Gérald Oustric

Gérald Oustric is the leading figure of natural wine in the Ardèche. Located in Valvignères, 10 km west of Montélimar, the 19-hectare estate created by his father, Domaine Mazel, became simply Le Mazel when Gérald and his sister Jocelyne voluntarily downgraded their production to Vin de France, the classification for table wine. Meeting Marcel Lapierre in 1997 proved a life changing event for Gérald, who would definitively pull out of the co-op system in 2002. It was precisely to fight against this standardisation of taste that Gérald set out to make ultra natural wines, with zero sulphur. The cuvées are often single-varietal wines, characterised by their freshness and fruit, and always very aromatic, the products of a quest for profound drinkability. Gérald helped Andrea Calek, Sylvain Bock and many others to get set up on their own estates. He also developed a mutual support and tool sharing system to encourage better economic development among this whole avant-garde... At Pur jus, we say bravo to this solidary man of the Ardèche (Solidèche).