Le Bordeaux du Paysan Rouge 2023

Olivier Techer’s Bordeaux du Paysan Rouge is a fleshy, powerful, concentrated and unconstrained wine. Bordeaux in a Burgundy bottle, made with some carbonic maceration a la Beaujolais. A supple and silky expression of Merlot, with plum, sweet strawberry, red cherry and spice.

Bordeaux du Paysan is a collaborative natural wine project between Nicolas Roux (Château Coulonge) and Olivier Techer (Château Gombaude-Guillot). The partnership combines Roux’s multi-generational vineyard holdings with Techer’s low-intervention winemaking expertise to produce a modern, chemical-free expression of Bordeaux terroir.

Nicolas owns and manages the vineyards, located in the south-eastern part of Bordeaux between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. They have been in his family since 1804, and are characterized by clay and limestone soils. Nicolas transitioned the estate away from synthetic inputs in 2015, managing the vines entirely without pesticides or herbicides to prioritize soil health and fruit purity.

The winemaking is directed by Olivier Techer, a sixth-generation vintner whose family has owned and operated Château Gombaude-Guillot in Pomerol since 1860. Bringing the technical rigor of his family’s Right Bank estate to this project, Techer focuses on transparent, “paysan” (peasant) style vinification. The resulting wines emphasize drinkability and site-specific character, bridging the gap between traditional Bordeaux viticulture and contemporary natural winemaking. 

This Merlot is vinified in stainless steel and sees no sulfur at all.