Fish

Magnum Tonton Grolleau Red 2019

Vincent Wallard

As its name suggests, this is a 100% Grolleau from old vines (eighty years old) growing on schist soils. The plots once belonged to the Domaine des Sablonnettes (Rablay-sur-Layon). The harvest macerates for three weeks in whole bunches. Beautifully fruity, with the characteristic plum nuance of the grape variety, spicy, and with a supple and light texture.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Crucella Red 2019

La Vinicola di Antonio Gismondi

The estate's only red, Crucella is a beautiful blend of Merlot, Sangiovese, and the ancient local Freisa grape variety, which imparts a slight hint of musky red fruit, but the Sangiovese dominates. The harvest macerates for five or six days in stainless steel vats, then the wine is aged for seven to ten months in the same type of vat. Crucella is characterized by a nose of undergrowth, mineral and earthy, a lively and acidic attack on the palate, red fruit, cherry on the retro-olfaction, and tannins that are less present than the deep color would suggest. Definitely a good wine for laying down that will blossom over time.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Ivre de Vivre White 2021,

Domaine de l'Octavin

Ivre de vivre is made from a complex blend: 50% directly pressed Vermentino and 50% Roussanne and Marsanne macerated for ten days in whole bunches. The blend is made after fermentation and pressing of the Roussanne and Marsanne. The grapes come from Claude Ughetto's SCEA L'Authentique estate (Carpentras) and are vinified at Alice Bouvot's estate in Arbois. This wine includes a portion of skin maceration, which gives it a supple and pleasant texture. It presents tropical (green mango, ripe mango, lychee, mandarin), honeyed, citrus (orange and lemon), but also mineral notes: chalk, pebble, dry earth after the rain.

To find out more
“You don’t need anything,” says Alice Bouvot, winemaker at Domaine de l’Octavin, “just a grape that feels good in its 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 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 does not allow any 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.

Canotière Red 2021

Danis dans la vigne

Canotière is an organic and natural Cahors red wine produced by Danis Bessières (Danis dans la vigne) in the Vin de France category. It is part of his "Esprit du lieu" range of single-plot cuvées. The name of this cuvée alludes to the puppies that attack the grape pickers and to the meandering Lot River near the plot.

Vinification

The plot from which Canotière comes, on the banks of the Lot, is planted with Malbec, the emblematic grape variety of Cahors. Danis' single-plot cuvées are vinified by Danis with a certain neutrality, adapted to the grape variety, in order to highlight the vintage and the place. They are often "easier" than other cuvées.

Tasting

Canotière is a beautiful red wine from Cahors that has the particularity of not emphasizing the density of the grape variety. The somewhat delicate conditions of the vintage produced a refreshing, vegetal and minty wine. The olfactory attack evokes a mentholated chewing gum and the palate is very pleasant, fresh, fruity and herbaceous, with a cherry side without excess ripeness.

Learn more about Danis dans la vigne

Under the name Danis dans la vigne, Danis Bessières vinifies organic grapes from the family property, the Domaine de l’Antenet, which was the first organic vineyard in Cahors in the early 1980s.

Organic and natural since 1983

Danis respects the principles established in the vineyard and cellar by his grandfather and then his father: making wines without additives, organic and natural, from the grape varieties of the terroir while respecting the environment. It was in 1983 that his grandfather obtained the organic label Lemaire-Boucher, followed by Nature & Progress followed by AB and Eurofeuille organic labels. Danis Bessières continues this momentum.

Malbec, but not only

Malbec reigns supreme in the Cahors region, but Danis also uses Cabernets, Jurançon Noir, Merlot, and recently created grape varieties, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Colombard as single-varietals. These experiments allow him to moderate the density and opacity of the main grape variety.

i Vicini Cortese White 2021

Jean Yves Peron

This is a dry white wine from Jean-Yves Péron, organic, biodynamic, and natural, vinified in Savoie from organic Cortese grapes harvested in Piedmont. It is a merchant cuvée from the I Vicini series. The grapes come from Asti, in a cool microclimate that allows for relatively late ripening.

Vinification

Cortese is an ancient grape variety often associated with Trebbiano or Garganega. It produces a quality wine, fresh and tangy, with a straw-yellow color with greenish highlights. Here it undergoes two weeks of carbonic maceration and spends a year aging in 34 hectoliter tuns. No fining, no filtration, no addition of sulfites.

Tasting

I Vicini Cortese is a light and fresh wine, very digestible, with an alcohol content between 10 and 11 degrees, making it easy to drink. It has a minerality due to the terroir and notes of citrus, especially lemon zest. A perfect companion for tapas and the most refined starters, shellfish and caviars.

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. The grapes are vatted in whole bunches and undergo semi-carbonic maceration. Shortly before pressing, they are foot-trodden in the vat, then transferred to two- or three-wine barrels for twelve months of aging on lees, before blending and resting in the vat. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered.

Italian-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.

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.

I'm Natural Don't Panic #7 Red 2018

Bodegas Coruña del Conde
Julien López's I'm Natural, Don't Panic range consists of macerated wines. This 100% Tempranillo red is powerful, dense, and generous, but not lacking in freshness, the result of a high-altitude climate that subjects the vines to significant temperature variations. A lovely bouquet of red and black fruits. Decanting will allow it to express its full opulence. For grilled meats, roast lamb, grilled octopus, stews, cocido.
Ideally a wine to be decanted.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

La Syrah de la Pinède Red 2022

Fond Cyprès

La Syrah de la Pinède 2022 from Fond Cyprès is a true ode to nature and the terroir of Languedoc-Roussillon. Produced on a north-facing plot surrounded by a pine forest, this cuvée embodies a perfect balance between freshness and concentration. The rich, fresh clay-limestone soils allow the 15-year-old Syrah vines to develop a beautiful maturity until the end of September, giving the wine an elegant structure and expressive aromas.

Vinification and Aging: Respect for the Terroir

The grapes are harvested by hand, then carefully destemmed before a gentle three-week maceration. Traditional vinification respects the grapes, using indigenous yeasts and without the addition of additives or filtration, thus highlighting the authenticity of this natural wine. The wine is aged in 42 hl wooden vats for 10 months, preserving the wine's memory and allowing it to develop a subtle depth and complexity.

Tasting: An Elegant and Expressive Syrah

On the nose, La Syrah de la Pinède reveals captivating aromas of red fruits and black olives, distinctive signs of its Mediterranean terroir. On the palate, we find this same freshness, due to the northern exposure of the vine, combined with a beautiful concentration reminiscent of the generosity of the southern sun. Its silky texture and fine tannins offer a persistent and balanced length on the palate.

Food and Wine Pairing: Ideal Companion to Roast Meats

This red wine pairs wonderfully with roast meats, revealing all its aromatic richness and delicate structure. Serve it between 14 and 16 degrees, and don't hesitate to decant it to release all its aromatic complexity. With an aging potential of more than 10 years, this wine will evolve magnificently in the cellar.

Respect for the Environment: An Organic Commitment

Certified organic farming (Eurofeuille), La Syrah de la Pinède 2022 embodies Fond Cyprès' commitment to environmentally friendly viticulture. Without synthetic products or industrial yeasts, this wine is the pure expression of its terroir.

Skin Contact Zizifredo White 2022

Frédéric Cossard

Skin Contact Zizifredo is an organic and natural wine, a blend of southern grape varieties: Grenache Gris, Bourboulenc, and Muscat d'Alexandrie, grown on clay-limestone soils and macerated for a long time on the skins. Beyond the pun included in the name, it also alludes to Zibibbo, the Sicilian name for Muscat d'Alexandrie. To discover other maceration wines made from southern grape varieties, also check out Jean-Louis Pinto or the La Sorga estate.

Vinification

The organic grapes, harvested by hand in the south of France, are vinified in Burgundy by Frédéric Cossard. The grapes macerate for nine months in whole bunches before being slowly pressed. The wine is aged in concrete eggs. Skin Contact Zizifrédo is bottled without the addition of sulfites, fining, or filtration.

Tasting

Rare and sophisticated with plenty of presence and character, Skin Contact Zizifrédo 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 of a long-macerated wine. This wine is made for all pairings.

Learn more about Frédéric Cossard and the domaine de Chassorney

Frédéric Cossard and the domaine de Chassorney give the floor in organic and natural mode to the wines of Burgundy (and elsewhere), undistorted by agricultural chemicals, according to the style and convictions of this winemaker and merchant. Wherever the grapes come from, its wines bear the Cossard brand, both classic and creative.

Between viticulture and trade

Frédéric Cossard created the domaine de Chassorney 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 trading house and buys organic grapes from the greatest climates of Burgundy, but also from Jura, Languedoc and elsewhere.

A solid commitment to nature

At Frédéric Cossard, the work of the soil and the vines is done naturally: plowing by horse, biodynamics, no chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The harvest, by hand, is carried out at full maturity. Frédéric Cossard's vintages are rare and sought-after, wines that are always highly anticipated but which sometimes require waiting.

Bistrologie White 2022

Jean-Pierre Robinot

Bistrologie is a dry white wine from Jean-Pierre Robinot, organic and natural, from his Sarthe terroirs (Jasnières and Coteaux-du-Loir). One hundred percent Chenin, as always, you don't change a winning grape variety. Its name will remind some that Jean-Pierre once ran a wine bistro in Paris.

Vinification

Bistrologie is made from forty-year-old Chenin vines growing on soils of red clay, limestone, and flint. The harvest is pressed directly into barrels, where the must ferments and rests on its lees for fifteen months until bottling. Without any chemical additives, filtration or addition of sulfites.

Tasting

Superb juice, intense, lively and saline, fresh and earthy minerality, acidic and salivating structure. Bistrologie is a full-bodied and powerful white wine, with a formidable minerality and seductive notes of roasted pears and apples. Honey and acidity coexist without contradicting each other, with a little herbaceousness in the taste structure. This wine is alive, constantly evolving, it can display slightly different profiles depending on its aging. It will be a pleasure to pair with oysters and seafood, smoked salmon, fine poultry and roasted white meats: it is made for gastronomy.

Learn more about Jean-Pierre Robinot

Anyone interested in natural wine in France has met Jean-Pierre Robinot one day and has never forgotten this smiling and bouncy figure. If we have not yet succeeded in proving that all wines resemble their winemaker (a study to be undertaken), the organic and natural wines made by Jean-Pierre, warm, friendly and luminous, are in the image of their author. After having run the wine bar L’Ange Vin, rue Richard-Lenoir, in Paris for nearly fifteen years, Jean-Pierre returned to his native Chahaignes, a small village in the south of Sarthe. His dream is to acquire his vineyard and make natural wines, without added sulfites.

Great terroirs of the Loir and tuffeau cellars

Jean-Pierre therefore reclaims hillside wasteland, on great terroirs, as well as troglodyte cellars dug into the tuffeau. 2002 will be his first vintage. At the same time, under the L’Opéra des vins brand, he vinifies organic grapes purchased from local winegrowers. A member of the natural viticulture association S.A.I.N.S., Jean-Pierre Robinot practices demanding organic viticulture, without chemical weeding or added sulfites. The soil is worked and amended with natural composts. All harvests, carried out at maturity on healthy grapes, are done by hand. The location and climate favor noble rot.

Burgundy Bedeau Qvevris Red 2022

Frédéric Cossard

Bedeau Qvevris is an organic and natural red wine from Frédéric Cossard in AOC/AOP Bourgogne, vinified in qvevri (Georgian-style terracotta jars). While a "generic" red Burgundy, it perfectly evokes the character of its appellation and is suitable for all occasions. This is the red counterpart to the Bigotes cuvée.

Vinification

Bedeau comes from Pinot Noir vines grown on clay-limestone soils, on forty-year-old plots in Volnay and the surrounding area, as well as a plot of fifty-year-old vines in Nuits-Saint-Georges. The harvest is macerated in whole bunches and the aging is done in qvevri; the use of terracotta for aging produces a fusion and a particular velvety tannins.

Tasting

The nose is fresh, natural, evocative of tangy red fruits (morello cherry, plum, redcurrant). This Pinot Noir is delicious, velvety and very fine, bursting with fresh fruit, with beautifully melted tannins, the result of aging in qvevri. Lively and voluminous mouth, satiny, spicy. Pair it with Red Meats, charcuterie, game in salmis or prepared with red wine, or beef simmered in sauce.

Learn more about Frédéric Cossard and the domaine de Chassorney

Frédéric Cossard and the domaine de Chassorney give organic and natural voice to Burgundy wines (and elsewhere), undistorted by agricultural chemicals, according to the style and convictions of this winegrower and merchant. Wherever the grapes come from, his wines bear the Cossard brand, both classic and creative.

Between viticulture and trade

Frédéric Cossard created the domaine de Chassorney 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 trading house and buys organic grapes from the greatest climates of Burgundy, but also from Jura, Languedoc and elsewhere.

A solid commitment to nature

At Frédéric Cossard, the work of the soil and the vines is done naturally: plowing by horse, biodynamics, no chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The harvest, by hand, is carried out at full maturity. Frédéric Cossard's vintages are rare and sought-after, wines that are always highly anticipated but which sometimes require waiting.

Bain de Bulles - Guy Wurtz White 2022

Fréderic Cossard

He's a Vin de France, but this pet'nat' doesn't lack distinction. Bain de bulles Guy Wurtz is an organic and natural wine produced in Burgundy by Frédéric Cossard from Gewurztraminer grapes harvested in Alsace. Guy Würtz, Gewurztraminer, you get it? All that's left is to pop the cork and enjoy: it's a truly delicious wine.

Vinification

Frédéric Cossard has vinified a biodynamically produced Alsace Gewurztraminer into a natural sparkling wine. The maceration of the grapes produces a light pinkish tint: we could call it a sparkling orange wine.

Tasting

Bath of Bubbles Guy Wurtz by Frédéric Cossard is pure pleasure: effervescence, sweetness, flavor, complexity, and a lot of euphoria. A wine for the holidays and for celebration. Drink chilled. Its pairing with seafood, especially oysters, is heavenly. To discover Gewurztraminer in a very different form, try it in skin maceration at Domaine Einhart.

Learn more about Frédéric Cossard and the Domaine de Chassorney

Frédéric Cossard and the Domaine de Chassorney give organic and natural voice to the terroirs and wines of Burgundy and elsewhere, undistorted by agricultural chemicals, according to the style and convictions of this winegrower and merchant. Wherever his grapes come from, his wines bear the Cossard brand, both classic and innovative.

Between viticulture and trade

Frédéric Cossard created the domaine de Chassorney 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 trading house and buys organic grapes from the greatest climates of Burgundy, but also from Jura, Languedoc and elsewhere.

A solid commitment to nature

At Frédéric Cossard, the work of the soil and the vines is done naturally: plowing by horse, no chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are tended biodynamically, the harvest is manual, carried out at full maturity. Frédéric Cossard's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, always highly anticipated but which sometimes require waiting.

XL Ancestral Sparkling White 2021

Partida Creus
"With its delicious, straightforward, saline acidity and fine, festive bubbles, this 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 frame yeasty touches reminiscent of buttery pastries and fresh bread. Very elegant, XL Xarel·lo Ancestral is a highly drinkable and enjoyable Vino de Mesa (table wine). Made from the indigenous Catalan Xarel·lo grape variety, harvested by hand and directly pressed, it 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 from a winemaking and historical perspective – 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 tickled them, and soon they abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There they found a quantity 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 heritage, no: it's a matter of taste and nature. Of wines nature, which they will continue to do 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: it is a true conservatory of native Catalan grape varieties that Partida Creus cares for. There is also moscatel, grenache, merlot and cabernet (among others). Few wineries can boast of cultivating so many different grape varieties. The wines reflect this diversity, with winemakers striving to convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety as best as possible: single-variety wines 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 vintage. The wines, fresh, vibrant, lush but always straight and impeccably juicy and fruity, breathe life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits cries of satisfaction.

L'air de Rien Sparkling Rosé 2020

Jérome Lambert
Despite its name, L'Air de rien is not lacking in air, as it has a healthy dose of bubbles, effervescence, pleasure, and color. This is a sparkling natural rosé with a beautiful light color, Montmorency cherry, crushed strawberry. Intensely refreshing with delicate mineral aromas and quite a few small red fruits, ennobled by a gentle bitterness that adds an extra dimension to this beautiful wine with sweet orange peel on the finish. This lovely and tender pet'nat' comes from a hand-harvested Gamay grape growing on schist and clay-limestone soils. The harvest is processed by direct pressing and the wine is aged on lees before disgorging.

To find out more
On his four-hectare estate, entirely organic and planted with Chenin, Grolleau, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, Jérôme is as much a winemaker as he is a farmer: he raises chickens, pigs, sheep and takes this mixed crop-livestock activity very seriously, coupled with the production of typical Anjou charcuterie. His Loire Eden, in fact, is located in the south of Anjou, in Rablay-sur-Layon. The son of a winemaker, as a child, he already enjoyed picking grapes, crushing them and letting them ferment. The desire to make wine has never left him, in fact: in 2003, he got his hands dirty, took part in pruning the vines at Philippe Cesbron's and took the opportunity to try his hand at some grapes donated by local winegrowers. The following year, his adventure really began with twenty ares of vines, but although his estate grew year by year, it would not reach one hectare for another fifteen years. In 2003, he discovered that adding sulfite was detrimental to the wines: he never added more and was completely satisfied with the result, without making too much noise about it around him. It was only a little later that he learned about the existence of natural wines and understood that he was not alone. All his vintages since then have been without added sulfur, and are nonetheless straightforward, drinkable and flawless. For him, even the wood of the barrels is an additive; This shows the attention he pays to the naturalness and truth of the vine.

Le Rocher rouge 2018,

Nicolas Chemarin

This infinitely silky and luscious red, mineral and very straightforward, is a Beaujolais-Villages that is ideally enjoyed between 14 and 16°C. It is made from Beaujolais Gamay grapes grown in the Combe Fleurette area, at an altitude of 550 meters and on an average 40% slope, facing south, on a plot of blue granite with very shallow soil. The vines, twenty-five years old, rest on a rocky outcrop. The harvest is aged in whole bunches for forty days with regular turning. After pressing, the young wine is aged on fine lees in Burgundy oak barrels. Bottling is done in the waning moon, without fining or filtration.

Find out more
Nicolas Chemarin, nicknamed "P'tit Grobis" as a resident of Marchampt (Beaujolais), is the fourth generation of winemaker on his family wine estate 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 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 vintages undergo long macerations (from 18 to 30 days) with punching down and temperature control (Nicolas works cold, around 20°C). The aging is done partially in thermoregulated concrete vats for a third, the remaining two thirds passing into barrels of four to ten wines in order to provide oxygenation but little or no woody sensation. Nicolas Chemarin is already very well known in the natural world for his sweet and fruity vintages, wines of pleasure, and for vintages from difficult and magnificent terroirs, provided with admirable and complex mineral, aromatic and spicy notes.

Es d'aqui Paloma Red 2020,

Jean-Louis Pinto

Notes of strawberry, plenty of acidity, and a delicious flavor. Paloma is a light, thirst-quenching red, claret, almost a rosé. The grapes all come from Adissan, in the Hérault region: Clairette, Colombard on a strip of basalt soil, and Grenache on lacustrine limestone. The harvest macerates whole bunches for two weeks in stainless steel vats. Half of the wine is aged in 500-liter barrels and the other half in resin vats.

To find out more

A child of Ariège, Jean-Louis Pinto chose to stay in the country and make wines that resemble their terroir, hence the name Es d’Aqui (“It’s, it’s from here”) that he gave to his winemaking business, located in Moulin-Neuf, a town near Aude, between Mirepoix and Limoux. A region where vines once abounded, until the major mildew attacks at the beginning of the 20th century. Jean-Louis buys grapes grown organically by other winegrowers, his friends, in whom he has complete confidence. He doesn’t just buy the product, he monitors the fruit set, the ripening, and makes regular visits until August, in order to know the grapes before harvesting them. He vinifies it at home using natural methods, practicing long macerations with whole bunches. A three-week maceration is common for him, as are very gentle pressings in a vertical press. He says he has "a lot of vines in common" with his friend Anthony Tortul (La Sorga). His collection area extends throughout the Languedoc, particularly in the Hérault, around Adissan, Faugères and Saint-Chinian, as well as in the Aude (Limoux) and Tarn (Gaillac), two terroirs that are dear to him. It turns out that the typical Languedoc soils – schist, basalt, pebbles, clay-siliceous – particularly appeal to him for the freshness they give to the wines. "I make wines from the South," he says. I especially look for terroirs that give freshness, even if the wines are 14 degrees. " The grape varieties are, of course, typically Languedoc: Grenache, Carignan, Mauzac, Cinsault, Braucol, Duras and Sauvignon. The most powerful reds are made in five terracotta jars, which help him control the extraction and give his wines, he says, "a very crystalline side." The soil, the place, as we understand it, are of the utmost importance to him: once again, the name of his estate Es d'Aqui was not chosen by chance.

Nuria Montanega-Parellada White 2017

Clos Lentiscus

In Sitges, in Penedès (Catalonia), in the heart of the Garraf Natural Park, Manel Avinyo and his brother Joan took over the family estate, which Manel renamed Clos Lentiscus. Even though Barcelona is only a half-hour drive away, the beauty of the landscape is striking and the immersion in nature is total: Mediterranean forests rub shoulders with Catalan scrubland (thyme, rosemary, rockrose, and the mastic tree, which gave its name to the estate, etc.). The Penedès region also has a long winemaking history. Nestled in its gentle hills is Clos Lentiscus, in the Penedés appellation, on twenty hectares of sandy and clay-limestone soils facing due south at an altitude of 225 meters. According to historical documents, the family of Manel and Joan Avinyo has been established there since at least the 14th century. For a long time, the grapes were sold to local cooperatives, but since the two brothers took over the estate, organic and biodynamic farming has replaced conventional practices, the entire harvest goes into the house vintages, and organic and biodynamic practices have allowed this beautiful property to reconnect with its former prestige: in the 19th century, its wines were sold in France and as far away as the Americas. Very quickly, Manel received a nickname: The Bubbleman, a tribute to his talent for vinifying cavas, these sparkling whites characteristic of the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, from native varieties for which Catalonia holds the secret: sumoll, ull de llebre, xarel·lo, malvasia of Sitges, cartoixà vermell, cariñena (carignan), accompanied by tempranillo and muscat of Alexandria. The vines are old, sometimes centuries old. No synthetic additives are used in the vineyard, and operations such as planting, pruning, de-budding and harvesting are dictated by the lunar phases. Pollination is facilitated by the presence of beehives; sheep contribute to fertilization and control of the plant cover. Ringo, the white horse, is responsible for working the soil.

Purity, elegance and a crisp minerality due to limestone characterize the productions of Clos Lentiscus. The note of controlled oxidation, when it is felt, does not dominate the tasting and the wines are never deviant. Cavas are known for being exuberant, but those of Clos Lentiscus never have more than two grams of residual sugar per liter. The estate also produces still wines, red, white and rosé.

Núria is the name of Manel's daughter, who assisted her father in the making of this beautiful wine made from Montanega, a variant of the native Parellada grape variety. Lightly disgorged, made using the ancestral method (cava), this surprising wine presents notes of fresh bread and brioche, green tea and apple. Fresh and dry at the same time, it is disconcertingly complex: alive and moving in the glass, we keep coming back to it.

El Aqueronte Red 2019

La Senda

El Aqueronte refers to Acheron, the river of the underworld in Greek mythology. We therefore expect base notes firmly rooted in the soil and black fruits, and they are there: a beautiful dark garnet color, a smoky and fruity nose (black cherry), peony, and cocoa, and a velvety, cherry-peppery texture on the palate, a harmony between minerality and fruit. Made from 100% Mencia grapes (from the Trousseau), unfiltered and unsulfured, this wine comes from seventy to ninety-year-old vines grown in the north of Bierzo on a homogeneous plot with clay-limestone soils rich in quartz, at an altitude of 555 meters. The grapes macerate for three to four days in old, unsealed chestnut vats; the wines are aged in French oak barrels for eleven months. Decanting is recommended.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Es d'aqui Cinsauriel Red 2017

Jean Louis Pinto

This 100% Cinsault, grown on schist soils near Saint-Chinian, is produced by fermentation with indigenous yeasts during twenty-eight days of whole-bunch maceration. Part of the wine is aged in steel vats. With a beautiful, vibrant ruby color, it offers a nose of pepper, rose, and strawberry, as well as notes of garrigue, candied black olive, and prune. Lively and powerful.

Susucaru Blanc 2024

Description

With Susucaru Bianco 2024, Frank Cornelissen offers an approachable white wine while maintaining the identity that has made his wines famous. Primarily made from Catarratto, complemented by Carricante and Grecanico Dorato, this wine offers a fresh and saline interpretation of Sicily. The nose reveals notes of citrus, crisp apple, pear, and white flowers, enhanced by a delicate mineral touch. On the palate, it is vibrant, precise, and particularly refreshing, with a taut finish that immediately calls for a second sip.

Winemaking

A blend of 40% Catarratto Extra Lucido, 30% Carricante, and 30% Grecanico Dorato. Destemmed, lightly crushed, then fermented with a pied de cuve using only indigenous yeasts. Approximately 3 hours of skin maceration, followed by 10 months aging in neutral tanks (epoxy). Unfined, lightly filtered before bottling.