Dynamic Vines | Jardin D'Edina | Bordeaux

The Story

Renowned winemaker Olivier Rivière has crossed over the Pyrenees, leaving his Rioja estate under the watchful eye of his brother (see here) and is heading back to his roots in Bordeaux. More specifically, Côtes de Bourg where he has produced his first cuvée from his predominantly Merlot vines.

Named after his daughter, Edina, his first ever cuvée is a nod to the first ever land of bounty - the Garden of Eden. His intentions are to restore the vines using biodynamic practices (and a lot of hard work) to their greatest potential having been commercially farmed for many years.

Thanks to a gentle northern exposure, (much like his vineyards in Rioja) Jardin D’Edina is a beautifully light expression of Merlot with remarkable fresh and fruity notes and good texture. Most of Olivier’s 10 hectares of vines are Merlot, but he has plans in the pipeline for some Cabernet France and Malbec on the horizon…so watch this space!

View Wines

The People

Olivier

Olivier Rivière was born and raised in Cognac, in the south of France, and had originally planned to start producing wine in Fitou.

He had already spent much of his time learning about biodynamic and organic wine production, having studied oenology in Montagne St-Emilion, Bordeaux. He spent some time putting these skills to use, first in Bordeaux and then in Burgundy, working on a range of vineyards.

But his Fitou plans changed when he was asked by Telmo Rodriguez to travel to La Rioja Alavesa in Spain in 2004, to help convert his vineyards to biodynamic production. He has lived in Rioja up until now, but now he is beginning a new winemaking adventure, back across the Pyrenees in Bordeaux.

The Place

Côtes de Bourg, Lansac, Bordeaux, France

The diverse and young soils of Bourg sit furthest down river on the right bank of the Gironde. Below them, a variety of limestones can be found, some of which are the oldest that have been found in Bordeaux, dating back over 45 million years old. Like Fronsac (see Matthieu Cosse) Bourg was particularly cherished prior to the modern era as a sweet spot where balanced ripeness was more attainable.

Olivier's soils here are one part clay and limestone, the other Aeolian silt and gravel.

Location