New wines from Axel Prüfer

Based in the hills just north of Béziers, deep in the Languedoc, Axel has been at the forefront of the natural wine scene in France for nearly two decades. Despite farming vineyards in some of the most inhospitable parts of the region, where rainfall is almost non-existent throughout the year, he produces seemingly weightless wines that carry a wealth of character.

The 2019 vintage was a welcome relief for Axel after a very challenging 2018 when he lost over half his grapes to disease and wild boar. Although the boar did have a good go at his Chardonnay once again (seemingly this happens every year) the harvest was bountiful and the wines we have now received are drinking wonderfully. Perfectly poised, they are all 12.5% or under.

We were incredibly fortunate to spend a few days with Axel during the 2019 harvest, helping pick and process the grapes in the cellar, as well enjoying a few home-cooked meals from the man himself. The time spent is now a treasured memory and it’s clear these gentle, expressive and singular wines are as much a distillate of the man himself as they are the place — we couldn’t be happier to share them with you now.

More information on the wines can be found on Axel’s page here.