Os Goliardos - Vinhos de Terroir Europeus

Yvan Bernard is a good-natured bon vivant from this central and volcanic area of Auvergne, where his passion for rugby for the ASM club and good pastures connect him to the hedonists of the South West of France. He campaigns for the preservation of economic activity and life in this progressively deserted area, which saw a great deal of emigration to Paris in the 1950s, where an imposing “auvergnate” community settled in the restaurant and meat trades. For years its labels displayed the slogan of May 1968 in the Larzac area: “Volem viure al païs” (We want to live in our country) and today it still shows its political stamp with labels like “Banlieue Rouge”. He set up in 2001 after studying at the Lycée Viticole de Beaune and began by renting several small plots in the Corent, Boudes, Montpeyroux, Authezat and La Sauvetat areas. In 2020, Audrey Baldassin, who works with him, became a partner in the company, which took the name Les Chemins de l’Arkose. They acquired some plots and now cultivate 11 hectares of vineyards, located around Montpeyroux, Puy de Corent and Blanzat.
They have a long-term partnership with two local winegrowers who work the vineyards organically. Since 2010 they have been certified organic and since 2021 they have acquired Demeter certification in biodynamics. They benefit from plots with a beautiful heritage of old vines, on soils of volcanic ash, clay-limestone, limestone with basalt, granitic “Arkose”, at an altitude of between 450 and 500m which preserves a high level of freshness. They grow two types of Gamay: Gamay d’Auvergne, with thick bunches, and Gamay from Beaujolais in the more recently planted vineyards, as well as mass-selected Syrah from the Rhône and Pinot noir. In white, Aligoté and Chardonnay (with a muscatée variant) form part of the blend. The wines are vinified in vats, wood or amphora depending on the grape variety and structure, and are protected before bottling when necessary with sulphur dioxide, bottled without filtration. In an unique terroir, with an unusual energy, Les Chemins de l’Arkose reveal the character of a historic area of vineyards that has suffered from the industrialization of central France and show how beautiful pearls can be found in areas that are little recognized today.