Petit Taureau 2022

This “little bull” shows a slightly more muscular side of Calce, with the peppercorn pizzaz of Carignan and the dark, sultry notes of Mourvèdre taking center stage. Flinty and herbaceous, a core of wild blackberries with hints of forest floor. Stylistically, this wine is unmistakably Padié”: elegant yet rustic, emotional yet reserved.

Jean-Philippe Padié is a classic himself—a generous, buoyant, lovely man joining the ranks of Matassa, Gauby and Pithon, who first showed the world what delightfully subversive and lifted wines could come out of a region so defined by heat. Jean-Philippe, who first worked under the tutelage of Mas Amiel and the ever-respected Domaine Gauby, began his own adventure with around 6.5 hectares here in Calce, which have blossomed to around 18 hectares over the last twenty years. These 18 hectares are spread over a mosaic of at least 30 different parcels, showcasing the stark variety of soil types, expositions, and elevations that make each Calce wine unlike any other. Jean-Philippe’s work has cemented him as one of the figureheads of winemaking in this place, noteworthy and well-regarded by many.