Costs

Livia White 2019

Sous le Végétal

Livia is a dry white wine that reflects the salinity of schist and the freshness of quartz. The iodine aromas of the Muscat are elegant, avoiding the heavy side of the grape variety. It is a long and full-bodied wine, prolonged by a rich finish. Decanting is recommended. The vines, pruned in goblet style, are grown organically and in conversion to permaculture on schist, quartz, and limestone soils not far from the village of Pagondas, in the foothills of Mount Karvounis. Free-run juice obtained by crushing and without pumping over, aeration, or stabilization. Only settling and topping up are carried out. Half vinification in five hundred liter Stockinger barrels and half in five thousand liter stainless steel vats. Wine without additives, unfiltered, bottled by gravity and transferred by peristaltic pump into black bottles ensuring aging.

To find out more

Beneath the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural cuvées created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team of friends gathered around winemakers Jason Ligas and Patrick Bouju. The successful venture marks a renaissance of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the North Aegean Sea, which owes its dense and woody vegetation to various nicknames received in Antiquity, from Dryoussa (“covered with oaks”) to Kyparissia (“covered with cypresses”) and Melamphyllos (“With dark foliage”). This natural wealth covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks and notably basalts, limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast irons… The idea was born from Jason’s meeting with the Samos Wine Cooperative. Patrick Bouju soon joined the project. The five vintages of Sous le Végétal—Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste—are produced on around sixty plots of Samos Muscat à petits grains (and Avgoustiatis for the red vintage), between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. Each plot is vinified separately. For vinification, four types of containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats and 500-liter barrels. Each locality is vinified in at least two of the four containers and the aging takes place in black bottles sealed with wax. No added sulfur, no filtration: Samos' winemakers are rediscovering wine as it was made in their childhood. This is one of the wonders of natural wine: it allows, through the most innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.

Susucaru Rosato Rosé 2021,

Frank Cornelissen
The color is intense pink, the nose carries citrus and white flowers, and the palate is fruity, dense, fresh, and delicious, with that delicate bitterness and melancholic bite that is the signature of this wine. Many aficionados eagerly await each vintage of this emblematic cuvée from the master of Etna, and some couldn't imagine their aperitif without it. Susucaru rosato delights rosé lovers and lesser fans alike, those familiar with natural wines and beginners alike. Can we really call it a rosé? Technically yes, in terms of taste and color, this little marvel is both a rosé and a thirst-quenching red. 25% Inzolia, 25% Malvasia, 25% Nerello Mascalese, 25% Moscadella, and all the vines grow directly on the slopes of Etna. A cuvée that remains true to itself.

To find out more
A major figure and universally respected figure in natural wine, Frank Cornelissen is a classic. This man of constant questioning lives in human and cosmic resonance with his contrasting terroir: he has demonstrated that the powerful minerality of a great volcanic soil can be enhanced by the naturalness of his wines. The brilliance, the integrity, and the exquisite fruitiness of his vintages earn him the admiration even of those who are reluctant to accept "natural." These are good introductory wines.
His Sicilian azienda is located in Passopisciaro, in the northern Etna Valley. It is, he says, the "Night Coast" of Etna for the great diversity of its wines spread over many locations (contrade) at different altitudes. The climate is continental and harsh, even snowy, in winter, but very warm and sunny from June to September. The altitude gives the wines tension and elegance. The vines coexist with a Mediterranean mixed crop: olive trees, almond trees, vegetable gardens... (Frank also produces olive oil). The vines range in age from forty to over one hundred years. The nineteen plots, covering twenty-four hectares in total, are all at altitude, between 600 and 900 meters, on several volcanic flows. They are all vinified separately: Frank decides on the blend based on the quality of the wines from each plot. In general, seven or eight vintages are produced in addition to the generic wines (rosé, basic red, and white). The soils are made up of different types of basalt, between powder and rock, with perfect drainage that allows for the production of concentrated and refined wines. Nerello Mascalese dominates the estate's grape varieties. This great traditional red grape variety from the northern valley of Etna is the only grape variety used in the great vintages. Its growing cycle is long, which allows the vine to work the soil and capture its minerality in the fruit. Other grape varieties include: Nerello Capuccio, Minella Bianco, Minella Nera, Alicante Bouschet, Malvasia, Cattaratto, Moscadella, Grecanico Dorato, Carricante, etc.

Livia (exclusive vintage) White 2022,

Sous le Végétal
Livia is an organic, biodynamic, and natural dry white wine from the island of Samos (Greece) whose mineral profile reflects the salinity of schist and the freshness of quartz. It is part of Patrick Bouju's "Sous le Végétal" project, exclusively for Culinaries. The iodized aromas of the Muscat à petits grains are elegant, refined, and persistent, without the heaviness that this grape variety sometimes presents. Livia is a long and full-bodied wine, prolonged by a delicious finish. Decanting is recommended. It will shine as an accompaniment to high-end seafood products such as smoked salmon from Lionel Durot or with the specialties of Caviar de Neuvic.

Cultivation and vinification
The vines, pruned in goblet form, are cultivated using organic farming and in conversion to permaculture on schist, quartz and limestone soils not far from the village of Pagondas, on the foothills of Mount Karvounis. The harvest is destemmed before maceration, a light crushing allows the extraction of the free-run juice which ferments without pumping over, aeration or stabilization. Only settling and topping up are carried out. Vinification is carried out half in 500-liter Stockinger barrels and half in 5,000-liter stainless steel vats. Livia is a natural wine without additives, unfiltered, bottled by gravity and aged in black bottles sealed with wax.

Learn more about Sous le Végétal
Beneath the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages exclusively for Culinaries, created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed Patrick Bouju.

History
Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron... In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.

Grape varieties and vinification
Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis, asyrtiko and a blend of Samos muscat and avgoustiatis. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of winemaking containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats, and 500-liter barrels. Each plot is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black, wax-sealed bottles. No sulfur is added or filtration is performed.

VNR Vinel lo Red 2021

Partida Creus

Juicy and light, floral and full of small red and black fruits, VNR Vinel lo rouge is an everyday wine, very drinkable, with a beautiful fresh expression and notes of pomegranate. The aromas are full of delicacy and floral, with a slightly saline and very lively finish. A supple and hyperfruity classic "à la jura", VNR Vinel·lo is a rich and particularly successful blend of indigenous grape varieties: it is composed of samsó (cinsault), garrut (mourvèdre), trepat, ull de perdiu, queixal de llop, sumoll and grenache noir, harvested on predominantly limestone soils. The vinification of each grape variety is done individually in stainless steel vats, the blending takes place afterwards. No filtration, no additives, no added sulfites.

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Partida Creus is an important estate, both from a winemaking and historical perspective – we are talking here about the history of the vine in Catalonia. Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, originally from Piedmont—and even from the Langhe region, where wine is well-versed—first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug tickled them, and they soon abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There they found a number of abandoned vineyards planted with a dizzying diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties, which they passionately revived to save these varieties—and their wines—from oblivion. For them, it's not just a matter of saving their heritage, no: it's a matter of taste and nature. Of natural wines, which they will never stop making from now on on these sandy, poor, clay-limestone or clay-gravel soils, poor and poorly irrigated, where the vines suffer to produce their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic, entirely manual and natural viticulture in order to give new life to these wines. Vinyater, sumoll, garrut, monastrell, ull de perdiu, ull de llebre, sumoll, queixal de llop, cariñena, trepat, ceciat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel·lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel·lo: it is a true conservatory of the native Catalan grape varieties that Partida Creus cares for. There is also Moscatel, Grenache, Merlot and Cabernet (among others). Few wineries can boast of growing so many different grape varieties. The wines reflect this diversity, with winemakers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety: single varietals are common among them, alongside very rich blends, all in the styles dear to Catalonia: still wine, "ancestral" sparkling wine, and even vermouth. The bottles themselves are works of art: bare glass, simply marked with two large stenciled initials that indicate the cuvée. The wines, fresh, vibrant, lush but always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, breathe life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits cries of satisfaction.

Cuvée 0.72+ Red 2019

De Vini
With a slightly dark ruby ​​color and faded rose tones, this is a red wine that should logically catch your eye for your greatest pleasure: this cuvée 0.72+ red comes from very different terroirs than its white equivalent (which we also offer). The vines from which it comes, 80% Grenache Noir, 10% Syrah and 10% Viognier, are located in the Côtes du Rhône region, in Rochefort-du-Gard, and grow on a soil of rolled pebbles that is not without points in common with that of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is only a few kilometers away on the other bank of the Rhône. The presence of a white grape variety - Viognier - in this red blend gives this wine a great originality, a floral side that hovers over the entire organoleptic experience: there are faded rose petals on both the nose and the palate, as well as a fairly strong tendency towards white flowers (Viognier, again). There is also a little prune and a complex, though light, aromatic structure. This is a beautiful wine that was long overdue and which is currently at its peak, with beautifully melted tannins and many more years ahead of it. Great length, great structure on the palate, and a pleasant salivating side. Viognier is an inspiration from the Northern Côtes-du-Rhône adapted to the Southern Côtes-du-Rhône, and red blends featuring white grape varieties are an increasingly common occurrence in the world of natural wines. As for the cultivation and vinification, the vines are managed biodynamically and the grapes were macerated for two weeks with care: no pumping over, no crushing, as little intervention as possible. Just a little punching down, no more than necessary. If the name of the cuvée intrigues you, be aware that following a small technical incident during bottling, it does not contain exactly the standard quantity. This detail should not worry you, because in this case, 72 cl is a maximum: most bottles require between 1 and 3 cl to reach 75, which is very little. Don't let the fluidity and delicacy of this wine fool you either; it's actually a solid wine that will pair well with solid dishes like roast wild boar and anything with truffles.

Octave (exclusive vintage) White 2022,

Sous le Végétal
Octave is an organic, biodynamic, and natural dry white wine from the terroir of the island of Samos, in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is a vintage belonging to the Sous le Végétal project, exclusively for Culinaries, created by Patrick Bouju on the island of Samos (Greece). Octave is made entirely from Samos small grain muscat grown in the localities of Pagondas, Karvounis and Platanos — eight plots from four terroirs, okto meaning “eight” in Greek.

Eight plots, four terroirs
Octave reflects the mineral variety of the island of Samos through these eight plots from which it comes: the salinity of the limestone, the freshness of the quartz, the austerity of the basalt and the tension of the schist. The iodized aromas of the muscat remain elegant, avoiding the heaviness of the grape variety. Octave is a complex natural wine that extends into a mineral finish. It will flourish in a carafe and will be very comfortable with seafood products such as the specialties of Saumon de France (smoked fish and rillettes) or oysters from Yvonnick Jegat or from the Ferme marine d’Artouan.

In the vineyard and at the cellar
The vines are harvested by hand in the early morning, and the grapes are macerated in whole bunches. The free-run juice is vinified without pumping over, aeration, or stabilization. Only settling and topping up are carried out. Fermentation takes place in 750-liter amphorae and 1,400-liter concrete eggs. Octave is without additives, unfiltered, and bottled by gravity; the black bottles are used for aging and maturation. Around the (organic) cap, the closure is made of paraffin and black beeswax.

Learn more about Sous le Végétal
Under the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages exclusively from Culinaries, created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed Patrick Bouju.

History
Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron... In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.

Grape varieties and vinification
Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis, asyrtiko and a blend of Samos muscat and avgoustiatis. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of winemaking containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats, and 500-liter barrels. Each plot is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black, wax-sealed bottles. No sulfites are added, and no filtration is used.

Festejar Sparkling Rosé 2021

Patrick Bouju
Its beautiful light coral (almost red) color already makes you thirsty, and its freshness hits the mark every time. "To celebrate" is the meaning of festejar in Occitan: this is a clear indication of the use of this natural sparkling rosé wine made from Gamay from Auvergne (with a little Merlot from Côtes-de-Blaye as a minority grape variety), but many others can be found. Its scope is dizzyingly broad, as it is a thirst-quenching wine combined with a complex vintage, superimposing very fine bubbles, a fine and delicious acidity, a touch of spice and white pepper, a slight sweetness, a slight yeasty note and a structuring bitterness. Perfect for an aperitif with friends, perfect for the table, perfect for thirst: an all-terrain vehicle for the greatest joy of all. This semi-dry natural sparkling wine is available in rosé and white. For the rosé, after pressing and settling, the Gamay musts are fermented at low temperature in vats for five to six weeks before being bottled, placed in the cellar on racks for secondary fermentation. Fermentation stops under the effect of pressure and the wine is disgorged by hand, then recapped. Uncork with caution due to its effervescence and drink well chilled.

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Near Billom, the Limagne clermontoise rises eastward to form a hilly area with a mild climate, dominated by volcanic hills. This is the Auvergne Tuscany, so named because of its resemblance to the Italian province. This land of mixed subsistence farming was once covered with vines and was the preferred domain of Gamay d'Auvergne, a robust ancient strain, the origin of dense, deep and fruity wines. This is where Patrick Bouju cultivates and vinifies, on these high-quality volcanic soils and mainly on old vines. The soils vary between basalt, limestone, clay-limestone and pozzolan. Patrick collects and cares for the best terroirs of Puy-de-Dôme, often abandoned, and gives them new life. He also preserves native grape varieties, of which he cultivates a good fifty, and also works as a wine merchant using purchased organic grapes. The current renaissance of the Auvergne vineyard (which was once the third largest in France) owes a lot to Patrick. The fact that he likes to lend a hand to his winegrower friends in France and elsewhere only confirms his image as a model, a leader. His partnerships are famous: with Action Bronson for the A la Natural series, with Jason Ligas in Greece for Sous le Végétal… Patrick practices long macerations, and the wines rest for up to six months after bottling. Very sensitive to sulfites in wines, Patrick has found that his own wines do very well without them. He has also observed that if the grapes are healthy and concentrated, the balance is achieved on its own, regardless of the successive phases a vintage goes through. His noble, chiseled, distinguished, never bland wines are immediately recognizable in the glass. They are straight, clean, precise, often marked by floral notes and a spicy minerality. They also constitute a formidable anthology of the terroirs and ancient vines of Basse-Auvergne and its volcanic soils.

Hupnos (exclusive vintage) White 2022

Sous le Végétal
Made from small-grain Muscat, Hüpnos is an organic, biodynamic, and natural wine from the terroir of Samos, a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea. This sulfite-free wine is one of five white vintages from Patrick Bouju's "Sous le Végétal" project, exclusively for Culinaries. Its name is inspired by its night harvest, hüpnos meaning "sleep" in Greek. This type of harvest is designed to preserve the freshness of the polyphenols for perfect maceration. The muscats are harvested in the Agii Sarandides and Karvounis areas on the slopes of the volcano that occupies the center of the island. They were obtained using organic farming methods in conversion to permaculture. Pruned in goblet form, they grow on basalt, granite, and limestone soils.

Vinification
The Hüpnos harvest macerates in whole bunches for a month. Vinification is carried out without aeration or stabilization; only pumping over, topping up, and settling are carried out. Fermentation takes place in 500-liter Stockinger barrels. Hüpnos is an unfiltered wine, with no additives or added sulfites, bottled by gravity, and aged in black bottles sealed with black beeswax and paraffin.

Tasting
On the palate, Hüpnos surprises with its fruity freshness while expressing its nocturnal origin and the mineral austerity of its terroir. An aroma of candied fruit diffuses on the palate. The deliciousness and mineral freshness are both present. Decanting is recommended, and as an accompaniment, try grilled fish, white meats (for example a roast piece of Black Pork of Bigorre or Ferme de Mayrinhac.

Learn more about Sous le Végétal
Under the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages exclusively from Culinaries, created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed Patrick Bouju.

History
Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, cast iron ferrous… In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.

Grape varieties and vinification
Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis, asyrtiko and a blend of Samos muscat and avgoustiatis. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of vinification containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats and barrels of 500 liters. Each plot is vinified in at least two of the four containers and aged in black bottles sealed with wax. No sulfur is added or filtration is performed.

Susucaru Rosato Rosé 2022

Frank Cornelissen
The Susucaru Rosato blend is a tribute to Sicily and Mount Etna: 25% Insolia, 25% Malvasia, 25% Nerello Mascalese, 25% Moscadella, and all the vines grow directly on the slopes of Mount Etna. The color is intense pink, the nose carries citrus and white flowers, and the palate is fruity, dense, fresh, and delicious, with that delicate bitterness and melancholic bite that is the signature of this wine. Many aficionados are impatiently waiting for each vintage of this emblematic cuvée from the master of Etna, and some couldn't imagine their aperitif without it. Susucaru rosato delights rosé lovers and lesser fans alike, those initiated into natural wine as well as beginners. Can we really call it a rosé? Technically yes, in terms of taste and color, this little marvel is both a rosé and a thirst-quenching red. A cuvée that remains true to itself. "Our rosé," explains Frank Cornelissen, "is produced with the same philosophy and winemaking techniques as all our other wines: skin-contact maceration for texture and territorial identity, fully completed malolactic fermentation for density, fluidity, and stability. It's not just a refreshing summer wine; it's also a "rosé" that can also be considered a light red, like a "Jura" wine, which pairs well with a wide variety of dishes." »

To find out more
A major figure and universally respected figure in natural wine, Frank Cornelissen is a classic. This man of constant questioning lives in human and cosmic resonance with his contrasting terroir: he has demonstrated that the powerful minerality of a great volcanic soil can be enhanced by the naturalness of his wines. The brilliance, the directness and the exquisite fruitiness of his vintages earn him the admiration even of those reluctant to accept "natural." They are good introductory wines.
His Sicilian azienda is located in Passopisciaro, in the north of the Etna valley. It is, he says, the "côte de Nuits" of Etna for the great diversity of its wines spread over numerous locations (contrade) at different altitudes. The climate is continental and harsh, even snowy, in winter, but very warm and sunny from June to September. The altitude gives the wines tension and elegance. The vines coexist with a Mediterranean mixed crop: olive trees, almond trees, vegetable gardens... (Frank also produces olive oil). The vines range in age from forty to over one hundred years. The nineteen plots, covering twenty-four hectares in total, are all at altitude, between 600 and 900 meters, on several volcanic flows. They are all vinified separately: Frank decides on the blend based on the quality of the wines from each plot. In general, seven or eight vintages are produced in addition to the generic wines (rosé, basic red, and white). The soils are made of different types of basalt, between powder and rock, with perfect drainage that allows for concentrated and refined wines. Nerello Mascalese dominates the estate's grape varieties. This great traditional red grape variety from the northern valley of Etna is the only grape variety used in the great vintages. Its growing cycle is long, which allows the vine to work the soil and capture its minerality in the fruit. Other grape varieties include: Nerello Cappuccio, Minella Bianco, Minella Nera, Alicante Bouschet, Malvasia, Cattaratto, Moscadella, Grecanico Dorato, Carricante…

Cuvée 0.72+ (exclusive cuvée) white 2019

De Vini

0.72+ is a dry white wine produced by Christophe Bosque of De Vini, organic and natural, without any added sulfites or chemical additives. It comes directly from the Muscadet region, the Loire estuary. While it doesn't carry the Muscadet appellation (it's a Vin de France), it can be considered a Muscadet and enjoyed as such.

In the vineyard and in the winery

0.72+ Blanc de De Vini is made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne (another name for the Muscadet grape variety) grown in Maisdon-sur-Sèvre (Loire-Atlantique) on gabbro soils characteristic of the region. Gabbro is a granular igneous rock resting on a granite subsoil, and this produces splendid, vibrant, and mineral white wines. Gabbro and granite are Vinilibre's preferred soils and constitute a precious viticultural heritage. The wine was aged for one year in buried cement tanks (traditional in this region), on its lees, without any additives.

If you want to know…

The name of the cuvée comes from an anecdote: originally, due to a minor technical glitch during bottling, it didn't contain exactly the standard quantity. The error has since been corrected (0.72+ de De Vini is now in its fourth vintage).

Tasting

Let's hear from the winemaker: "It tastes divine!" Three years in the bottle have only served to polish, refine, and enhance it. "The older the gabbro, the better it is," its creator also confides. This wine is excellent to drink now or later, well chilled. An elegant acidity blended with a balancing roundness, a saline and mouthwatering character make 0.72+ an unfailing companion to raw seafood, oysters, sashimi and sushi, fish tartares and carpaccios, or smoked fish. This cuvée is also available in red.

Learn more about Christophe Bosque and De Vini

De Vini, along with the Vinilibre wine trading business, is the multifaceted venture of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. Wine has always been his passion. We are particularly interested in his local creations, made from grapes grown on his two-hectare vineyard and fermented in a traditional Nantes-style underground vat—a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in a natural style.

Gabbro melt

After years working as a wine merchant, importer, and then winemaker, this former cameraman, who holds a vocational diploma in oenology and viticulture, acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in 2017 in Gorges, Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson. The soils there consist of gabbro on a granite subsoil, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe is full of praise for this type of soil.

Muscadet, but better

Christophe's wines may be made from grapes sourced from the finest French terroirs, particularly in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a special affection for his own vines, which he tends with passion and a deep respect for the terroir. His labels and appellations reveal a touch of humor and a flair for the pun, but inside the bottle, it's serious business: wines off the beaten path, just the way he likes them.

Sémélé Rosé 2022

Sous le Végétal

Sémélé, exclusively from Culinaries, is an organic and natural rosé wine from the island of Samos (Greece) that is part of Patrick Bouju's Sous le Végétal project in partnership with Culinaries. Its name alludes to the myth of Semele, mistress of Zeus and mother of Dionysus, god of Wine and Intoxication.

In the Vineyard

Sous le Végétal vintages are primarily based on Samos Muscat à petits grains and, more rarely, on other local grape varieties. Here, the red Avgoustiatis grape variety is blended in equal parts with Muscat. The vines are managed biodynamically and in permaculture.

In the cellar

A blend of avgoustiatis (a very common red grape variety in Greece) macerated for a week and directly pressed muscat, all organic, Sémélé is neither filtered nor fined.

Tasting

With its deep, lively and seductive color, its fruitiness of strawberry and raspberry and its lovely tannins, Sémélé is a natural rosé that leans towards a light red. It will go well with tapas, mezes, starters and Mediterranean dishes: we recommend pairing it with taramas by Lionel Durot, with smoked fish or seafood hors d'oeuvres by Saumon de France, or with the delicious poutargue de Martigues by Frédéric Paez.

Learn more about Sous le Végétal

Under the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural and additive-free vintages exclusively for Culinaries, produced in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed by Patrick Bouju.

History (and geography)
Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron... In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.

Grape varieties and vinification
Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis or asyrtiko, blended or not with Samos muscat. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of winemaking containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats, and 500-liter barrels. Each lieu-dit is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black, wax-sealed bottles. No sulfites are added or filtration is performed.

P Red 2022

Patrick Bouju

With the initialed cuvées (trading cuvées) of master Patrick Bouju, we are all beginning to learn our alphabet. Here, in the presence of this supple, deep, mineral, and complex wine, we have the letter P. P is for Pinot Noir, and not just any Pinot Noir! A Pinot Noir from vines growing on the legendary Gergovie plateau, where long ago Vercingetorix won a memorable victory. Now, it is the vine that triumphs on the beautiful basalt soils of this volcanic region of Puy-de-Dôme. The harvest is macerated in whole bunches and vinified with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats. In any case, it's very good, it tastes wonderful, and it's perfect for any occasion.

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Near Billom, the Limagne clermontoise rises eastward to form a hilly area with a mild climate, dominated by volcanic hills. This is the Auvergne Tuscany, so named because of its resemblance to the Italian province. This land of mixed subsistence farming was once covered in vines and was the preferred domain of Gamay d'Auvergne, a robust ancient strain, the origin of dense, deep, and fruity wines. This is where Patrick Bouju cultivates and vinifies, on these high-quality volcanic soils and mainly on old vines. The soils vary between basalt, limestone, clay-limestone, and pozzolan. Patrick collects and cares for the best terroirs of Puy-de-Dôme, often abandoned, and gives them new life. He also preserves native grape varieties, of which he cultivates a good fifty, and also works as a wine merchant using purchased organic grapes. The current renaissance of the Auvergne vineyard (which was once the third largest in France) owes a lot to Patrick. The fact that he likes to lend a hand to his winegrower friends in France and elsewhere only confirms his image as a model, a leader. His partnerships are famous: with Action Bronson for the A la Natural series, with Jason Ligas in Greece for Sous le Végétal… Patrick practices long macerations, and the wines rest for up to six months after bottling. Very sensitive to sulfites in wines, Patrick has found that his own wines do very well without them. He has also observed that if the grapes are healthy and concentrated, the balance is achieved on its own, regardless of the successive phases a vintage goes through. His noble, chiseled, distinguished, never bland wines are immediately recognizable in the glass. They are straight, clean, precise, often marked by floral notes and a spicy minerality. They also constitute a formidable anthology of the terroirs and ancient vines of Basse-Auvergne and its volcanic soils.

Alba Blanc 2021,

De Vini
Alba is a dry white wine typical of the Loire estuary: low alcohol (10.5% alcohol), very mineral, very dry, a straightforward, high-quality white. Not exactly "natural," in the words of its creator, it "glides along easily." Christophe Bosque adds that 2021 was the frost of the century, with ridiculous yields but high concentrations and high-quality grapes. "We have few, but it's very good. A high-quality vintage." Alba comes from 100% gabbro soil, and is composed of Melon de Bourgogne (90%) and Folle Blanche (10%), the two emblematic Muscadet grape varieties. The grapes are pressed directly and fermented in buried concrete vats, Nantes-style, lined with sandstone tiles, and in sandstone amphorae. Aging is also done in vats, and bottling was done in spring 2022. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard or the cellar, and no sulfiting is used. A roughing-out (very light filtration) is practiced.

To find out more
The De Vini, Vinilibre estate is the multi-faceted business of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. He has always been passionate about wine, and after spending years as a merchant, importer, and then wine merchant, this former cameraman trained in oenology and viticulture acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in Gorges, in Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson, in 2017. The soils are made up of gabbro on a granite substrate, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe's vintages may come from grapes purchased from the best French terroirs, notably in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a special affection for his vines, which he maintains with passion and attention to the terroir. A touch of humor and a sense of pun can be seen on his labels and in his appellations, but in the bottle, it's serious, off-the-beaten-track wines, just the way he likes them. We are particularly interested in his local creations, produced from his vineyard of some two hectares and fermented in underground vats in the Nantes style—a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in natural mode.

GT Garrut Red 2019,

Partida Creus

GT Garrut is a surprise, a lovely and unusual single-varietal wine. The purplish color alone hints at its originality. It is made entirely from Garrut, a Catalan grape variety related to Mourvèdre, also called Monastrell. GT Garrut displays beautiful, earthy and intense qualities, with a strong black fruit character, particularly blackberry (blackberry or tree blackberry). Beautiful red fruit notes as well, and a delicious acidity. This brilliant wine, perfect for the summer months, is harvested by hand. Entirely destemmed, the grapes macerate for three days with punching down every three hours, and alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place for four months in stainless steel vats, followed by twenty months in oak barrels. Unfiltered, unfined, no added sulfites. GT Garrut smells of family vines, artisanal, and limitless wine.



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Partida Creus is an important estate, both in terms of winemaking and history—we're talking about the history of the vine in Catalonia. Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, originally from Piedmont—and even from the Langhe region, where wine is well-known—first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug bit them, and they soon abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There they find a quantity of abandoned vineyards planted with a dizzying diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties that they passionately revive to save these varieties – and their wines – from oblivion. For them, it is not just a matter of heritage rescue, no: it is a matter of taste and nature. Of natural wines, which they will never stop making from now on on these sandy, poor, clay-limestone or clay-gravel soils, poor and poorly irrigated, where the vines suffer to give their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic viticulture, entirely manual and natural in order to give new life to these wines. Vinyater, sumoll, garrut, monastrell, ull de perdiu, ull de llebre, sumoll, queixal de llop, cariñena, trepat, subirat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel·lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel·lo: Partida Creus is a veritable conservatory of native Catalan grape varieties. It also grows moscatel, grenache, merlot and cabernet (among others). Few wineries can boast growing so many different grape varieties. The wines reflect this diversity, with the winemakers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety: single-variety wines are common among them, alongside extensive blends, all in the styles dear to Catalonia: still wine, "ancestral" sparkling wine, and even vermouth. The bottles themselves are works of art: bare glass, simply marked with two large stenciled initials that denote the vintage. The wines, fresh, vibrant, lush yet always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, exude life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits cries of satisfaction.

Cuvée 0.72+ (exclusive cuvée) White 2022,

De Vini
0.72+ is a dry, organic, natural white wine made without any added sulfites or chemical additives by Christophe Bosque of De Vini. It comes straight from the land of Muscadet, the Loire estuary. Without having the appellation (it is in Vin de France), it can be considered a muscadet and drunk as such.

In the vineyard and in the cellar
0.72 + white from De Vini is made from 100% melon de Bourgogne (another name for the muscadet grape variety) planted in Maisdon-sur-Sèvre (Loire-Atlantique) on gabbro soils characteristic of the region. Gabbro is an igneous rock with a grainy texture resting on a granite subsoil, and this produces splendid, lively and mineral white wines. Gabbro and granite are Vinilibre's preferred soils and constitute a precious wine-growing heritage. The wine was aged in buried cement vats (traditional in this region) for a year, on lees, without any additives.

If you want to know...
The name of the cuvée comes from an anecdote: originally, due to a small technical incident during bottling, it did not contain exactly the standard quantity. The error has since been corrected (0.72 + of De Vini is in its fourth vintage).

Tasting
Let's hear from the winemaker: "It tastes like the fire of God!" Three years in the bottle have only polished, chiseled, and improved it. "The older the gabbro, the better it is," also confides its author. This wine is excellent to drink now or later, very cold. An elegant acidity mixed with a balancing roundness, a saline and salivating side make 0.72 + an unfailing companion to raw seafood, oysters, sashimi and sushi, fish tartare and carpaccio, or smoked fish. This cuvée also exists in red.

Learn more about Christophe Bosque and De Vini
De Vini, along with the Vinilibre winery, is the multi-faceted business of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. He has always been passionate about wine. We are particularly interested in his local creations, produced from his vineyard of some two hectares and fermented in buried vats in the Nantes style - a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in natural mode.

Gabbro Fondu
After spending years as a merchant, importer, then wine merchant, this former cameraman with a BTS in oenology-viticulture acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in Gorges, in Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson in 2017. The soils there are made up of gabbro on a granite substrate, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe is full of praise for this type of soil.

Muscadet for the better
Christophe's vintages may come from grapes purchased from the best French terroirs, particularly in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a special affection for his vines, which he maintains with passion and attention to the terroir. A touch of humor and a sense of pun can be seen on his labels and in his appellations, but in the bottle, they are serious, off-the-beaten-track wines, just the way he likes them.

Munjebel White 2019,

Frank Cornelissen

A key figure in natural wine, a universally respected figure in this category of wines, Frank Cornelissen is a classic. This man of constant questioning lives in human and cosmic resonance with his contrasting terroir: he has demonstrated that the powerful minerality of a great volcanic soil can be enhanced by the naturalness of his wines. The brilliance, integrity, and exquisite fruitiness of his vintages earn him the admiration even of those reluctant to accept "natural." They are good introductory wines.
His Sicilian azienda is located in Passopisciaro, in the northern Etna Valley. It is, he says, the "Night Coast" of Etna for the great diversity of its wines spread over many locations (contrade) at different altitudes. The climate is continental and harsh, even snowy, in winter, but very warm and sunny from June to September. The altitude gives the wines tension and elegance. The vines coexist with a Mediterranean polyculture: olive trees, almond trees, vegetable gardens... (Frank also produces olive oil). The age of the vines ranges from forty years to over one hundred years. The plots, nineteen in number, on twenty-four hectares in total, are all at altitude, between 600 and 900 meters, on several volcanic flows. They are all vinified separately: Frank decides on the blend based on the quality of the wines from each plot. In general, seven or eight vintages are made in addition to the generic wines (rosé, basic red and white). The soils are made up of different types of basalt, between powder and rock, with perfect drainage that allows for concentrated and fine wines.
Nerello Mascalese dominates the estate's grape varieties. This great traditional red grape variety from the northern valley of Etna is the only grape variety used in the great vintages. Its growing cycle is long, which allows the vine to work the soil and capture its minerality in the fruit. Other grape varieties include: Nerello Capuccio, Minella Bianco, Minella Nera, Alicante Bouschet, Malvasia, Cattaratto, Moscadella, Grecanico Dorato, Carricante...
Produced on mid-altitude plots from Grecanico Dorato and Carricante in equal parts, on the Calderara, Borriglione, Crasà and Picciolo plots, this white is very ripe. It combines beautiful concentration, freshness, and oriental aromas: orange blossom, jasmine, dried apricot. The vines are over forty years old; the grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed, and macerated for about four days. No fining, no sulfiting, and light filtration before bottling. This wine pairs well with an almost infinite variety of dishes, meat and fish, oysters and shellfish, and all Asian cuisines.

Cuvée 0.72+ (exclusive cuvée) White 2023

De Vini
Vinified without additives or sulfites by Christophe Bosque of De Vini, 0.72+ is an organic and natural dry white wine. It comes straight from the land of Muscadet, the Loire estuary. Without having the appellation (it is classified as Vin de France), it can be considered a Muscadet and drunk as such.

In the vineyard and in the cellar
0.72+ white from De Vini is made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne (another name for the Muscadet grape variety) planted in Maisdon-sur-Sèvre (Loire-Atlantique) on gabbro soils characteristic of the region. Gabbro is a grainy igneous rock resting on a granite subsoil, contributing to the production of splendid, lively and mineral white wines. Gabbro and granite are Christophe Bosque's favorite soils. The wine was aged for one year on lees in buried cement vats (traditional in this region), without any additives.

If you want to know...
An anecdote explains the name of the cuvée: originally, due to a small technical incident during bottling, it did not contain exactly the standard quantity. The error has since been corrected (0.72+ of De Vini is in its fifth vintage).

Tasting
0.72+ white is excellent to drink now or later, well chilled. An elegant acidity mixed with a balancing roundness, a saline and salivating side make 0.72+ an unfailing companion to raw or smoked fish and seafood, especially oysters. This vintage also exists in red.

Learn more about Christophe Bosque and De Vini
De Vini, along with the Vinilibre winery, is the dual activity of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. He has always been passionate about wine. We are particularly interested in his local creations, produced from his vineyard of some two hectares and fermented in buried vats in the Nantes style - a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in natural mode.

Gabbro Fondu
After spending years as a merchant, importer, then wine merchant, this former cameraman with a BTS in oenology-viticulture acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in Gorges, in Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson in 2017. The soils there are made up of gabbro on a granite substrate, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe is full of praise for this type of soil.

Muscadet for the better
Christophe's vintages may come from grapes purchased from the best French terroirs, particularly in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a special affection for his vines, which he maintains with passion and attention to the terroir. A touch of humor and a sense of pun can be seen on his labels and in his appellations, but in the bottle, they are serious, off-the-beaten-track wines, just the way he likes them.

Palli et Genesia (exclusive vintage) White 2022

Sous le Végétal

Fine, delicate, fresh, and deliciously muscatel-like, Palli & Genesià is an organic, biodynamic, and natural wine with no additives or sulfites. It is one of five white vintages in the Sous le Végétal series, and, like three others, is made from small-grain Muscat grapes from the island of Samos (an archipelago in the eastern Aegean). It expresses all the minerality of the pink granite soil from which it is made. Palli & Genesià Genesià comes from vines planted near the village of Platanos, pruned en goblet on an old vineyard, abandoned and brought back to life—hence its name, derived from palingenesià, “rebirth” in Greek. The vines are cultivated organically in conversion to permaculture, without any additives in the vineyard or the cellar, and the harvest is manual. As with all other Sous le Végétal cuvée, fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats and terracotta amphorae. The wine is bottled by gravity and sealed with a black beeswax cork. The black glass bottle guarantees aging. Palli & Genesià is the perfect accompaniment to seafood and Eastern Mediterranean meze. You can open it with friends to enjoy tapas or seafood starters: we suggest, for example, preserves from Calle El Tato. Palli & Genesià will also go very well with cheeses, for example the Auvergne tommes and fourmes from Ferme Pradel.

Learn more about Sous le Végétal

Beneath the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages exclusively from Culinaries, created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed Patrick Bouju.

History

Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron... In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.

Grape varieties and vinification

Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis, asyrtiko and a blend of Samos muscat and avgoustiatis. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of winemaking containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats, and 500-liter barrels. Each plot is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black, wax-sealed bottles. No sulfur is added or filtration is performed.

Coince ta bulle Sparkling Rosé 2022

Château Frédignac
"A true delight, we can say: this pet' nat' is worthy of rivaling the blockbusters of the genre. A lovely pale amber-salmon color, unfiltered; a label evoking the crispness and fullness of a grape berry: Coince ta bulle is a natural sparkling rosé wine from Château Frédignac, in other words a Crémant Bordeaux in the Vin de France category produced in the Blaye-Côtes-de-Bordeaux appellation. This lovely, fresh, lively, joyful, and festive wine, with light notes of red fruits, is well on its way to becoming a pet' nat' classic. One hundred percent Merlot, obtained by a brief maceration on the skins of the destemmed harvest, it is a fruity delight, both round and dry, whose fine bubbles are made to accompany all kinds of tasty foods in a friendly atmosphere. It is a magnificent gastronomic wine that lends itself to all pairings. Don't miss Coince ta bulle.

To find out more
Château Frédignac, a 100% organic estate (Nature & Progrès), is located in the Blaye-Côtes-de-Bordeaux appellation, very close to the small town of Blaye, practically on the banks of the Gironde. Founded in 1918 by Jean-Marie L’Amouller, a Breton sailor who found happiness on the right bank of the estuary — which is called “the River” here — it became a quality wine estate a few years later by absorbing the vineyard of a property with a centuries-old reputation, Château Saugeron. The appellation is best known for its velvety, deep red wines, in which Château Frédignac excels. But the achievements of this wine estate dedicated to respecting the terroir and virtuous agricultural practices do not end there: an organic white is produced, as well as several natural cuvées of various colors, from pet'nat'rosé to still red. The red grape varieties are typical of the appellation — the two Cabernets, Franc and Sauvignon; Merlot, Carménère and Côt (Malbec) — and the whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon) are similar. The clay-limestone soils promote both soil drainage and their beneficial freshness for the vines. Combined with methods that are deeply respectful of the soil, plants, animals and winemaking, these pedological conditions allow the Château Frédignac team to be proud of its wines: as worthy of their local tradition as they are in keeping with the desire to work as closely as possible to the natural.
fresh, fruity, fine bubbles, festive, joyful, pleasant, strawberry, raspberry, red fruits
"

Munjebel White 2020,

Frank Cornelissen

The white version of the Munjebel cuvée combines beautiful concentration, freshness, and oriental aromas: orange blossom, jasmine, and dried apricot. Produced on mid-altitude plots from equal parts Grecanico Dorato and Carricante, in the Calderara, Borriglione, Crasà, and Picciolo plots, this white wine is extremely mature. The vines are over forty years old; the grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed, and macerated for about four days. No fining, no sulfiting, and lightly filtered before bottling. This wine will pair with an almost infinite variety of dishes, meat and fish, oysters and shellfish, and all Asian cuisines.

To find out more
A great must-have and universally respected figure in natural wine, Frank Cornelissen is a classic. This man of constant questioning lives in human and cosmic resonance with his contrasting terroir: he has demonstrated that the powerful minerality of a great volcanic soil could be highlighted by the naturalness of his wines. The brilliance, the directness and the exquisite fruitiness of his vintages earn him the admiration even of those reluctant to go "natural". They are good initiation wines.
His Sicilian azienda is located in Passopisciaro, in the northern Etna valley. It is, he says, the "Night Coast" of Etna for the great diversity of its wines spread over many locations (contrade) at different altitudes. The climate is continental and harsh, even snowy, in winter, but very warm and sunny from June to September. The altitude gives the wines tension and elegance. The vines coexist with a Mediterranean polyculture: olive trees, almond trees, vegetable gardens... (Frank also produces olive oil). The age of the vines ranges from forty years to over one hundred years. The plots, nineteen in number, on twenty-four hectares in total, are all at altitude, between 600 and 900 meters, on several volcanic flows. They are all vinified separately: Frank decides on the blend based on the quality of the wines from each plot. In general, seven or eight vintages are made in addition to the generic wines (rosé, basic red and white). The soils are made up of different types of basalt, between powder and rock, with perfect drainage that allows for the production of concentrated and fine wines.
Nerello Mascalese dominates the estate's grape varieties. This great traditional red grape variety from the northern valley of Etna is the only grape variety used in the great vintages. Its growing cycle is long, which allows the vine to work the soil and capture its minerality in the fruit. Other grape varieties include: Nerello Capuccio, Minella Bianco, Minella Nera, Alicante Bouschet, Malvasia, Cattaratto, Moscadella, Grecanico Dorato, Carricante…