his degree in oenology!

Between Beaujolais and Burgundy—the perfect location for Clos Sauvage!

David and his wife decided to set out in search of the perfect vineyard, kicking off a year of travels across France! After a year, they were lucky enough to find the perfect spot that matched their aspirations. Located between Beaujolais and Burgundy, it is a well-preserved estate nestled in the heart of nature, ideally suited to organic farming. Although it had been farmed organically for 15 years, it had been neglected for several years. They restructured the vineyards and uprooted a large portion to plant new vines, marking the beginning of a new chapter for this vineyard: Clos Sauvage.

By naming the estate Clos Sauvage, David and Sophie hope to preserve a part of its history while aligning it with their winemaking aspirations: to let the wine reflect the unique characteristics of its terroir rather than overshadow them. In keeping with this philosophy, they keep winemaking interventions to a minimum.

Clos Sauvage, a winery moving toward biodynamicfarming

David and Sophie are always seeking freshness and lightness in their wines; the estate’s high altitude helps them achieve this authenticity in their wines.

Their main goal is to work as naturally as possible. The only restriction they impose on themselves is to respect the wine’s flavor profile, which means adding sulfites in very small doses when necessary; on average, they add 10 mg per liter of CO2. They also allow themselves to filter the wine, particularly the whites. However, these are the only interventions they make.

The estate already employs certain biodynamic practices and is considering seeking certification. However, they remain mindful of the importance of respecting and valuing the environment; the goal of certification will never take precedence over their philosophy.

They also want to be able to work completely independently by building a self-sufficient farm. It’s worth noting that they already heat their home solely with wood they harvest from the forest. David tells us he wants to introduce sheep to the estate this year so they no longer have to use machines to mow the grass. Given his interest in agroforestry, David also hopes to interplant the vineyards with various trees, particularly peach trees—if it’s possible for them to grow at an elevation of 450 meters!

How would you sum up this first year?

David tells us about the biggest challenge he faces as a winemaker. “Time.” He describes how quickly the days fly by. Maintaining a vineyard requires a tremendous amount of work and, above all, time—and unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day!

But what he loves most about his new adventure is how he can structure his days, even though they fly by at breakneck speed. There’s never a day when boredom gets the better of him. He plans his schedule however he likes, and he wakes up every day knowing that this day will be different from the last.

Watch the full conversation between David and Marine on our YouTube channel