Genesis of Hecht & Bannier : a Mediterranean Winery
2001 is the first vintage of Maison Hecht & Bannier. Following visit of hundreds of domains, days and nights of arguing conversations and wonders about their blends, Gregory Hecht and François Bannier bottle at the end of 2003 four cuvées of Southern France appellations: Minervois, Saint Chinian, Faugères and Côtes du Roussillon. Hardly a hundred cases of each wine, the miserable profit of a rigorous and drastic selection of each varietal on every best location. “Lovely spoon negoce” pokes a grower whom they buy two precious hectoliters of MouRvèdre for the Faugères blend.
Following years will enjoy the blossoming of new cuvées and wines spreading out alongside the Mediterranean arc. Core principles remain unchanged : blending the fruit of several growers within an appellation, long ageing, severe work on blends to offer under a single SIGNATURE the quintessenciel expression of each AOP. Craft hand-made negoce, boutique wines.
Tasters may sometimes be overwhelmed by the wines but these cuvées claim their style and signature. “ Fascinating, ambitious, accomplished new negociant” wrote Jancis Robinson in 2005 with other famous wine writers who early enable a tremendous success of the company in USA, Canada and Japan.
“To conserve the typical Mediterranean strength in our wines while preserving balance and crispness, is our mantra for all the appellations we produce.”
