Les Quelles de la Coste

This small farm has been owned by John Malkovich and his partner Nicole Peyran since the 1980s, but it was only in 2008, after the retirement of their tenant farmer, that the wine loving actor decided to plant vines. A contrarian by nature and a lover of Russian River Pinot Noir, they eschewed the classic local varieties and planted Pinot and Cabernet. This choice was not as esoteric as it would first seem as the property sits on an ancient lake bed with many natural springs (quelles) and so is much cooler than the surrounding countryside. By his own admission, the early wines were not very good, so he hired Ralf Hoegger, who had formerly managed Tenuta Il Palagio in Tuscany, to improve standards. A conversion to organics and a new winemaking team followed and within a couple of vintages, the wines were showing real quality. Bold in style, but not without elegance, they reflect their owner, who also designed the labels, to perfection.