Fish

Ti'Blanc Blanc 2021,

Paul Estève


It's good, it's white, it's aromatic, it's light, it's fresh, and it's easy to drink, to say the least. The color is distinct, tending toward orange, due to a brief maceration of one of the grape varieties. Ti'blanc stands out as an ampelographic synthesis of the Domaine des Miquettes for the simple reason that it brings together all of its white grape varieties. 2021 was, in fact, a very rainy vintage with a heavy harvest: the resulting wines had low alcohol content. Chrystelle and Paul therefore gathered all their Viogniers, Marsannes, and Chasselas and made Ti'blanc instead of making their usual cuvées. It is therefore a unique wine, exclusive to this vintage. Only the Chasselas is macerated for two days, which gives it a distinct orange color and a certain structure. The Viogniers and Chasselas were pressed directly. Ti’blanc has a low alcohol content (10.5°) but a nice acidity; it will therefore keep a little, but we recommend enjoying it young.

To find out more
Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille are the creators of the Domaine des Miquettes, whose great specificity is the use of Georgian techniques. They are passionate about this country in the Caucasus, the cradle of wine, where eight-thousand-year-old winemaking techniques are still used. At the heart of this viticulture is the qvevri, the buried jar where all the winemaking takes place: fermentation with skin maceration and aging. They set out to discover this country and returned with the decision to age all their wines in buried jars. They have twenty-six, but distinguish between tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation-maceration and buried "amphorae" for aging. No sulfur is added. For both reds and whites, the terracotta erases astringency and transmutes it into a velvety texture, a fruity and supple material.
The estate, located in Ardèche, is south of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Paul trained with René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he began by taking over Paul's family farm with two ares of vines, then in 2004 the entire estate, which now covers 4.3 hectares. The white grape varieties are located around the house, the red grape varieties are planted on steep hillsides, between 300 and 450 meters above sea level. The plots rest on a granite base with light soils: black mica granite, schist, and gneiss. Everything is grown organically (Ecocert) using biodynamic practices. The vines are cared for and fortified using plant decoctions and clay. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work. The harvest is entirely manual.

Vin du conservatoire White 2024

La Tribu Alonso

Terroir, plot size and grape varieties

Nestled in the unexpected corners of Beaujolais, far from the clichés of ubiquitous Gamay, the 2024 Vin du Conservatoire unveils a little-known and profoundly vibrant facet of this generous land. Crafted by the Tribu Alonso, a collective of winemakers passionate about biodiversity and freedom, this still white wine draws its originality from an atypical plot where Grenache Blanc and Macabeu coexist in perfect harmony. But the magic also comes from a unique, symbiotic planting: Muscat Chardonnay, Floreal, Villard Blanc, and Alain Bouquet intertwine in a vegetal ballet that is both free and precise. Here, each grape variety plays its part in rhythm with the seasons, for a collective expression of the terroir, far from the beaten path.

Cultivation methods

The Tribu Alonso cultivates much more than grapes: it cultivates a philosophy. A philosophy of unconditional respect for all living things, without artifice or labels, but with a keen awareness of the winemaker's role as guardian of a fragile balance. No synthetic treatments, constant observation of the vines, and minimal intervention in the cellar: this is the credo of this committed tribe. Winemaking follows the same guiding principle, where the human hand guides rather than corrects. The result? A wine without makeup, naturally fermented, that expresses the richness of its ecosystem in every glass.

Tasting & pairings

From the first whiff, the 2024 Vin du Conservatoire captivates with its floral finesse: delicate violet, spring white blossoms, and a light whisper of ripe apricot that caresses the senses. On the palate, the tension is palpable, with a vibrant acidity that structures the wine without making it stiff. The texture is supple, almost caressing, carried by a subtly saline and lingering finish. One finds there that sensation of purity, like spring water flowing through living soil.

At the table, this characterful white wine is wonderful as an aperitif, where its freshness awakens the taste buds. It then reveals itself to be a perfect match for smoked fish, trout gravlax, or white meats with herbs, highlighting their aromas without ever overpowering them.

A rare, free and vibrant wine, which tells its own story of Beaujolais.

Jour de Fête Sparkling Rosé 2019

Marie and Vincent Tricot

You pour it, pour it, pour it again, and you're amazed to have emptied the bottle. This organic, natural sparkling rosé wine doesn't bear this name for nothing. Made using the ancestral method (bottling during fermentation, which completes in the container), Jour de Fête is a seductive natural sparkling wine made from Gamay d'Auvergne that doesn't lend itself to melancholy. It displays a deep, slightly cloudy strawberry-raspberry color that already invites indulgence. On the nose, cherry, raspberry, and the promise of a vinous and concentrated sparkling wine, not just a gurgling experience. It can be described as both gurgling and complex.

The cherry, raspberry, redcurrant and strawberry are confirmed on the palate with a great deal of sweetness and indulgence, a little sugar reminiscent of the raspberry fruit paste from Auvergne, and the slight bitterness of the volcanic soil Gamay in the background. The effervescence is moderate, we also perceive citrus notes (orange, mandarin) and the floral notes are then revealed with a touch of violet. The roundness is pleasant, the freshness is exceptional. Made from Gamays grown on hillsides on volcanic and clay-limestone soils, Jour de fête is truly exceptional and as joyful and festive as its label promises.

To find out more

Among the generation of Auvergne winemakers who, at the dawn of the 21st century, are reviving the vineyards of this beautiful volcanic province of the Massif Central from the ashes using organic and natural methods, Marie and Vincent Tricot are pioneers, and their name is well known to those who have long loved natural wine. After a colorful winemaking journey that took them from Beaujolais to Chile and from Chile to Costières-de-Nîmes, they landed in Auvergne, at the foot of the Puy de Dôme, in the commune of Orcet where they took over Claude Prugnard's vineyard, a land that has not seen the slightest chemical input for thirty years. The estate is located on a hillside on the left bank of the Allier River, in a volcanic clay-limestone area near the vineyards of Châteaugay, Chanturgue, and Corent. They acquired it in 2003 and have since been making wines from Auvergne Gamay, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, with a little Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat. These rare and sought-after wines are mainly sold directly. They have a straightforward, flamboyant profile and express themselves with as much character as simplicity.

Skin-Contact Zizifredo White 2021

Fréderic Cossard

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

To find out more

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

Sylvaner Natural White 2020,

Les Spontanés de GILG

The color of this beautiful dry natural Sylvaner is pale yellow with golden highlights. The nose is powerful and complex, laden with aromas of ripe stone fruit. On the palate, it is round, spherical, polished, generous, and slightly rich, with notes of grapefruit and peach. The finish is long and full of flavor. Within the diverse range of wines produced by the Gilg family, the Les Spontanés series is dedicated to natural wines, with no additives or sulfites added in the vineyard or cellar. This pure Sylvaner comes from young vines, aged eight years; It is ready to drink now and is ideally served between 8 and 10 °C.

Find out more
Belonging to a family established since 1601 in the Alsatian wine-growing village of Mittelbergheim, the Armand Gilg estate bears the name of its founder, who resolutely oriented the family business towards viticulture in 1937. Since then, the Gilgs have remained in charge, having expanded the vineyard from an initial one hectare to twenty-nine hectares, purchased centuries-old cellars for bottles and tuns, and built buildings for pressing and other winemaking activities. The estate, classified as HVE (High Environmental Value) for several years, acquired organic farming certification in 2021. Its plots, scattered around the village, are grouped into around a hundred groups, including five hectares on the famous Grand Cru of Zotzenberg, one of the most renowned lieux-dits in Alsace, and one hectare planted solely with Riesling on the Grand Cru Moenchberg. Production embraces all seven traditional Alsatian grape varieties (Pinot Noir, Sylvaner, Auxerrois, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer), also including Chardonnay for the Crémants and the Klevener de Heiligenstein (Savagnin Rose). While all the vintages of the Gilg estate are organic, two natural vintages are produced, one based on Pinot Noir, the other on Sylvaner, within the Les Spontanés series dedicated to wines without additives.

Je t'ai dans la peau White 2017,

Nicolas Chemarin

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

Le Litre Arbitre White 2019

Château Lafitte

Pairs with: Oysters and Shellfish, Raw Fish, Cooked Fish, Grilled Fish

Magnum P'tit Nouveau Gamay - Red - 2019

Vincent Wallard
This is an all-gamay carbonic maceration extracted from grapes from the Jean-François Debourg estate in southern Beaujolais. Fresh and crisp, it offers beautiful notes of red fruits (cherry). Decanting is required to allow its sweet and gourmet qualities to express themselves.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Coyade White 2015

Domaine Vinci

A voluptuous southern white wine born from a blend of Macabeu, Grenache Blanc, and Carignan Blanc planted in the Agly Valley, in the heart of Roussillon, Coyade comes from vines grown on a predominantly clay-limestone terroir. Malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel vats, and the three grape varieties were vinified separately before being blended. The color is intense and golden, with notes of straw and honey on the nose, and a slight oxidation on the palate that pairs perfectly with hard cheeses.

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Les Vignes de Jeannot Red 2017

Nicolas Chemarin

This red wine from the Beaujolais-Villages appellation (of course, 100% Gamay), offering a more than reasonable price-quality ratio, comes from old vines that belonged to Jean Chemarin, ancestor of our current winemaker: hence the name on the label. A freshness that is explained by the altitude of the plot (450 meters). This wine has undergone two years of aging, half in vats and the other half in Burgundy barrels. He is charming, captivating, fruity, with beautiful notes of strawberry.

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 a land full of stones where he crafts wines of surprising depth and sincerity. In 2005, he took over two hectares of vines from his father and in 2006 he signed his first vintages. In 2008, he acquired other vines and decided to devote himself solely to his estate, whose terroir, very steep, consists of rocky and poor soils on a gray granite rock. The vines rest on the bedrock through very thin soil, and their roots plunge deep into the rock. Depending on the soil configuration, 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). Aging is partially done in temperature-controlled concrete vats for a third, the remaining two-thirds being spent in barrels of four to ten wines to provide oxygenation but little or no oaky sensation. Nicolas Chemarin is already well known in the natural world for his sweet and fruity vintages, pleasure wines, and for vintages from difficult and magnificent terroirs, with admirable and complex mineral, aromatic and spicy notes.

Les Œillets Blanc 2022

Jean-Yves Péron
Vinified in Savoie, Les Œillets is a dry macerated white wine made by Jean-Yves Péron. Organic, biodynamic, and natural, it is a 100% Jacquère white, with no additives or added sulfites, classified as a Vin de France.

Vinification
Les Œillets comes from the same terroir as La Petite Robe (the clay-limestone soils of the lieu-dit Les Marches, at the foot of Mont Granier), but it is harvested later to achieve greater phenolic maturity and a higher tannin concentration. Carbonic maceration for four or five days is followed by a month of punching down in vats. At least one year of aging in 300-liter barrels.

Tasting
Woody, with explosive minerality and beautiful tension, Les Œillets by Jean-Yves Péron is an atypical white wine with powerful aromatic notes. Lots of fruit and candied citrus. Superbly structured, Les Œillets has chewiness, texture, a tannic mouthfeel and a note of controlled oxidation. The tension is strong, balanced by a note of apricot. This is a wine for roasted poultry and high-end cured meats, but its pairings are broad.

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

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 in Northern Italy: this is the I Vicini series, which allows him to diversify the terroirs and deepen his winemaking and aging experiences.

Les Dorrées White 2020

La Grapperie

Les Dorrées (the name of the plot) is a dry white wine from the Coteaux du Loir, organic and natural (Ecocert), classified Vin de France. Its creator, Renaud Guettier of La Grapperie, made it entirely from Chenin. Depending on the vintage, it may or may not offer slightly overripe notes.

Vinification

Les Dorrées comes from the oldest Chenin Blanc vines on the estate (117 years old), planted on soils dominated by clay and flint over a limestone substrate. Hand-picked, organic and additive-free work in the vineyard and cellar, and aged for 24 months to refine and polish the wine.

Tasting

Les Dorrées is an exceptional white wine that bears the signature of La Grapperie Chenins: pure and enchanting, offering slightly oxidative, smoky, and mineral notes on the nose, and white fruits, quince, walnuts, and almonds on the palate with a saline finish of impressive length. It is a white wine with body and density, capable of supporting all taste pairings. We see it pairing well with a beautiful roast poultry, a rack of oven-roasted pork, or grilled lamb. It will also pair well with seafood: smoked salmon, oysters and shellfish, or goat cheese and rillettes from the Loire Valley.

Learn more about Renaud Guettier and La Grapperie

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

The estate

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

In the vineyard and the winery

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

Les Bonnes Quilles Blanc 2023

Domaine de Bois-Moisset
Originating from Gaillac in Occitanie, organic and natural, Les Bonnes Quilles is a white wine from Domaine Bois-Moisset, obtained through light maceration and classified as a Vin de France. This marvel of balance and aroma will seduce you with its personality and adaptability to all occasions.

Vinification
Les Bonnes Quilles blanc is a blend of three grape varieties: Loin-de-l'œil 70%, Muscadelle 20%, and Sauvignon 10%. The vines grow on the clay-limestone molasse soils of the first slopes of Gaillac and the grapes are harvested by hand. The harvest is directly pressed with a short five-day maceration for the loin-de-l'œil, a Gaillac variety named for the length of its petiole.

Tasting
Les Bonnes Quilles deserves its name: great freshness, original aromas of pear and grapefruit with notes of rose. An endearing white wine where the macerated loin-de-l'œil plays the role of a spice. This wine for friends and good food, with its sunny and convivial profile, will accept solid pairings, nothing scares it: roasted white meats, beautiful poultry, grilled fish or fish in sauce, or country cuisine.

Learn more about the Bois-Moisset estate
In the heart of the oldest vineyard in France — that of Gaillac, in the Tarn — Sylvie Ledran, Philippe Maffre and their son Hippolyte watch over their Bois-Moisset estate, a wine-growing property associated with a mixed crop-livestock activity, all in organic farming. Gaillac is famous for its many very old indigenous grape varieties, and its wine-growing heritage is uniquely rich.

Cows and vines
The Bois-Moisset estate is also home to a herd of old local breed cows and guest rooms are available during the summer. It is in this small rural paradise that natural wines typical of their origin and their terroir are born, on fifteen hectares of boulbènes, gravelly and sandy-loam soils carried by the Tarn for thousands of years.

Native grape varieties
The grape varieties are dominated by Syrah and Duras, but the wines of the Bois-Moisset estate reflect the ampelographic richness of the Gaillac region (braucol, prunelart, loin-de-l’œil, mauzac, braucol, ondenc, etc.). The red wines are crisply fruity, concentrated but with smooth and delicate tannins, the whites have character and the pet’ nat’ are particularly tasty.

i Vicini Barbera Red 2021

Jean Yves Peron

This bottle from Jean-Yves Péron's I Vicini series is an organic, biodynamic, and natural red wine. It is vinified in Savoie from grapes harvested in Piedmont. The grape variety is Barbera, grown in Asti and Alba. The second most widely used red grape variety in Italy after Sangiovese, Barbera produces full-bodied, colorful wines with notes of red fruits. This vintage is classified as a Wine of the European Community.

Vinification

Hand-harvested, no sulfites added, no filtration, no fining. The two Barberas are macerated for three months with punching down and undergo fifteen days of carbonic maceration. The wine is aged for one year in 225-liter barrels. The 13.5 degrees of alcohol testifies to the desire not to exaggerate its richness and power: the average Barbera today is closer to 15 degrees.

Tasting

A great wine in every sense of the word, this I Vicini Barbera. Long, very fruity, generous, deep, with superb acidity resulting from a harvest at moderate maturity, it is both serious and joyful, intense and concentrated. Finesse, minerality, tension, beautiful intense and colorful red color: it demands to accompany beautiful cuts of meat, whether black pork from Bigorre or high-end beef from Maison Aitana.

Learn more about Jean-Yves Péron

Jean-Yves Péron talentedly embodies the organic, biodynamic and natural renaissance of the Savoyard vineyard, which is based on varied soils and many 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.

I Vicini Barbera Rouge 2020,

Jean-Yves Péron


This I Vicini Barbera is a great wine in every sense of the word. Long, very fruity, generous, deep, with superb acidity resulting from a moderately ripe harvest, it is both serious and joyful, wonderfully intense and concentrated. Finesse, minerality, tension, and a beautiful, intense and colorful red color: a superb example of what the Barbera grape variety can achieve, especially at altitude, as is the case here. Its 13.5% alcohol testifies to the desire not to exaggerate its richness and power: the average Barbera today is closer to 15%. The second most widely used red grape variety in Italy after Sangiovese, Barbera produces full-bodied, colorful wines with notes of red fruits. In 2017, Jean-Yves Péron decided to expand his range by sourcing organic grapes in the heart of Piedmont, Italy, in collaboration with his winemaker friends Paolo Angelino in Casale Monferrato and Giorgio Barbero in Asti. The result has been several vintages, including this 100% Barbera red, made from Paolo's grapes. The vines, around forty years old, grow on gray and white marl soils cultivated biodynamically. These are old, low-yielding vines, harvested by hand when slightly underripe to counterbalance the richness of the grape variety. Skin maceration, in pure carbonic mode without punching down, takes place over four weeks, using indigenous yeasts. I Vicini Barbera then ages for at least a year in 900-liter sandstone amphorae, which reinforces the wine's tension and minerality. No filtration, fining, or addition of sulfites.

Find out more
Jean-Yves Péron embodies the natural renaissance of the beautiful Savoyard vineyard, which has long suffered from a somewhat flimsy image, not taken seriously enough. Yet, what treasures its varied soils and numerous ancient grape varieties produce!
Near Conflans, in Albertville (Savoie), Jean-Yves Péron skillfully combines committed viticulture and merchant winemaking, both under the banner of nature and high-altitude organic vines. Initially destined for a career in biochemistry, he quickly became drawn to the vine and trained as an oenologist in Bordeaux. He learned his trade as a winemaker with Thierry Allemand in Cornas, then with Bruno Schueller in Alsace, before spending some time in New Zealand and the United States. Jean-Yves' current vineyard, one and a half hectares biodynamic since the beginning, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little further down in the Isère Valley. Made up of micro-plots of vines, it is staggered between 350 m and 550 m above sea level and is worked entirely by hand. His trading activity, which he began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winemakers close to his home (such as Raphaël Marin and Adrien Dacquin). Also, the construction of a new winery in 2017 allows him to increase production and collaborate with winemakers from Northern Italy: Paolo Angelino in Casale Monferrato (Turin), Giorgio Barbero in Asti. This is a new dimension given to his work as a winemaker, allowing him to diversify the terroirs and deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging. Jean-Yves Péron's winemaking follows the principles of minimal intervention. On narrow and steep surfaces, his mountain vines receive no synthetic products, Jean-Yves preferring horsetail and nettle manure. The surrounding vegetation is very rich: it protects the vines and helps to strengthen them. The soils are grassed, mown and reworked with a pickaxe and winch. The harvest is entirely manual. Once vatted in whole bunches, the grapes, both red and white, undergo a semi-carbonic maceration which allows the extraction of fresh fruit aromas. This maceration time varies between five days and nine weeks depending on the vintage. The day before or two days before pressing, Jean-Yves performs foot-treading directly in the vat. After this fermentation, the musts are sent to barrels for aging on lees for twelve months in five hundred liter barrels of two or three wines (to limit the oaky sensation), followed by blending and resting in vats. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered.

Magnum Tonton Red 2015

Vincent Wallard

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

Vino Rosso Poggio Pastene Red 2014

Corvagialla
The vines for this single-variety Sangiovese are planted at an altitude of 450 meters on a west-facing plot with volcanic soils. The harvest is destemmed and macerated for approximately three weeks, with daily pumping over or punching down as needed. Aging is twenty-four months in chestnut barrels. The wine is bottled for six months before being released.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Vers la Maison Rouge Red 2022

Jean-Yves Péron

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

Vinification

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

Tasting

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

Learn more about Jean-Yves Péron

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

High-altitude biodynamics

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

Italo-Savoyard trade

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

Côtillon des dames réserve White 2020

Jean-Yves Péron

Côtillon des Dames Réserve is an organic, biodynamic, and natural dry white wine made in Savoie by Jean-Yves Péron from Jacquère, Altesse, and Roussanne grapes. Classified as a Vin de France, it is, as its name suggests, a reserve cuvée, particularly refined.

Vinification

Côtillon des Dames Réserve by Jean-Yves Péron is made from Jacquère, Altesse, and Roussanne grapes. The plots are located on mica-schist soils in Albertville, on limestone scree in Fréterive and on limestone in Chignin. The grapes are vinified separately and blended approximately two months before bottling. Maceration in vats with punching down is carried out for two months. The idea is to be able to control the evolution of the juice and balance the wine according to the behavior of each grape variety. The wine is aged for three years in 300-month barrels.

Tasting

Côtillon des Dames Réserve is a complex, elegant and fruity white wine that should be enjoyed, as it is rare. It displays lovely acidity and good aging potential. It will be perfectly at home alongside smoked fish (salmon or other) or anything from the sea. It will also pair well with cheeses, fondues and raclettes.

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

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.

Puligny Montrachet White 2022

Fréderic Cossard

This Puligny-Montrachet AOP is a dry, organic, natural white Burgundy wine vinified by Frédéric Cossard. Frédéric produces several Puligny-Montrachet vintages, including this one with no climate indication, but endowed with all the graces of this great white wine appellation from the Côte de Beaune, one of the most prestigious in Burgundy.

Vinification

Puligny-Montrachet is made from Chardonnay grown on clay-limestone soil. This is a direct-press wine, aged for at least one year.

Tasting

A marvelous fusion of richness and dryness, Frédéric Cossard's Puligny-Montrachet has great aging potential. With age, its aromas lean more and more towards earthy, mineral notes, with smoky accents and a magnificent affinity with truffle. In the meantime, it is difficult to list its pairings, as this unique wine has the gift of harmonizing with everything that is good. Still young, reserve it for fine poultry and white meats.

Learn more about Frédéric Cossard

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

Between viticulture and trading

Frédéric Cossard created the Domaine de Chassorney in 1996: initially a few ares of vines in Saint-Romain, Auxey-Duresses and Savigny-lès-Beaune, then ten hectares spread across the Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pommard, Volnay, Bourgogne-Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune and Bourgogne appellations. Since the recent sale of this estate, Frédéric continues to manage his trading house, created in 2006 in his own name. He vinifies grapes from the greatest climates of Burgundy, but also from the 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 coveted, wines that are always highly anticipated but which sometimes require waiting.