Cheese

La Diablesse White 2020

La Grapperie

La Diablesse is an organic (Ecocert) and natural dry white wine made by Renaud Guettier of La Grapperie from old Chenin Blanc vines. Classified as a Vin de France, it comes from the Coteaux du Loir appellation region.

Vinification

La Diablesse is a pure Chenin Blanc from vines planted in 1935 on flint-clay soils. The grapes are pressed directly at low pressure and then transferred by gravity before undergoing fermentation in barrels using indigenous yeasts.

Tasting

The nose of La Diablesse surprises with notes of almonds, followed on the palate by white fruits (pear, reinette apple), citrus fruits and a beautiful acidic finish. Very mineral, black pepper, smoke, thyme and earthy notes. The acidity is considerable, marked by a slight oxidative touch. This wine will go well with cooked fish, oysters and all seafood. Also enjoy it with smoked fish and cheese.

Learn more about Renaud Guettier and La Grapperie

In the Coteaux du Loir appellation, La Grapperie is the name of the estate of Renaud Guettier, who can be described as a master of Chenin, but also of Pineau d'Aunis, which is one of the oldest grape varieties in the Loire Valley.

The estate

Renaud's 60 hectares of hillside vines are protected from the north winds by the Bercé forest. Depending on the altitude, the terroirs are predominantly clay, flint or sand. The grape varieties are the two traditionally authorized in the appellation: Chenin for the whites and Pineau d'Aunis for 90% of the reds, the rest consisting of a few ares of Côt, Gamay and Grolleau. Some vines are more than a hundred years old.

In the vineyard and the winery

The entire estate is cultivated organically. The soils are worked and all viticultural interventions are manual, including the harvest, carried out at full maturity, which is reflected in the fullness and smoothness of the wines. For the reds, the Pineau d'Aunis is partially destemmed (depending on the plot) and the macerations are quite long, three to four weeks, with punching down, to promote aging potential. The wines are aged in barrels for between twelve and twenty-four months, then racked, blended and bottled without filtration. For the whites, the Chenins are pressed directly at low pressure then put into barrels with complete malolactic fermentation, for at least eighteen months, malolactic included, and sometimes up to thirty-six months.

Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Abbaye de Morgeot White 2017,

Frédéric Cossard

This premier cru cuvée comes from the Abbaye de Morgeot plot, located at the foot of the Chassagne-Montrachet appellation, with high-quality clay-limestone soils. The nose opens beautifully with citrus notes and a complex bouquet. The palate is fresh and mineral, full-bodied, rich, and nuanced. Plenty of white fruit, white flowers, and honey. The clay adds richness, the limestone freshness. A classic white Burgundy.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Pairs with: Lobster, Oysters and Shellfish, Chicken Stew, Cooked Fish

Lumière de Silex Blanc 2023

Jean-Pierre Robinot

A free spirit of the Loire

Based in Loir-et-Cher, Jean-Pierre Robinot is a living legend of natural wine. A poet, winemaker, and passionate advocate for living things, for two decades he has been crafting vibrant and pure wines, with no additives, no added yeasts, and often no sulfur. His artisanal and sensitive approach to Chenin makes him one of the most respected producers in the region.

Lumière de Silex, a Chenin on schist

This cuvée comes from plots planted on schist soils in the Anjou appellation, an ideal terroir for Chenin blanc. Direct pressing allows for a clear expression of the fruit, without extractions or masking. The wine is then aged for one year in barrels that have already contained several wines, to oxygenate without overpowering.

Fullness, tension, iodized length

Lumière de Silex unfolds gracefully: the nose opens with white flowers, peach, and a hint of exotic fruit. On the palate, the attack is ample, round, with a generous texture, balanced by a mineral tension that stretches the finish. This finish, iodized and persistent, evokes rock and salt, and calls for a second glass.

At the table: finesse and depth

Perfect with soft cheeses, grilled or sauced fish, or white meats. Serve chilled, between 10 and 12°C. This natural wine can be enjoyed young, for its freshness and fruit, or kept for over ten years to reveal its tertiary complexity and verticality.

Hupnos (exclusive vintage) White 2023,

Sous le Vegetal


With Hupnos 2023, Sous le Végétal offers a bold vintage where Muscat Petit Grain flourishes through a month-long maceration. A Culinaries bestseller, this powerful and gastronomic white wine seduces with its silky texture and aromatic depth.

A captivating and structured Muscat
Produced from vines grown on granite soils, Hupnos benefits from patient vinification that enhances the richness of the grape variety. The prolonged maceration gives it a beautiful tannic substance, while maintaining a remarkable freshness.

A complex nose and a full palate
Upon opening, it reveals aromas of apricot, honey and sweet spices, accompanied by a beautiful minerality. On the palate, the substance is generous, structured by a chiseled acidity and a long and saline finish.

How to enjoy Hupnos?
Served at 10-12°C and decanted, Hupnos pairs perfectly with fish in sauce, mature cheeses or dishes with Asian influences. With an aging potential of more than 10 years, it will evolve towards even deeper and honeyed notes.

Funambule Sparkling White 2019,

Château Lafitte
A 100% natural sparkling wine made from Gros Manseng, straight from the extraordinary Jurançon vineyard, Funambule holds its own. The nose is immediately captivated by a great aromatic freshness that continues on the palate with euphoric notes of lemon and mandarin. A perfect balance of solidity and delicacy, it accompanies any meal from aperitif to dessert.

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Pairs with: Charcuterie, Hard cheeses

Magnum Charpenay White 2017

Domaine de La Gapette

One of those pure (and all too rare) Beaujolais whites! A 100% Chardonnay from vines planted on the granite and sandy soils around Mont Brouilly. On both the nose and palate, the Charpenay cuvée captivates with beautiful notes of freshly picked white fruits and a slightly honeyed finish.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Madloba White 2016

Domaine des Miquettes

Madloba Blanc ("thank you" in Georgian, referring to the birthplace of the vine and its terracotta aging) is a blend of 50% Marsanne and 50% Viognier. The vines are planted at an altitude of 350 meters, on a hillside plot with granite and black mica soils. The wine is aged for one year in qvevri, amphorae buried in the cellar in the Georgian style.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Skin-Contact Zizifredo White 2021

Fréderic Cossard

Skin Contact Zizifredo is a surprising wine, a blend of Grenache Gris, Bourboulenc, and Muscat d'Alexandrie, macerated on the skins for a long time. Rare, appetizing, and sophisticated, with plenty of presence and character, it expresses notes of tropical fruits (pineapple) and various citrus fruits: mandarin, grapefruit, orange, in addition to iodine notes. On the palate, it is fresh and appetizing, with very fine tannins and plenty of fruit alongside the tension inherent in a long-macerated wine. Beyond the pun that its name constitutes (do we need to draw you a picture?), it also alludes to zibibbo, as Muscat of Alexandria is called in Sicily, the distinctive grape variety of this vintage. The grapes are purchased in the south of France by a winemaker friend of Frédéric Cossard. The vines are organic and harvested by hand, the harvest is vinified in whole bunches for nine months (it's really skin contact!) before being slowly pressed. The wine is aged in concrete eggs and bottled without the addition of sulfites, fining or filtration.

To find out more

Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undistorted by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful wine-growing practices, the winemaker used this counter-example to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of purity and elegance without artifice which are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked for a time as a wine broker before creating the domaine de Chassorney with his partner Laure in 1996: initially a few ares of vines in Saint-Romain, Auxey-Duresses and Savigny-lès-Beaune, and currently ten hectares spread across the Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pommard, Volnay, Bourgogne-Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune and Bourgogne appellations. In 2006, he created his own wine merchant company and purchased organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais vintages. The practice is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura, Languedoc and elsewhere. At his place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular plowing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. Red or white, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.

Je t'ai dans la peau White, 2018

Nicolas Chemarin

Deep, earthy, and extremely complex, this orange wine has a beautiful old gold color and delicately oxidative notes of walnut and hazelnut, leading to an exotic fruity palette. Plenty of character and considerable promise for its evolution. As its name suggests, Je t'ai dans la peau is all about the skin. Grape skin, of course, since it's a macerated white, an experiment Nicolas has carried out with various nuances since 2009 to create wines with a strong personality. The goal is not to obtain exuberant orange wines like those from Italy or the South, but rather controlled macerations with fruit and depth. The harvest comes from the same plot as P’tit Grobis blanc: all Chardonnay of course, on stony granite soils. The 2017 vintage is made using pure maceration. This is short: five to seven days. Aging is three years in barrels. A superb balance to savor, to be classified without hesitation in the category of crazy Beaujolais.

To find out more
Nicolas Chemarin, nicknamed P’tit Grobis as a resident of Marchampt (Beaujolais), is the fourth generation of winemaker on his family vineyard in the Beaujolais-Villages appellation, on stony land where he crafts wines of surprising depth and sincerity. In 2005, he took over two hectares of his father's vines and in 2006, he produced his first vintages. In 2008, he acquired other vines and decided to devote himself solely to his estate, whose very steep terroir consists of poor, rocky soils on gray granite rock. The vines rest on the bedrock through very thin soil, and their roots plunge deep into the rock. Depending on the configuration of the soil, the vines are pruned in goblet form or raised on stakes. Their average age is eighty years. The grape varieties, Gamay and Chardonnay, are classically Beaujolais. Nicolas also cultivates two other terroirs in the Régnié appellation: Les Bullats, with light, filtering sandy soils, and La Haute Ronze, very close to Morgon, whose deeper, clayey soils produce full-bodied wines. The wines undergo long macerations (from 18 to 30 days) with punching down and temperature control (Nicolas works cold, around 20 °C). The aging is partially done in thermoregulated concrete vats for a third, the remaining two thirds being spent in barrels of four to ten wines in order to provide oxygenation but little or no woody sensation. Nicolas Chemarin is already well known in the natural world for his sweet and fruity vintages, wines for pleasure, and for vintages from difficult and magnificent terroirs, endowed with admirable and complex mineral, aromatic and spicy notes.

Je t'ai dans la peau White 2017,

Nicolas Chemarin

Nicolas Chemarin, nicknamed P’tit Grobis as a resident of Marchampt (Beaujolais), is the fourth generation of winegrowers on his family estate in the Beaujolais-Villages appellation, on stony land where he crafts wines of surprising depth and sincerity. He took over two hectares of his father's vines in 2005 and produced his first vintages in 2006. In 2008, he acquired other vineyards and decided to devote himself solely to his estate, whose very steep terroir consists of poor, rocky soils on gray granite rock. The vines rest on the bedrock through very thin soil, and their roots plunge deep into the rock. Depending on the configuration of the soil, the vines are pruned in goblet form or raised on stakes. Their average age is eighty years. The grape varieties, Gamay and Chardonnay, are classically Beaujolais. Nicolas also cultivates two other terroirs in the Régnié appellation: Les Bullats, with light, filtering sandy soils, and La Haute Ronze, very close to Morgon, whose deeper, clayey soils produce full-bodied wines. The wines undergo long macerations (from 18 to 30 days) with punching down and temperature control (Nicolas works cold, around 20 °C). The aging is partially done in thermoregulated concrete vats for a third, the remaining two thirds being spent in barrels of four to ten wines to provide oxygenation but little or no woody sensation. Nicolas Chemarin is already well known in the natural world for his sweet and fruity vintages, wines for pleasure, and for wines from difficult and magnificent terroirs, endowed with admirable and complex mineral, aromatic and spicy notes. As its name suggests, Je t’ai dans la peau is a matter of epidermis. Grape skin, of course, since it is a maceration white, an experiment carried out by Nicolas with various nuances since 2009 to obtain wines with a strong personality. The goal isn't to produce exuberant orange wines like those from Italy or the South, but rather controlled macerations with fruit and depth. The harvest comes from the same plot as P'tit Grobis Blanc: all Chardonnay, of course, on stony granite soils. The 2017 vintage is produced using pure maceration. This maceration is short: five to seven days. Aging is three years in barrels. This orange offers a beautiful old-gold color and delicately oxidative notes of walnut and hazelnut, leading to an exotic fruity palette. A superb balance to savor.

Hip Hip Chardonnay Blanc 2020,

Domaine de l'Octavin
Light, saline, slightly creamy, supported by superb acidity and a lovely minerality, Hip Hip Chardonnay makes no secret of its tropical notes (pineapple, papaya, mango) and its lovely citrus notes: orange and lemon peel, mandarin, lime. What richness! Added to this are white flowers, honeysuckle, oregano, white pepper, a lovely stony touch and perfectly balanced tannins. Clean and mineral finish. While it's true that Chardonnay works wonders in Burgundy, it also thrives in the Jura, where it finds its local style and is often paired with Savagnin. According to the method favored in the Jura, it frequently undergoes skin maceration. This Chardonnay was macerated here for two months in whole bunches in 2020 and aged in vats. Bottling was carried out in July 2021.

Find out more
“You don’t need anything,” says Alice Bouvot, winemaker at Domaine de l’Octavin, “just a grape that’s comfortable in its own skin.” Everything is said in favor of natural wine; it’s a perfect description. Created in 2005, Domaine d’Alice is located in Arbois, in this wine-growing Jura region, often described as the most organic vineyard in France. The habit of making – among other things – oxidative wines is a good preparation for natural wine, this type of wine allowing no chemical additives and especially no sulfites. It’s a secret of this magnificent region. Originally spread over two hectares, the estate, managed entirely biodynamically (Demeter) since 2010, has expanded through the gradual acquisition of plots and now covers seven hectares.
An accomplished musician and passionate music lover, Alice intends to apply her musical sensitivity to the wines she makes. She draws a parallel between the technical perfection of conventional wines, which risks excluding feeling, while "a musician who does not know music theory and plays with his guts creates emotion." For her, living wine is like this: instinctive, improvised, emotional. Introduced to natural wine by Stéphane Planche, sommelier at chef Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois, she will faithfully follow this path. The sometimes whimsical titles of her vintages are inspired sometimes by musical art (Dorabella, Zerline), sometimes by the numerous plots of land that make up her vineyard (En Curon, Les Corvées, En Poussot, etc.), and do not disdain a pun from time to time. Likewise, the labels adorned with happy and salacious little gnomes are a signature of the estate. As for the grape varieties, they are the classics of the Jura - Poulsard, Trousseau, Pinot Noir for the reds, and Chardonnay, Savagnin for the whites. Alongside her Arbois wines, Alice has created a business of "on the vine" grapes (Ecocert certified) with her winegrower friends from the region. Natural, committed, joyful and highly drinkable, the wines of Alice Bouvot are all the more coveted as the vintages, produced in plot-by-plot mode, appear, disappear and reappear depending on the vintage and inspiration.

Plenus White 2015

Azienda Agricola Marina Palusci

Terroir, plot size and grape varieties

The 2015 Plenus was born in the vibrant Abruzzo region, in Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, where the Pecorino grape finds a unique expression. Grown on clay-limestone soils, this indigenous variety unfolds a generous character, carried by the mineral energy of the terroir. It is a wine of place, shaped by the curves of the Italian hills and the discreet hand of the team at Azienda Marina Palusci.

Cultivation methods

Here, the vines grow freely, without chemical fertilizers or synthetic products. Massimiliano D'Addario cultivates them with patience and conviction, with complete respect for life. The harvest, carried out with care, is followed by the most natural winemaking possible: spontaneous fermentation, extended aging of more than twelve months, and no added sulfites at any stage. The wine is bottled with a screw cap, a pragmatic choice to preserve its original brilliance.

Tasting & pairings

In the glass, the 2015 Plenus reveals an aromatic palette as rich as it is nuanced: white peach, fresh thyme, white pepper, candied citrus, quince, toasted almond, and a touch of brioche that hints at its slow and graceful evolution. The palate is ample and vibrant, traversed by a lively acidity and a smoky minerality, like a breath of warm rock. An expressive, elegant, and slightly unruly natural white wine, ideal for lovers of wines with a free spirit. It pairs wonderfully with juicy poultry, aged cheeses, or briny seafood. Best enjoyed between 10 and 12°C, or cellared for a few more years.

Du Bout des Lèvres White 2009

Jérome Lambert

A pure, sweet Chenin Blanc that respects itself, Du bout des lèvres comes from schist soil where fifty-year-old vines grow, harvested at different stages of maturity. It is here that botrytis, or noble rot, is responsible for achieving this aromatic power on both the nose and the palate. It will be wonderful as an aperitif, accompanied by some salted butter biscuits.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Alberto López Calvo - Vino Tinto (Red) 2011

Bodegas Coruña del Conde
Alberto López Calvo, the estate's historic Bordeaux-style vintages are made from Tempranillo (75%), followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and Merlot (5%). These are beautiful, age-worthy wines with an intense garnet red color, elegant, complex, deep, and silky, with well-integrated tannins.

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Magnum Les années folles Sparkling White 2010

Jean-Pierre Robinot

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Magnum Tonton Red 2015

Vincent Wallard

This 100% Cabernet Franc comes from Vincent Wallard's Loire winery. Produced from clay-limestone soils, the grapes are vinified using a mille-feuille process (skin-on maceration using layers of destemmed grapes and whole bunches to control the astringency of the tannins) before aging for twenty months. Excellent with red meats and wild mushrooms (porcini mushrooms, for example), it can be kept for twenty years.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Chat Zen White 2015

Domaine La Sorga

This wine is a blend of 40% Sauvignon Blanc (from twenty-seven-year-old vines) and 60% Chasan (a cross of Listan and Chardonnay; from forty-two-year-old vines) from sandy limestone soils near Carcassonne. The Sauvignon Blanc is directly pressed, and the Chasan macerates in the whole-bunch must for seventy days. It is aged for two years in vats. Notes of exotic fruits, dried banana, and curry: a rich aromatic palette perfect for blue cheeses, aged Comté, and Southeast Asian cuisine. Aging potential: twenty years.

Goes with: Asian cuisine, Cheeses

Muscat Petit Grain Blanc 2012

Le Petit Domaine de Gimios

This fortified wine, in the tradition of Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, is a fortified wine, that is, a must whose fermentation has been interrupted by the addition of alcohol. Both sweet and fresh, with incredible aromatic complexity, it can be kept chilled almost indefinitely after opening: ideal for pouring a drink for friends who are passing by.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Muscat Sec Des Roumanis White 2011

Le Petit Gimios

This dry Muscat Petit Grain comes from century-old vines planted in limestone soil very close to the bedrock. The grapes are foot-trodden, very lightly macerated, then aged for several months in stainless steel vats.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Vers la Maison Rouge Red 2022

Jean-Yves Péron

Produced in Savoie by Jean-Yves Péron, Vers la Maison rouge is an organic, biodynamic, and natural red wine classified as a Vin de France, made from the Mondeuse grape variety. Its name is that of its main plot.

Vinification

Produced on mica-schist soils near Albertville and limestone scree in Fréterive, Vers la Maison rouge is vinified on the skins using carbonic maceration and produced according to the "repasse" principle: after blending, one or more refermentations take place on grape marc from various grape varieties. This operation produces reds with characteristics of macerated white wine (orange wine), particularly in terms of structure and structure. No filtration, fining, or addition of sulfites.

Tasting

Clear, limpid, almost pink color; beautiful aromatic richness, nicely tannic mouthfeel. Vers la Maison rouge is a beautiful, lively, energetic, mineral red wine, offering notes of redcurrant and small red fruits on the palate; but due to its production, it has a more solid structure than that of a rosé.

Learn more about Jean-Yves Péron

Jean-Yves Péron is a talented embodiment of the organic, biodynamic, and natural renaissance of the Savoyard vineyard, which is based on varied soils and numerous indigenous grape varieties (Jacquère, Altesse, Mondeuse, etc.). At his Chevaline winery in the Bauges region, he vinifies grapes from his plots in Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, in the Isère valley.

High-altitude biodynamics

Jean-Yves Péron's work follows the principles of minimal intervention. On narrow, steep slopes, his hand-worked mountain vines in micro-plots receive no synthetic products, Jean-Yves preferring horsetail and nettle manure. All of Jean-Yves Péron's wines are sulfite-free, made from hand-harvested grapes, vinified in whole bunches and foot-trodden in the vat. For all vintages, the free-run and press are blended, then aged on lees for at least one year, in two- or three-wine barrels, amphorae or tuns, before final blending. They must be stored at a temperature below 18°C. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered.

Italo-Savoyard trade

Since 2011, a trading activity has allowed Jean-Yves Péron to buy the harvest from neighboring organic winegrowers and to collaborate with winegrowers from Northern Italy: this is the I Vicini series, which allows him to diversify the terroirs and deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging.