Known as the godfather of the natural wine movement, Gérald Oustric is one of the few winemakers today who can claim the title of living legend. A stalwart of France’s renowned Rhone Valley, Oustric was one of the very first in the region to embrace authentic, organic, and sulfite-free wines—a long journey that began when he took over Domaine Le Mazel from his father in 1982.

Decades later, Oustric not only continues to run the domaine and its 22 hectares of farmland with his sister Jocelyn: he has also mentored and inspired an entire generation of emerging natural winemakers in the Rhone Valley and beyond.

Today, the 50-60,000 bottles of natural wine Domaine Le Mazel produces every year enjoy cult status around the world—and each cuvee embraces every vintage’s unique expression, with a vibrant purity that makes Le Mazel’s wines so easy to drink no matter the occasion. And this is exactly why he's one of our favorite natural winemakers here at (Super)Natural!

How Gérald Oustric and Domaine Le Mazel became natural wine icons

Like many other estates, Le Mazel was started conventionally—and has long been in Oustric’s family, started by his grandfather in 1919 and developed by his father Paul. For many years, it was mostly occupied supplying their every vintage of wine grape to the local co-operative in Valvignères, a village in southern Ardeche within the Rhone Valley. 

Oustric’s world would be changed, however, after meeting renowned natural winemaker Marcel Lapierre in the early 80s. Lapierre was already pioneering biodynamic winemaking using carbonic maceration and absolutely no sulphites from the Beaujolais region. And it was seeing these practices that made Oustric realize that grapes could be grown and transformed into wine in ways very different from what he had known.

It was this vision of wine that truly reflects its terroir with nothing added, nothing taken away that would inspire Oustric’s own journey when he and his sister Jocelyn finally took over Domaine Le Mazel in 1983. Over the next decade, he would stop selling to the local cooperative and slowly convert the estate to organic, though the official certification would come later in the 2000s. Of course, he would also begin crafting his signature natural wines made with zero sulfites and zero chemical input—creating a pure expression of each grape from old vines, as well as their terroir.

It was his groundbreaking innovation that would inspire many young Rhone Valley winemakers to also produce natural wines—including big names in their own right, like Andrea Calek, Anders Frederick Steen, and Sylvain Bock, all of whom learned directly from Oustric. Of the 22 hectares that Le Mazel occupies, a portion is leased out to emerging natural winemakers, and Oustric has also created a collaborative atmosphere in Ardeche with his willingness to sell grapes and lend equipment too. It’s for this reason that natural winemakers in the Rhone Valley all bow to Oustric!

Photo by Wayward Wines.

Defining the style and terroir of Domaine Le Mazel 

Domaine Le Mazel occupies 22 hectares in Valvignères, a small village in southern Ardeche with hot dry summers and mild winters influenced by the Mistral wind, with its proximity to the Mediterranean. The land, mostly limestone or clay-limestone, nourishes old vines that have been in the care of the Oustrics for decades—some are 50 years old! Here, you’ll find beautifully healthy specimens of local varietals like Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Carignan, Cabernet, and Portan for reds, and Chardonnay, Viognier, and Grenache Blanc for whites. 

All of the grapes at Le Mazel are pruned and cared for by hand, grown in small yields without pesticides, anti-rot, and weedkillers—they were certified organic by Ecocert as early as 2022.. They are harvested entirely by hand in small crates. From there, they undergo spontaneous fermentation—that is, fermentation is started with only indigenous yeasts in the air and without lab-grown yeasts. Perhaps inspired by Lapierre’s process, Le Mazel often uses carbonic maceration fermenting the grapes on their skins in whole bunches  before pressing, frequently leading to juicy and uniquely candy-like flavors. No sulfites are added throughout the winemaking process, and all liquids are moved only by gravity and not by pumping.

No wine at Le Mazel is fined or filtered, and each of its cuvees (typically single varietal) famously embraces the differences between each vintage, with minimal intervention and manipulations to tell a story of the land during the year that was: each vintage part of a the vineyard’s bigger, longer story. 

Must-try wines by Domaine Le Mazel

These natural wines are excellent representations of what Domaine Le Mazel has to offer. Shop Le Mazel wines in Manila here at (Super)Natural:

Le Mazel Cuvee Larmande 2018

Many will know Rhone Valley Syrah for its savoury complexity and pepperiness, but the care with which Le Mazel’s take—grown organically from 40-year-old vines, hand-harvested, and given the carbonic maceration treatment for 10 days before being pressed into stainless steel tanks to ferment with wild yeasts. The result: Cassis, pomegranate, and mulberries buzz on the palate, with deep aged balsamic notes turning it into a wine both complex and enjoyable—food friendly with its low tannins but a bright acidity!

Best with: Lean steaks, braised lamb, cured meats, medium aged cheeses

Le Mazel Cuvee Briand 2018

Made entirely with organically grown Grenache, Le Mazel’s Cuvee Briand is a beautiful expression of the French countryside. On the palate, it’s filled with ripe plums and raisins, pronounced spice notes of bay leaf and black peppercorns, as well as subtle earthy notes and marked tannins. Unfined and unfiltered, it feels simple but meticulous, rustic but refined—at home at virtually any occasion.

Best with: Camembert, pasta bolognese, grilled mushrooms, braised things

Le Mazel Cuvee Raoul 2018

Of Le Mazel’s lineup of cuvees, Raoul has been called the most consistent year after year—and it’s a wine for both enthusiasts and novices alike. A blend of Carignan, Syrah, and Grenache, it’s gushing with lots of ripe plums and overripe strawberries, with charred wood tones and a hint of thyme to round it out. It’s medium-bodied, with good acidity and some dense tannins that make for a very food-friendly wine!

Best with: Steaks, mushroom risotto, braised things, grilled sausages

Where to buy Le Mazel natural wines in Metro Manila

For a taste of the work of Rhone Valley’s biggest natural wine icon, shop French natural wines in Manila by Gérald Oustric of Domaine Le Mazel here at (Super)Natural. We offer excellent bottles by Le Mazel, as well as other French natural wines from renowned makers such as Jean-François Ganevat, Pierre Frick, Philippe Chatillon, Sébastien Riffault, Domaine Matassa, and Henri Milan. Shop Le Mazel natural wines at (Super)Natural and enjoy same-day delivery when you place your order before 2 PM!