Joseph Paillé is the winemaker of Benastra, based in Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet in the Fenouillèdes, in the heart of the Pyrénées-Orientales. Coming from the Loire after a career in Burgundy and abroad, he joined Roussillon in 2015 to lead the vineyard in organic farming and develop wines that seek above all to express their territory.
A journey from the Loire to Roussillon
Joseph Paillé did not choose the vineyard by chance.
Born in the Loire, he became interested in the winegrower profession very early on. At only five years old, he already says he wants to work in the vineyards. An early vocation which will gradually become a profession, then a real life path.
After his wine training, Joseph began to build experience with several Loire winegrowers, notably Victor Lebreton and Jean-Pierre Chevalier. He then continued his career in Burgundy with the merchant-breeder Nicolas Potel, before gaining more experience abroad, particularly in Canada and the United States.
These different horizons will profoundly mark his way of approaching wine: understanding the terroirs, observing the vines, learning from the men and regions who shape them.
The Pithon-Paillé adventure
In 2008, Joseph returned to work on the family estate.
For nearly seven years, he participated in the development of the estate and notably took charge of the work in the vineyard and the monitoring of the cellar. He works on different terroirs and several Loire appellations, with an important place given to Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
This period constitutes a major step in his career. It allows him to develop an in-depth knowledge of the vine and winemaking, but also to build a conviction that will never leave him: the quality of a wine begins in the land and in the way in which the vines are cultivated.
Why Joseph Paillé chose Fenouillèdes
Despite his attachment to the Loire, Joseph gradually felt the need to change horizons.
At the end of 2014, he left Anjou to join Roussillon. In 2015, he moved to Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, in the heart of Fenouillèdes, and took part in the birth of Benastra.
The project is then led by three friends who are passionate about wine and who want to bring a vineyard back to life. The meeting with Joseph is decisive.
He discovered a territory radically different from that of his childhood: mountain landscapes, the Agly valley, high altitude plots, soils of schist, granite and limestone, but also a climate marked by the sun and the Tramontane.
He immediately sees exceptional potential.
His philosophy of wine and vines
For Joseph Paillé, the vine is above all a living organism that deserves attention and patience. His approach is guided by a simple conviction: the less we intervene, the more the wine speaks of its place of origin.
In the cellar, he favors measured intervention. Fermentations can be based on indigenous yeasts naturally present on the grapes and the aging is designed to accompany the wine rather than to mask the expression of the terroir.
From the Loire, he has retained the taste for freshness and precision. From Burgundy, the attention paid to the terroir and winemaking. From his international experiences, an openness and a curiosity which led him to think outside the usual paths.
His wines do not seek to reproduce a model. They seek to tell the story of a place.
Organic farming at Benastra
Organic farming occupies a central place in the work of Joseph Paillé. At Benastra, the choice of organic is not limited to certification: it corresponds to a way of considering the vine as a living ecosystem.
No pesticides or synthetic chemical fertilizers: the work aims to preserve the life of the soil, biodiversity and the natural balance of the vineyard. The estate is certified by Ecocert.
The poor and stony soils of Roussillon, associated with the winds of the Tramontane, naturally help to limit yields. For Joseph, these constraints become a strength: they allow the vines to dig deep into the soil and give birth to grapes capable of expressing their origin.
It is this search for balance between the plant, the soil, the climate and the work of the winemaker that guides his approach.
The wines of Joseph Paillé
In Benastra, Joseph works with emblematic Roussillon grape varieties:
- In red: Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Lledoner Pelut
- In white: Macabeu, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris
Some vines are old and some plots are located at altitude, on poor and stony soils naturally conducive to balance.
This approach gives birth to wines that seek above all freshness, balance and precision: sharing wines, but also terroir wines. Wines that carry the warmth and light of Roussillon while retaining the freshness brought by the altitude and the winds.
Discover the wines: La Garrigue 2023, Le Carignan 2023, Le Gneiss 2024, Le Flamant Rose qui Pète 2022, La Petite Sœur 2024, Maury Tuilé Hors d’Age. All available in the online store.
Joseph Paillé and the terroir of Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet
After traveling through several vineyards and several countries, Joseph finally found in Fenouillèdes a territory where his experience can be fully expressed.
The terroir of Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet brings together everything he was looking for: old vines, complex soils, altitude, wind and a great diversity of grape varieties. The Agly valley, the Galamus gorges, the black shales of Maury: so many landscapes which have shaped his outlook and guided his practice.
Joseph Paillé is today the winemaker of Benastra, in Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, in the Agly valley.
A winemaker from the Loire.
A winemaker trained by travel.
And now deeply attached to the terroirs of Roussillon.
Frequently asked questions about Joseph Paillé
Who is Joseph Paillé?
Joseph Paillé is the winemaker of Benastra, based in Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet in the Fenouillèdes (Pyrénées-Orientales). Born in the Loire, he developed a vocation for viticulture at a very young age before building his experience with several renowned estates in the Loire, Burgundy and abroad. Since 2015, he has managed the Benastra vineyard in Ecocert-certified organic farming.
What is the training and background of Joseph Paillé?
After wine training in the Loire, Joseph Paillé worked with winegrowers such as Victor Lebreton and Jean-Pierre Chevalier, then with the merchant-breeder Nicolas Potel in Burgundy. He then multiplied his experiences abroad, notably in Canada and the United States, before returning to Anjou in 2008 to co-create the Pithon-Paillé estate with Jo and Isabelle Pithon and Wendy Wilson.
What is Pithon-Paillé, and what is the link with Joseph Paillé?
Pithon-Paillé is an Angevin wine estate founded in 2008 by Joseph Paillé with his family, in association with Jo and Isabelle Pithon. For almost seven years, Joseph took charge of the work in the vineyard and the monitoring of the cellar, working in particular on Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc on several terroirs and appellations in the Loire. This experience played a central role in building his vision of wine.
Why did Joseph Paillé choose Fenouillèdes and Roussillon?
At the end of 2014, after seven years in Anjou, Joseph Paillé felt the need to change horizons. The meeting with the founders of Benastra was decisive. He saw a territory offering exactly what he was looking for: mountain landscapes, the Agly valley, high altitude plots, schist, granite and limestone soils, as well as a great diversity of grape varieties. He settled in Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet in 2015.
What is Joseph Paillé’s philosophy for his wines?
For Joseph Paillé, the quality of a wine begins in the land and in the way the vines are cultivated. In the cellar, he favors measured intervention: fermentations can rely on indigenous yeasts naturally present on the grapes, and aging is designed to accompany the wine rather than mask the expression of the terroir. This approach gives rise to wines that seek above all freshness, balance and precision.
Which grape varieties does Joseph Paillé work in Benastra?
Joseph Paillé works with emblematic grape varieties of Roussillon: in red, Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Lledoner Pelut; in white, Macabeu, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and . Some vines are old and the plots are located at altitude, on poor and stony soils naturally conducive to the expression of the terroir.
Does Joseph Paillé practice organic farming?
Yes. Benastra is certified in organic farming by Ecocert. For Joseph Paillé, this choice goes beyond certification: it corresponds to a way of considering the vine as a living ecosystem. No pesticides or synthetic chemical fertilizers are used; the work aims to preserve the life of the soil, biodiversity and the natural balance of the vineyard.