Les Equilibristes Perigord Hirsute Rouge 2020

Les Equilibristes Perigord Hirsute Rouge 2020

Les Equilibristes (the Tightrope Walkers) are Franois de Monval and Florent Girou. Franois is a wine merchant and restaurant owner in Paris, and Floret is a wine-maker from the Perigord region. Together, the two are constantly thinking about preserving the old ways of winemaking, while questioning old practices that no longer make sense. Les Equilibristes have a simple set of rules they follow in winemaking: use indigenous grape varieties, organic winemaking practices, indigenous yeasts, and minimal sulfur. They make wines from purchased grapes, always organic, from different regions of France, the goal of each wine is to convey the unique terroir and local varietals of its place. We had the pleasure of meeting Franois at Raw LA the last time we could all gather and were charmed by his unique and whimsical wines.

‘Hirsute’ means shaggy, which definitely describes the dude on the label and maybe also the rustic but easygoing structure of this wine.This juicy but chewy red blend is from Prigord, a lesser-known appellation in southwest France better known abroad for Foie Gras than wine. The style of this wine is reminiscent of the classic Bordeaux blends just north of the area, but drinks more like a classic Loire Cabernet Franc but less crunchy, mean and green. Here you get generous red fruit, earth and peppery spice on a soft pillow of plush tannins and barely-there acid. It makes a fantastic food wine, for pairing from winter stews and roasts to grilled fare to baguette and pt if you’re going all out Frenchie.