Les Davoche, ‘Peychourigué’ Macabeu (2024)

Languedoc-Rousillion, France— This Macabeu comes from Charles and Tess’s 80 year old home block vineyard on schist slate soils. There is a 12 hour maceration after an initial foot stomp to release the juices. This is then basket pressed and aged in a combination of used and one year old barrels for 12 months.

In the remote, windswept hills of the Roussillon, Tess and Charles of Les Davoches have begun quietly establishing themselves as one of the area’s up and coming producers. Tess Davison, originally from Western Australia, and Charles Ripoche, a Loire Valley native, are winemakers turned partners in life whose paths first crossed at Felton Road in New Zealand before deciding to put down roots in the côtes Catalans. 

The pair began making wine together in 2021, first starting with a small négoce project focused on sourcing organic fruit from farmers they knew well. That early work laid the foundation for their own vineyard: 2.5 hectares of old vines in conversion to organic certification, now farmed using biodynamic practices. This is a rugged, dry landscape, but Tess and Charles have embraced its inherent challenges.

Their approach in the vines is methodical and patient, with a focus on regenerative agriculture. They avoid machinery whenever possible, working the soils primarily with horses, and planting biodiversity corridors among the vines—carobs for nitrogen, peaches and strawberries, wildflowers, and shelter for pollinators and birds. The climate in this part of France is increasingly harsh, and adaptation is part of the daily work.

Both winemakers bring deep experience and a precise touch. Tess came to wine via the kitchen, having trained as a chef and cooked in some of Europe’s most demanding restaurants, including Noma and Mugaritz, before plying her trade as a harvest chef at domaines such as Chateau Béru. She later transitioned into winemaking, learning under producers like Matassa, Milton, and Si Vintners. Charles studied oenology in France and worked with both Antoine Foucault (Domaine du Collier) and Cyril Fhal (Clos du Rouge Gorge