Alexandre Bain

Alexandre Bain is a wonderful but rare specimen. He wasn't born into wine, his father wasn't a winemaker, and he wasn't born in Pouilly-Fumé. However, his grandfather owned a few plots in the area, which he had bought as a rental investment. In 2007 Alexandre developed a curiosity for winemaking and persuaded his grandfather to let him work on the vines. Gradually, he started buying more and more parcels from growers who were scaling down, and today owns 9 ha. He harvests later than most in his region (on average two weeks) which, among other things, lends the wines their darker hue. In order to retain the maximum acidity in his grapes, Alexandre trains his vines low, and like his peer Olivier Cousin, he also chooses to plough with horse instead of a tractor. His vineyards are a picture perfect example of health, a credit to his commitment to biodynamics. Astonishingly, Alexandre was rejected from the Pouilly-Fumé appellation in 2015, once again meaning that some of the finest and most lovingly crafted wines will now labelled Vin De France.