Some of you may already know Domaine Léonine, whose wonderful, pleasurable wines from Roussillon have been present in the United States for several years. 2024, however, marked a shift in the history of the winery when longtime owners Caroline and Stéphane Morin sold their holdings to an ex-employee, Jordan Le Guyader. Jordan now manages the winery with his partner, Cécile Liotier. 

Jordan’s intention is to simply continue the fantastic work already initiated over the course of two decades by Caroline and Stéphane, while creating a space at the domaine that feels uniquely his own. From the beginning, Léonine has stated that their philosophy is centered around the absolute respect for humanity, the vines, and the wine. In fact, they wrote once that “If humans are smiling, if the vine is green, and if the wine is drunk greedily, we are not too far from the truth.” We love this motto because it sums up where the priorities lie and hints at the secret truth at the heart of the beverage that we all adore - a truth that cannot sullied by those who oppose it.

Jordan very much works in this vein, managing the property that now spans around 13 hectares situated on the slopes of the Albères, between the hulking Canigou peak of the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean Sea. Farming is conducted organically, pursuing only the gentlest and most environmentally respectful practices so that each cuvée can best showcase the wonderful terroir of this region. Biodynamic methods are used in tandem, like the tisanes of nettle and horsetail which are applied to the vines instead of higher doses of sulfur and copper treatments that more conventional farmers often apply indiscriminately. In the cellar, fermentations occur spontaneously on natural yeasts, and the wines are never fined or filtered in order to allow the grapes to express themselves with maximum transparency. 

Jordan has added his own touch to the range created by Caroline & Stéphane, introducing new bottlings that still echo the unique cuvée names we became accustomed to from Léonine in former releases. These drinkable cuvées put on full display the deft touch and promising talent Jordan possesses, and we are excited to be able to share the next chapter of Domaine Léonine with our supporters!