Olivier Lemasson is a sommelier who encountered natural wines when he worked for an early proponent of those wines, the retailer Eric Macé in Rennes, Brittany. Lemasson became passionate about these odd wines, and trained at Marcel Lapierre’s winery in Morgon, Beaujolais, first by picking grapes four years in a row, then by working for a whole year in his vines and cellar.

After a brief stint as a retailer at Square Trousseau in Paris, Lemasson’s passion definitely took over, and he settled as a winemaker in Chitenay, Touraine.

The story of les Vins Contés is that of a retailer meeting a winemaker. In 2002, Hervé Villemade, owner of the 12 HA estate Domaine du Moulin in Cellettes (Cheverny AOC), was looking to start a negociant business (i.e. buy grapes from other growers to vinify them.) He picked Lemasson to be his partner and les Vins Contés drew from their complementary talents.

In 2006, they parted ways so that Villemade could concentrate on his estate again. Lemasson continued with Vins Contés and also took on 2HA of vines in the AOC Touraine to tend and harvest.

The wines of Les Vins Contés:

Vin Nouveau: Vin de Table, Gamay nouveau

Le P’tit Rouquin: Vin de Pays du Loir-et-Cher, 20 to 60-year-old Gamay on clay with silex

R6: VdP du Loir-et-Cher, 70% Côt (40 years), 20% Grolleau (70 years) and 10% Gamay (30 years) on clay with silex

Poivre et Sel: VdP du Loir-et-Cher, 50% Gamay (20 years) and 50% Pineau d’Aunis (60 years) on sand with silex

La Cheville de Fer: VdP du Loir-et-Cher, 20 to 50-year-old Côt on heavy clay and clay with silex

Gama Sutra: VdP du Loir-et-Cher, 80-year-old Gamay on clay with silex

Pinoir de Soif: VdP du Loir-et-Cher, 30-year-old Pinot noir on clay with silex