Chais / Cellars

Wine cellars are mysterious. Silent cathedrals, these spaces shelter a slow and continuous transformation. Wine evolves continuously, in absolute darkness imparted by the oak barrels. A cellar must guarantee three factors: a stable temperature, a constant humidity, and controlled darkness. The rest is pure creativity, unrelated to winemaking. Modern architectural creations, troglodyte caves, raw or noble materials, the choices have no other purpose than useless grace. These unique places, where substance and form miraculously meet, allowed Alexis Cottin to capture photographs revealing the human aspiration for beauty.