Collection: Henri Chauvet

Born in 1987, Henri Chauvet lives and works in Boudes, in the Auvergne wine region of southern France. In 2020, he traded his suit for rubber boots, leaving behind a career in insurance to study viticulture and oenology.

During his apprenticeship in the Rhône Valley, he honed his craft under the guidance of Jérôme Bressy and the legendary Thierry Allemand of Cornas.

In 2021, Henri took over a 10-hectare estate of steep hillside vineyards planted with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gamay. From the outset, he began converting the property to organic farming.

The terroir here differs markedly from the better-known appellations further north. While the vineyards surrounding the village are rooted in volcanic bedrock, the soils are also shaped by iron-rich red clay, quartz, and marl. Henri’s parcels span both these clay-heavy plots and deeper, basalt-based volcanic sites.

Working these steep slopes is demanding, and mechanization is challenging. The transition to organic farming carries its own risks, yet Henri remains fully committed to cultivating his vineyards with care and intention.

On the most difficult terrain, he relies on horses, thanks to the support of a local farmer. In the vineyards, he uses only sulfur and copper treatments, supplemented with horsetail and other herbal infusions.

Henri’s philosophy is simple: natural wine, but without dogma. He believes deeply in producing pure, unadulterated wines, yet refuses to be confined by labels. As he puts it: “I’m neither blindly natural nor conventional. I don’t want my cellar philosophy to take precedence over the terroir.”