Meet the Azams

We're very lucky to do what we do. So many incredible wines pass through this office, and most leave far too quickly. On the other hand, a lot of wine gets forgotten for something a little more flashy or limited -- even by the very same producer.

Which leads me to the remarkable wines of Geneviève and Gilles Azam at Les Hautes Terres. We all know and love their Limoux Crémant and Pet Nat, but some of their lesser-known wines are among my favorite in the book.

First, a little about the Aude Valley, a remarkably beautiful place filled with ancient stories. Geneviève and Gilles live and work at the very top of a 600m summit overlooking land that was once occupied by the armies of Charlemagne. You can see why. It's covered in jutting limestone rocks creating an infinity of discrete microclimates and sloped vineyards. It was a place known for the most brutal warriors who apocryphally ate sword spears in their salads and shaved with pistol shot. The domaine's crest is a chesspiece called the rook or castle in homage to this history. It's a harsh wilderness which requires a courage and temperament that is embodied perfectly by Gilles and Geneviève.

Their home and cellar comes from Gilles's grandfather, atop a rocky cliff called d'amour dur, or tough love. Where the wildnerness surrounding certainly grounds the dur aspect of this place, Gilles and Geneviève are all love. For 20 years they've been slowly building the domain which now includes a bottling and riddling facility 10 minutes away from the house. From here they help out a lot of smaller winemakers, offering equipment and expertise. They know the land well and take a lot of pride in their viticultural map of the place. Each little divot in the pockmarked landscape has its issues, but their wines have turned these idiosyncracies into complexity and character. Like a lot of winemakers, they say they are speaking through limestone and mauzac and chardonnay, etc. In the wines' transparency, these vignerons have a lot to say.

These two have taken a truly rustic climate and churned out the most elegant wines in the south. The wines we are offering today, in particular, show an incredible precision and prowess. "Louis" is a unique blend of Chardonnay and Chenin that epitomizes the idea of vin de cuisine. It's a beautiful blend of power and finesse. "Persée" is a special blanc de noir that we try to open at the top of every tasting. Lots of power. "Céleste" is their top cuvee from their choice piece of land. It's stunning balanced and plainly delicious.