Ad Vinum

COUNTRY: France

REGION: Rhône Valley

Sébastien Chatillon

In 2016, after working as the head sommelier of Le Chateaubriand in Paris for seven years, Sébastien Chatillon moved to Vallabrix in the Gard to start Ad Vinum.

Originally from Normandy, Sébastien went to university for about 4 months before deciding it was dull and not for him. Questioning his life path, he tried out many jobs. He sold candy, worked in stables, led rock bands… What would bring him true fulfillment?

Sébastien often ended a night of partying at his friend’s dad’s wine cave, drinking until the early morning hours. It occurred to him that he liked wine. He figured if he was going to drink the beverage until dawn, then maybe he should learn how to make it. He moved to the Loire Valley and worked with René Mosse in Anjou for four years. René opened his world to natural wine. “It was fresh, different, and in the morning I had no headache. A dream for a guy like me.”

Sébastien’s next move was to Paris for a girl. René set him up with Iñaki Aizpitarte, the chef of Le Chateaubriand. At the young age of 25, he became the sommelier of a restaurant that in 2010 was ranked no. 11 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Chateaubriand enabled him to dive deep into natural wine. There was absolutely no turning back.

In addition to starting Ad Vinum, Sébastien Chatillon owns Le Cave. Le Cave is a tiny wine shop sandwiched between Le Dauphin and Le Chateaubriand that sells natural wine from more than 15 countries.

CUVÉES

“Volemie”

Region: Rhône
Grape: Carignan
Soil: clay, limestone
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: 12 days maceration
Aging: old barrel
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none

Petit Agité Les Agités

Region: Rhône
Grape: Marsanne, Cinsault
Vineyard Size:
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: 
Aging: 
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none

Lifeboat

Region: Rhône
Grape: Mourvèdre, Carignan, Grenache, Syrah
Vineyard Size: 5 hectares
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines: 70 years
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous, co-fermentation in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in neutral oak
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none

“Hamac”

Region: Rhône
Grape: Grenache, Carignan, Ugni Blanc
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines: 40 years
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: direct press of the red grapes and light maceration of the white grapes. a collaboration with Thomas Bouet of Domaine La Ferme des Magesses
Aging: in tank till spring
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none

Ravaged

Region: Rhône
Grape: Pinot Gris
Vineyard Size: 5 hectares
Soil: clay, limestone
Average Age of Vines: 70 years
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: 8 days maceration with skins, spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts
Aging: 18 months in barrel
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none