FONDUGUES-PRADUGUES

Ramatuelle, Saint-Tropez, Provence, France

Fondugues-Pradugues is a stunning estate in Ramatuelle, which sits on the Saint-Tropez peninsula, just 2 km from the Mediterranean. Now fully Demeter certified, they are also perhaps the only producers of natural wine in this subregion of Provence. Originally from California, Stephen Roberts moved to Paris over 20 years ago, and eventually found himself in this iconic locale after meeting his husband, who is Monegasque. He never left, and, after a long journey towards less-interventionist winemaking practices, decided to pursue natural wine and biodynamic farming as his life’s work.

The property had been in the family for decades, but it was Stephen’s passion for wine and then winemaking, that was the impetus to restart and regenerate this historic domaine. In 2014, Roberts and his team began the long process of conversion. These are 100% biodynamic vines, certified demeter. The winemaking is not 0/0, but certainly low intervention, with no fining and minimal SO2 at bottling.

Aside from being perhaps the only producer of low-intervention Provençal rosé in the "heart" of the Côte d'Azur, the domaine produces a stellar lineup of wines, including their flagship ‘Equinox,’ which is a Cabernet-Sauvignon-based blend, as well as ‘Melt-Mellow’, which is a more quaffable, glou glou style, based on the estate’s Merlot plantings. 

We’re thrilled to represent Fondugues-Pradugues in the US for the first time, and share these beautiful wines with you.