Damien Bastian Goddard - Ça Boit Libre

History of the domaine Damien Bastian Goddard - Ça Boit Libre

The background of Damien Bastian Goddard is out of the ordinary. Coming from a horticultural background, he spent several years in Chad before changing course entirely. Back in Geneva, he discovered wine through the restaurant world, and his passion for nature quickly drew him towards natural wine. He trained as an apprentice with the renowned Dominique Lucas, then took flight in 2017 with 75 ares of Chasselas in the Marignan appellation, less than a kilometre from Lake Geneva. The name Ça Boit Libre is a play on words celebrating the freedom of his wines, but also the independence of his region, la Savoie Libre.

To perfect his understanding of natural whites, Damien made numerous trips to the Jura in 2018 and 2019, where he worked with the celebrated Anne and Jean-François Ganevat. In 2020, he seized the opportunity to take over just over three hectares of vines from Jean-Marie Chappuis, a winemaker who had retired, bringing his domaine to approximately 4 hectares. The adoptive grandson of André Goddard, an agronomist who participated in 1973 in the launch of the Vin de Savoie appellation, Damien then settled in a building of over two hundred years old, the Domaine de Marsaz, right on the Swiss border, to carry out his first harvests.

Terroirs and Vines of the domaine Damien Bastian Goddard - Ça Boit Libre

The vineyard extends over approximately 4 hectares in Savoie, between the historic vines of Marignan, on the shores of Lake Geneva, and the plots taken over around the new cellar, close to Ville-la-Grand in Haute-Savoie. This mosaic of alpine terroirs, bathed by the freshness of the lake and the mountains, lends the wines their characteristic tension and verticality. The whites and reds coexist here in the greatest respect for biodiversity.

For the white wines, Swiss Chasselas engages in dialogue with Altesse, a grape variety typical of Savoie also known as Roussette, while the reds bring together Pinot Noir and Gamay, complemented by a few hybrid varieties in the new plantings. The estate is managed using organic and biodynamic farming, with a demanding approach, soils worked by horse and entirely hand-harvested grapes. This meticulous and living form of cultivation is the key to the purity that runs through every cuvée.

Vinifications of the domaine Damien Bastian Goddard - Ça Boit Libre

The vinification embraces the philosophy of natural wine, with intervention reduced to the strict minimum. The whites are pressed directly, settled overnight, then barrelled the following day: all fermentation takes place in barrel for the entire range of wines. The reds, for their part, ferment in semi-carbonic maceration for one to three weeks, without pigeage or pumping over, before being returned to tank and then barrelled at the end of sugar fermentation.

No intervention is carried out during ageing: the wines are racked at the end of spring, sometimes the following year, before being assembled two months prior to bottling. True to his pursuit of purity, Damien Bastian manipulates his wines as little as possible and crafts them without oenological additives, without fining, without filtration and without added sulphites. His guiding principle is clear: for the whites, to favour tension and minerality over roundness, in order to obtain lively wines; for the reds, to remain focused on fruit and roundness while preserving freshness.

The cuvées of the domaine Damien Bastian Goddard - Ça Boit Libre

Mon Blanc, Marignan: 100% Chasselas from the historic vines of Marignan, a stone's throw from Lake Geneva. Taut and pure, with lemon and white fruits and a lovely sensation of rock water, it embodies the saline and vibrant signature of the estate.

Mon Blanc des Alpes: 100% Chasselas of incomparable freshness. Aged on lees, it unfolds notes of lime, pomelo and mint, in a tangy, taut and lingering palate, with a lovely interplay of vegetal notes.

Mon Blanc de la Haute: 100% Altesse, this white wine from Savoie's great grape variety marries fruit, roundness and a frank acidity, in a profile that is both indulgent and taut. A beautiful expression of Roussette.

Mon Blanc Orangé: an orange wine born from a skin-contact maceration of white grape varieties. Textured and original, with ripe fruits, gentle spices and a delicate tannic structure, it beautifully illustrates the free and creative spirit of the estate.

Ton Rouge d'Élevage: 100% Gamay, all spice and fruit. After a light aeration, it reveals a generous, fresh and flavoursome juice, in faithful respect for the fruit so dear to the winemaker. Give it a little patience and it will not disappoint you.

Ton Rouge de Table: a convivial and easy-drinking red, conceived for immediate pleasure, with crunchy red fruits and a supple, thirst-quenching palate. The ideal companion for meals among friends.

Ton Rouge du Lac: 100% Pinot Noir dressed in elegance, fermented in small barrels without batonnage. Pure, taut and fleshy, with fresh red fruits and flowers, it unfolds a velvety texture that has nothing to envy from Burgundian pinots. Decant one hour before tasting.

Ton Rouge de Grosse Soif: a glou-glou cuvée par excellence, this light, fresh and fruity red is eminently drinkable, with vibrant fruit and formidable drinkability. The quintessence of a wine for sharing among friends.