Romain Le Bars

Romain Le Bars is one of a generation of winemakers in the Southern Rhône who have established a strong signature, far removed from conventional codes. Based in Tavel, he creates sincere, precise wines, often classified as Vin de France to better free themselves from the constraints of appellation.

The story begins in Paris. Romain left his law studies to work in the restaurant trade, and discovered natural wine thanks to a bottle of Tavel wine from Domaine de l'Anglore by Éric Pfifferling. It clicked immediately. He joined the wine estate in 2012 and worked there for seven years, learning from his mentor the precision and demands of natural viticulture. In 2018, he began winemaking his first cuvées in his garage from a hectare of tenanted vines. Things went quickly, but without haste: recognition arrived as soon as the first vintages were released.

Year after year, he enlarged his wine estate - and his winery - until today he has around ten hectares, between Tavel and Lirac, all worked with respect for the soil and the living world. The plots of land are divided between sand, pebbles and the red clay so typical of the area. Mediterranean grape varieties are naturally present: Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, sometimes a little Mourvèdre or Clairette depending on the cuvée. Blending varies according to plot, vintage and inspiration. The vines are managed with respect: gentle ploughing, in-house composting, hand harvesting, without the use of synthetic products. In the cellar, naturalness is also the order of the day: whole-cluster maceration, often carbonic to preserve the fruit, without yeast or inputs, with just a little sulfur if necessary. Romain Le Bars' approach is simple but committed: work cleanly, and let the grapes speak for themselves.

His recognizable style is based on infusion rather than extraction. The wines are taut and fluid, with long-lasting aromas. The Tavel Rosé is one of the appellation's most exciting wines, fine and subtle, far from the stereotypes of the genre. The more robust Lirac Rosé nevertheless retains the immediate drinkability that is the wine estate's strength. As for the reds, Pousse Cailloux offers a supple, accessible and gourmet interpretation of galets roulés, while its Lirac Rouge is a vibrant, infused wine that moves away from the traditional codes of the appellation to offer a free expression full of finesse.

In all his wines, we find this common thread: the search for purity, the emphasis on place rather than style, the refusal of technical make-up. Romain Le Bars winemakes as he lives: with coherence, patience and a form of joyful radicalism. In him, the southern Rhône has found a singular voice, rooted and free.