The Quastanas are an exciting young trio from the Loir-et-Cher of the Loire Valley, headed by grower and winemaker Jérémy alongside his partner Mélissa Lavaysse and brother Jean.
In the late 2000s, Jérémy Quastana was juggling studying history and working in the vineyards and cellar of the late Olivier Lemasson of Les Vins Contés. He then decided it was hit path and passion to pursue it, enrolling in winemaking in Bordeaux before doing various internships across Beaujolais and Chile, then more work across France. He now has his own 2.2ha parcel and the vines are 35 to 60 years old, planted over silex to Gamay and Côt and an older section of Gamay, which he has slowly rehabilitated and converted to organics. Since then both Jérémy’s brother Jean and his partner Mélissa have begun assisting in the vineyard and cellar and are now making their own wines under separate labels. Each of their wines are made with techniques that Jérémy learnt from his time with Lemasson and Lapierre. The grapes are vinified in whole bunches, with juice aged in old barrels without any additions.
These wines are full of energy; fantastic examples of the kind of easy-drinking yet serious wines we’ve come to appreciate.