La Marotte
Langueodc · La Tour sur Orb, Hérault · Natural
Julie Thelen and Xavier Auboux run La Marotte in Clairac in the Mare valley, Hérault. Natural wine with no additives, no sulphites, hand-harvested. Their wines are named after places and moods from their everyday lives — not grape variety or appellation.
Region
Langueodc
Certification
Natural
Subregion
La Tour sur Orb, Hérault
Wines from La Marotte
La Marotte winesMicocoulier 2025
Two small mixed old-vine gobelet plots (1946 and 1957) planted around a venerable micocoulier — a European nettle tree. Aramon, Alicante, Cinsault, Carignan, Oeillade, Terret, Grand Noir de la Clamette and Mourvèdre. Whole bunches pressed directly. Trompe-l'oeil: a light red wine that tastes like white. ~600 bottles.
kr 176
Debout 2025
Old gobelet vines of Ugni Blanc (1970) and Carignan Blanc (1957) meet young Grenache Blanc. The Grenache is pressed first — the season's first harvest, barely ripe, all freshness. The Carignan Blanc macerates 3 days as fermentation starter, then pressed with Ugni Blanc — the season's last harvest. A teeny bit of residual sugar gives a hint of fizziness. ~900 bottles.
kr 195
Sorcières 2024
Sorcières 2024 is made from La Marotte's oldest vines — Ugni Blanc from 1970 and Carignan Blanc from 1957. The last grapes harvested in the 2024 season. Around 1/4 Carignan Blanc was macerated for a week before blending with 3/4 direct-press Ugni Blanc. Only 600 bottles — a wine that emerges from what the vintage provides.
kr 197
Bienvenu-e-s 2025
Aramon from 1945 meets young Grenache (2006) and old Cinsault — co-fermented in alternate layers in vat for one week. More young Grenache added at pressing for freshness. Layers of fruit and floral aromas. Easy-drinking, fresh and ridiculously moreish.
kr 165
Vivace 2024
Old gobelet vines planted from 1920 — mainly Carignan, Oeillade and Clamette. Harvested in October, destemmed, macerated for 7 months in tank. Only 700 bottles. Rich, ample tannins; fine balance between ripe fruit, dried wood and a slight acidity that provides structure.
kr 198
La Plage 2024
A mixed old-vine gobelet plot: Carignan, Aramon, Cinsault, Alicante, Oeillade, Terret, Mourvèdre, Morastel, Vermentino, Grenache, Grand Noir de la Calmette, Clairette, Ugni Blanc — and plenty more. 10-day maceration, layers of whole bunches and destemmed grapes. Vast aromatic breadth, ridiculously long on the palate.
kr 165
Résiste 2025
Carignan Noir from 1969 carbonic-macerated in whole, intact bunches in an anaerobic atmosphere, blended with Grenache (15-day maceration). Fruity, well-structured red with tropical fruit typical of carbonic maceration and vibrant Grenache.
kr 176
About La Marotte
La Marotte is situated in and around the village of Clairac, part of La Tour sur Orb, in the north of the Hérault département. Julie Thelen and Xavier Auboux farm some six hectares of organic vines, Ecocert-certified BIO. Two-thirds of the vines are old and head-pruned — the gobelet method — on mostly mixed plots: Carignan Blanc, Carignan Noir, Cinsault, Oeillade, Ugni Blanc, Aramon, Terret (all 3 colours), Grenache (all 3 colours), Vermentino, Mourvèdre, Morastel, Alicante, Clairette, Grand Noir de la Calmette and more. One-third are younger, trellised vines pruned using the Cordon de Royat or Guyot method. The harvesting is done manually. The grapes are pressed slowly and gently in a vertical hydraulic press dating from the 1930s. The wine is fermented and aged in stainless-steel or glass-fibre vats. Racking and bottling is done by gravity. Vinification occurs without any input whatsoever — no sulphites, yeasts, clarification agents or enzymes. The wine is not filtered. Grapes, grapes and only grapes go into their bottles — except lashings of love.