Having tried several of Olivier Lemasson’s wines in various places over the years, we rang him up one day when our travels took us through the Loire Valley.  Come by tonight, he said immediately.  And what a welcome!  Good conversation and amazing wines from Les Vins Contés, a winery it has been a privilege to represent.

Originally from Brittany in western France - not a wine region at all! - Olivier first trained as a sommelier before learning the art of vinification with natural wine guru Marcel Lapierre in the Beaujolais.  Befriending several Loire vignerons, he decided to settle there in the early 2000s, teaming up with another great winemaker: Hervé Villemade.  Striking out on his own in 2006, Olivier cultivates his own parcels in the Touraine region, while also sourcing grapes from other organic producers in the area, allowing him to work with a variety of terroirs and lesser-known indigenous varietals.  Lemasson’s free-thinking approach keeps him away form standard AOC designation, something that only adds to the intrigue and uniqueness of his wines.  To try them is to love them!