Costs

Ichigo Ichie Red 2022,

Domaine des Miquettes

Ichigo Ichie is an organic and natural red-rosé wine (a "blouge" we would say) from the Rhône Valley (Ardèche, Saint-Joseph terroir) certified organic by Écocert. It is produced by Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille of Domaine des Miquettes, and the name of the cuvée pays tribute to one of their Japanese collaborators who recently passed away. The expression ichigo ichie means "a unique moment in life."

Vinification

Made without additives or added sulfites, unfiltered, Ichigo Ichie is a blend of all the grape varieties grown on the estate: Gamay, Marsanne, Roussanne, Syrah and Viognier, on granite and loess soils. This organic and natural wine from the Rhône Valley is aged for one year in vats.

Tasting

Ichigo Ichie can be consumed as a light red or a full-bodied rosé; its exotic notes are very seductive. It is recommended to drink it chilled. This additive-free wine will accompany all products from the land and the sea. Other "blouges", if you appreciate this type of rosé which leans towards red (or the other way around), can be discovered on our site: Susucaru Rosato from Frank Cornelissen, a classic from Etna, or L’Arroseur by Vinilibre.

Learn more about Domaine des Miquettes

Domaine des Miquettes, in the Saint-Joseph appellation (Ardèche), is run by Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille, who are passionate about Georgian winemaking techniques. At the heart of this centuries-old viticulture is the kvevri, the buried jar where the entire winemaking process takes place. They also have unburied tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation and maceration, while kvevris are used for aging. No sulfites are added to the wines of Domaine des Miquettes. The astringency of the tannins is polished by the terracotta, which produces a velvety texture, a fruity and supple substance.

The Estate

Paul Estève learned his trade from René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he gradually rebuilt the family estate until it reached 4.3 hectares. The plots, located between 300 and 450 meters above sea level, rest on a granite base with light mica and gneiss soils. The agriculture is organic (Ecocert certification) and biodynamic. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe, and the harvest is manual. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work and winemaking.

Vino Rosso Red 2018,

Corva Gialla
Vino Rosso, simply named, can be considered the emblematic red of Azienda Corva Gialla. Red fruits, freshness, mineral and earthy notes, tertiary aromas, spices, and tobacco: this is how we can summarize the profile of this 100% Sangiovese with the Vino da Tavola (table wine) designation. With a few years of bottle age, this 2018 offers beautiful notes of evolution and a pronounced but not excessive body. The richness, due to a high content of natural sugars during fermentation, and the polyphenolic maturity are remarkable, as well as the balance between velvety and tannicity, lightness and body, roundness and acidity. On the nose, notes of spices such as cinnamon, black pepper and fennel; on the palate, the wine is full-bodied and red fruits dominate: ripe cherry, raspberry and strawberry. Black fruits and plum are not left out, and delicious aromas of dried fruits (prune, fig) combine with spices on the finish. Vino Rosso is a classic Sangiovese from old and newer vines planted at 450 meters above sea level on a west-facing plot with volcanic soils. The harvest is destemmed. A starter culture is made from a small proportion of grapes, while the rest is directly pressed and added directly to the starter culture. The wine rests in fiberglass vats until bottling in March.

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Azienda Corva Gialla ("yellow crow") is a wine estate in Lazio, Italy, located on the edge of Umbria in the Alta Tuscia Viterbese. A volcanic region considered one of the most beautiful in Italy and characterized by its calanches, tall tuff rock formations delineating deep valleys carved by numerous rivers and streams. Corva Gialla is located in Lubriano, opposite Cività di Bagnoregio. Alta Tuscia is a breeding ground for young winemaking talents dedicated to nature who are enhancing these historically neglected lands. Founded in 2017, the estate has four hectares cultivated by Beatrice Arweiler, originally from another wine-growing region, between the Rhine and the Moselle. The new owner also planted an olive grove (Frantoio and Leccino varieties) and developed the estate for mixed farming and livestock production. The vines were planted with the help of Gian Marco Antonuzzi of the Le Coste estate. The friable volcanic soil lends itself beautifully to viticulture and the planting of grape varieties such as Grechetto d'Umbria, Trebbiano, Vermentino, Sangiovese, and Ciliegiolo. The estate's wines are quintessentially Italian, meaning they are crafted primarily for enjoyment. They are straightforward, deep, and easy to drink, expressing the strong minerality of their soils.

VY Ancestral Sparkling White 2015

Partida Creus
Finely sparkling, lively and fresh, creamy and full-bodied on the palate, this is a superb natural sparkling wine made from Vinyater (a traditional Catalan grape variety) that should be enjoyed, especially now that this magnum has aged a little and gained depth, having had time to develop the full richness of its fresh notes – white flowers, almonds, white fruits – and its magnificent length. This festive vintage, classified as a Vino de Mesa (table wine), will shine as an aperitif, for any celebration, and at the table with seafood, grilled white meats, sweetbreads, or a beautiful vol-au-vent financier. The vinyater harvest is manual; alcoholic fermentation takes place on the skins and with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats. The wine completes its fermentation for ten months in bottles on fine lees.

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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-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 but always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, breathe life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits cries of satisfaction.

Magnum XL Ancestral Sparkling White 2015

Partida Creus
This beautiful magnum elegantly bears its eight years of age: that's called age, and the notes of evolution that can be discerned add to its charm. These few years further strengthen its character while polishing the edges. Xarel·lo Ancestral, a smoky, deep, full-bodied, mineral, and explosive sparkling wine, is a true invitation to celebrate. The nose offers aromas of ripe white fruits—apple, pear, white peach—followed by mineral notes on the palate that form a framework for yeasty touches reminiscent of buttery pastries and fresh bread. Beautiful, straightforward, saline acidity. Very elegant, XL Xarel·lo Ancestral is a Vino de Mesa (table wine) that is highly drinkable and enjoyable. Made entirely from the native Catalan grape variety Xarel·lo, it is the result of hand-picking and direct pressing. The must is fermented in stainless steel vats using indigenous yeasts and finishes fermenting in bottles on fine lees for a minimum of ten months, without the slightest addition of sulfites.

Find out more

Partida Creus is an important estate, both in terms of winemaking and history – 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-known – first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug bit them, and soon they 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 but always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, breathe life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits cries of satisfaction."

Xarab Silver White 2006

Bodega Barranco Oscuro

On south-facing schist hillsides at an altitude of 1,300 meters, Manuel Valenzuela has created this astonishing sweet white wine from the Xarab series, made from Pedro Ximenez and Xarel·lo grapes, raisined on the vine and harvested in December. Golden-amber in color, with a nose of candied grapes and buttery caramel, the palate is rich and taut, avoiding the pitfalls of excessive richness and syrupiness. The finish lingers on dried fruits and caramel, and the cellaring is very long.
Natural wine without added sulfites.