Vins Contés

Thank you to importer Louis/Dressner for this estate profile.

Oliver Lemasson left us in June, 2021. You can read Jules' hommage "A Tribute to Olivier Lemasson" below.

Olivier Lemasson is a sommelier who encountered natural wines when he worked for the retailer Eric Macé in Rennes, Brittany. Lemasson became passionate about these odd wines, and trained at Marcel Lapierre’s winery in Morgon, Beaujolais, first by picking grapes four years in a row, then by working for a whole year in his vines and cellar. After a brief stint as a retailer at Square Trousseau in Paris, Lemasson’s passion definitely took over, and he settled as a winemaker in Touraine.

The story of les Vins Contés is that of a retailer meeting a winemaker. In 2002, Hervé Villemade was looking to start a négociant business (i.e. buy grapes from other growers to vinify them). He picked Lemasson to be his partner, and les Vins Contés drew from their complementary talents. In 2006, they amiably parted ways so that Villemade could concentrate on his own estate again. Undeterred, Lemasson continued on with Vins Contés.  For many years the project was 100% purchased fruit; Olivier would source old vineyards worked organically, often seeking the obscure grapes of Touraine like Menu Pineau and Pineau d'Aunis. Eventually he was able to start renting two hectares of vines, and in 2016 was finally able to purchase his own land, nine hectares he had previously been buying grapes from. Organic fruit from many of his faithful suppliers is still purchased to complement production.  The wines are all made in an intentional "vin de soif" style; the whites are direct-pressed, vibrant and bright while the reds are for the most part short semi-carbonic macerations and meant to be drunk fruity and young. Two  cuvées, "Gamasutra" (from 100+ Gamay vines) and "Cheville de Fer" (from 100+ Côt vines), are made to age, though both are often easy-drinking on release.  Sick of having to fight with the AOC board for the Touraine appellation, Lemasson decided to intentionally declassify all of his wines to Vin de France in 2012. Most vintages, Olivier will bottle the wines without the addition of S02. However, he is not opposed to adding a minuscule dose at bottling if deemed absolutely neccessary.