Our Philosophy
Just as our daily-changing menus are integral to our identity, so is our wine list.
In the early days of St. JOHN, good wine was hard to come by. Many fine French winemakers regarded the UK as alien territory, where access to the market was in the hands of a few. So, Trevor jumped over the fence and knocked on some doors. A few years later the complete list was sourced directly from like-minded growers, as it is today in a much-changed world.
Since then, St. JOHN Wines has evolved to include those that proudly carry our pig as a label, long standing relationships with our beloved producers, and even our own vineyard.
Just as our daily-changing menus are integral to our identity, so is our wine list. Provenance is key. These are not just ‘house wines’, they are the careful outcome of deep hands-on involvement and interest at every stage of the process, each bottle with its own story and its own reflection of our commitment to wine that is truly thoughtful, well-made and, in short, a pleasure to drink.
Our Winery
Our winery is built into the medieval ramparts of La Livinière en Minervois, the Languedoc’s first ‘Cru’ village.
When Trevor bought the winery, it was dusty and ramshackle with a varied past, much like the buildings that house our restaurants. An old stone road sign outside the handsome iron gates grandly read ‘Boulevard Napoléon’ and, just as St. JOHN is named after the street on which it was founded, our bottles must follow suit. So the wine we make ourselves is Boulevard Napoléon.
Second-hand tanks were bought and begged from neighbours and putting them in working order was a family effort, with Trevor’s then-young sons climbing inside to clean them like Dickensian chimney sweeps. New floors were cast, running water was installed, the crumbling roof was repaired and finally the agony of endless bureaucracy was complete. Eventually, three years later, we were ready.
Our litmus test was Fergus, who travelled down to taste the wines. We tentatively delivered a pipette of Grenache Gris from the barrel and into his glass… and, since Fergus doesn’t sniff, we watched with bated breath as he swallowed the lot. A smile spread across his lips, we could breathe at last and we realised we had something special.
Our VIneyard
Our tiny yet beautiful vineyard is where hard work, old vines and wild landscapes shape every bottle.
L’Abeuradou is a romantic spot, just 0.8 hectares of steep schist, 400 metres above the valley floor, where bush vines more than 90 years old give us our Cinsault and Carignan. The slope is so steep that only a tiny caterpillar tractor can work it, and every grape is picked by hand. Fierce sun off the limestone bluff ripens the fruit by day and cool nights hold its acidity. The Tramontane and Marin winds bring freshness and a touch of salinity, so the wines are both ripe and refreshing.
Those winds and the altitude keep mildew at bay and our vieilles vignes have their own natural resistance, so no pesticides are used. The surrounding forest and garrigue teem with birds, insects and more than a few grape-loving wild boar. As Trevor puts it, “the health of the soil is the health of the wine,” and that low-intervention approach guides everything he and Benjamin do, from vine to bottle.
Our Winemaker
Our winemaker, Benjamin Darnault, helped pioneer biodynamic winemaking in the Minervois.
Trevor first met Benjamin while knocking on vignerons’ doors across the Minervois, when Benjamin was head winemaker at Château Maris. There he led a shift towards biodynamic practice in a famously change-resistant region, work that caught the eye of the Rhône’s Michel Chapoutier, who sent him to lead his project in Australia. After three successful vintages there, Benjamin came home to La Livinière.
By then Trevor had a house along the Canal du Midi, and in 2008 word reached them on the grapevine that a derelict medieval building was for sale. After years of late nights dreaming, scheming, arguing and tasting together, their fates were sealed.
It is Benjamin’s immense and pioneering skill, talent and knowledge, alongside Trevor’s shared vision and passion for best viticultural practice, which has transformed Boulevard Napoléon from a derelict building to the respected, quietly uncompromising winery it is today.
Our Wines
We do not work to quota, we work to quality.
Our Carignan and Cinsault come from our own vineyard, L’Abeuradou, but Trevor and Benjamin’s long friendships with local growers also give them first pick of their neighbours’ best grapes, for which they gladly pay a premium. This gives them access to various parcels across a range of the different soil types found in La Livinière Cru AOC, including gravel, schist, sandstone and clay.
Since the story of each parcel is the story of land, relationships and community, each of the wines comes with its own distinct history of how it came to be, and each is a true and honest reflection of that year’s vintage. Some varietals are only made in good years. Some years are difficult and some are wonderful. But this means that the wines that we do make, in whatever quantity we feel able, are always good with the inherent ability to age and develop well.
Wine
Wholesale Enquiries
Our Wine Team are here to help if you have any questions on our range.
If you would like to discuss opening a Wholesale Trade Account, please do reach out to us on [email protected]
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