France

Le Blanc des Garennes White 2020,

Fond Cyprès

A beautiful texture, with notes of citrus and exotic fruits. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Viognier grown on the same plot: a southern blend that produces a truly southern white wine, original, balanced, fresh, structured by light maceration, fermented and aged in barrels. Its profile is atypical in Corbières. A distinctive feature: the plot was planted according to the desired wine, and chosen to face north to ensure good acidity. The three grape varieties are harvested at different ripeness levels. As soon as the Viognier (later ripening) is ripe, everything is harvested together: the Grenache Blanc is often overripe. This produces a very unique flavor balance, between freshness, richness, and roundness. After direct pressing, the must is vinified in old 225-liter barrels, then aged for ten months. It can be kept for around ten years, if given time: all pairings suit it.

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This Languedoc estate is built on solid foundations: its two winemakers, Rodolphe and Laetitia, are also descendants of winemakers. Even before planting their first vine, they already had a clear objective: "to produce southern wines that reflect us, wines with character attached to our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They want to obtain entirely natural wines, concentrates of terroir. In the old Corbières massif, they are taking over an old heart of the estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache, which have seen neither fertilizer nor pesticides for years: these clean and living soils are an ideal condition for launching into natural wine. Around this historic heart, they first planted Grenache Noir and Syrah, then a plot of white grape varieties: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne. The estate has been Ecocert certified since 2010 and also complies with the Nature & Progrès charter. The vinification is done without the addition of sulfites or exogenous yeasts. "We make wines for pleasure," say Laetitia and Rodolphe. For them, natural wine is first assessed by taste, from the harvest. The vintages closely follow the plots, the musts are fruity, fluid, and complex. The wines of Fond Cyprès poetically evoke the estate's ecosystem and the vegetation that protects the plots: the pine forests, the shady springs, the beauty of the natural environment that brings freshness to the wines and leaves the soil's signature. Deliciously balanced between mineral imprint, vegetal environment and expression of fruit, the wines of Fond Cyprès reflect the South: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.

Le Carignan de la Source Rouge 2020,

Fond Cyprès
Languedoc to the tips of its nails, delicate, dense, and fresh, fruity and generous, all freshness and delicacy: a beautiful, lively and spicy bottle, with lovely notes of leather and undergrowth, and well-integrated tannins that don't attack the palate. Coming from a sixty-year-old limestone-marl Carignan plot, this wine, after hand-harvesting and destemming, is fermented for four weeks in concrete vats. The wine is then aged for twelve months in old demi-muids (barrels of 500 to 650 liters) which have the quality of not oaking the wine but ensuring a comfortable, gentle aging. With its ripe and evolved tannins, it offers great aging potential, but we can already start drinking it. A lively bottle, to be paired with everything that the western Mediterranean coast (Languedoc, Roussillon, Catalonia, Valencia region, etc.) has to offer. We obviously don't forget the region east of the Rhône: Provençal, Italian, Greek cuisines, etc. Keep for around ten years.

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This Languedoc estate is built on solid foundations: its two winemakers, Rodolphe and Laetitia, are also descendants of winemakers. Even before planting their first vine, they already had a clear objective: "to produce southern wines that reflect us, wines with character, attached to our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They wanted to obtain entirely natural wines, concentrates of terroir. In the old Corbières massif, they took over an old heart of the estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache, which had not seen any fertilizer or pesticides for years: these clean and living soils were an ideal condition for launching into natural wine. Around this historic heart, they first planted Grenache Noir and Syrah, then a plot of white grape varieties: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne. The estate has been Ecocert certified since 2010 and also complies with the Nature & Progrès charter. The vinification is done without the addition of sulfites or exogenous yeasts. "We make wines for pleasure," say Laetitia and Rodolphe. For them, natural wine is first assessed by taste, from the harvest. The vintages closely follow the plots, the musts are fruity, fluid, and complex. The wines of Fond Cyprès poetically evoke the estate's ecosystem and the vegetation that protects the plots: the pine forests, the shady springs, the beauty of the natural environment that brings freshness to the wines and leaves the signature of the soil. Deliciously balanced between mineral imprint, plant environment, and fruit expression, the wines of Fond Cyprès reflect the South of France: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.

Muscana Blanc 2020,

Domaine Einhart
Beautiful orange color with amber highlights, the initial nose displays typical aromas of overripe, slightly smoky Muscat berries. The second, very refined nose is accompanied by a hint of citrus, inviting further tasting. The attack, straightforward and very full, is marked by acidity blended into beautiful aromas of candied quince. The finish is invigorating, still with the melted tannins produced by maceration. Muscana, as its name suggests, is a Vin de France made from 100% Muscat grapes grown on the estate on oolitic limestone terroirs of the Muschelkalk type (plots located in Fleckenstein, Westerberg, and Meyen). The average age of the vines is 25 years. The harvest is manual and the grapes are destemmed. Maceration lasts four to six days with indigenous yeasts and aging takes place in stainless steel vats on fine lees, without filtration.

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Located in the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, horizontally above Strasbourg, the Einhart estate is a ten-hectare family property whose vines are located on the hillsides that rise between the Alsace plain and the Vosges mountains. The soil is clay-limestone and rich in fossils (muschelkalk, i.e. shell limestone and oolitic limestone, and lettenkohle or dolomitic limestone). Since 1990, Nicolas Einhart has been at the helm, now assisted by his son Théo. True to his commitments to the TIFLO association, of which he is a co-founder, Nicolas devotes his winemaking to protecting the land and biodiversity, making wine without additives, refusing harmful phytosanitary products, and maintaining ecological refuge areas. His estate has been certified organic since 2011. Like Jean-Marc Dreyer, he is firmly focused on skin maceration and produces white maceration wines (orange wines) in addition to a Pinot Noir red. Entirely manual harvests, destemming of the grapes, light punching down, and delicate pressing are characteristic of the estate, as well as the separate vinification of each terroir, aging on lees, and the absence of filtration before bottling. The wines are made from pure grapes, lively, powerful, invigorating, and reflect the minerality of the beautiful terroirs of the Vosges foothills.

SéRuM Rouge 2019,

Aurélien Lefort
Ready for the most advanced experiments, Aurélien Lefort has produced a small quantity of a sweet Gamay red (100% Auvergne Gamay) using a late harvest. The vines are over a hundred years old, planted in 1904 on red clay soils rich in quartz and granite sand (Lamouret location). The harvest takes place in November, with an alcohol content between 18 and 21%. Vinification is traditional: destemming, three months of maceration in vats, and three years of aging in barrels. Bottling was carried out at the end of October 2021.

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Established since 2011 in Madriat, near Boudes, in the southern part of Puy-de-Dôme, Aurélien Lefort is an artist (graduate of Fine Arts) passionate about wine and nature. After training with Michel Auger (Loire) and Patrick Bouju, he decided on Auvergne and took over the lease of abandoned vineyards. The Boudes region is an ancient wine-growing region, an exceptional volcanic terroir, warm and vibrant, exploited for nearly two thousand years. Aurélien's approach is to encourage the rebirth of this magnificent vineyard. He does so on small areas of stunning pedological diversity: basalt, granite, calcareous red clay, sandy and gravelly clay on quartz flows, and, at the foot of the hill, white marl clay. On this substrate, the Auvergne trilogy (gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay) takes my lion's share. In Aurélien's hands, the singular talent of Auvergne gamay, an ancient grape variety as dense and powerful as it is spicy, which finds a particular expression on these volcanic soils. His plots are grassed but mowed to control humidity, and the vine stocks are worked with a pickaxe to avoid suffocating the root system. The harvest, always manual, can last up to three weeks due to the meticulous sorting of the berries. It is at this price that Aurélien Lefort creates his rare and sought-after vintages, resulting from macerations that tend to be long (up to three months). Mostly red, sometimes sparkling, sometimes also mellow (late harvest reds), they always leave a lasting, even unforgettable, sensation.

Les Orgues Rouge 2017,

Frédéric Gounan
Fruit, minerality, and straightforwardness: the volcanic and mineral expression of Pinot Noir, unique to Auvergne, is incomparable. Les Orgues is a pure Auvergne Pinot Noir produced biodynamically on clay-limestone soils rich in granite and basalt. The harvest is crushed and vinified in whole bunches. Aging in barrels is thirty months.

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Born in a farming family established in the commune of Saint-Sandoux (Puy-de-Dôme) for at least two centuries, Frédéric Gounan was first a mechanic and prototype designer for the French motorcycle brand Voxan, headquartered in Issoire. He turned away from the industrial world to devote himself to wine with his partner Caroline. He intends to take advantage of the magnificent terroirs of his native village, far from "pissing the vines", as was done in the past: he notes that everything that comes from this land has exceptional taste qualities. He takes over plots of Gamay d'Auvergne, plants other grape varieties, and ends up producing vintages that are among the tastiest and most sought-after in Auvergne. On this land of the Chaîne des Puys, Pinot Noirs grow on black basalt soils, Sauvignons and Pinot Gris rest on white clay-limestone soils pebbled with basalt. A follower of organic and biodynamic agriculture, Frédéric also applies methods that he considers appropriate to the climate and the terroir: to facilitate photosynthesis in this harsh and contrasting climate, he practices lyre trellising which allows the foliage of the vines to be aerated and exposed to the sun, guaranteeing ripe fruit at harvest. Always a mechanic at heart, he makes his tools and tinkers with his tractors according to his needs. His wines are rare and distinguished, highly sought after by connoisseurs: small estate (less than two hectares), small production (by volume, not by spirit).

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.

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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.

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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.

Tannat Rouge 2020,

Domaine Capmartin
Tannat, as its name suggests, is made entirely from the emblematic grape variety of the Madiran appellation. With no additives or sulfites, it is the natural counterpart to the estate's fine Madirans. The Tannats from which it is made, with an average age of fifteen years and harvested when fully ripe, grow on clay-gravel soils on north-facing plots. The use of cover crops helps loosen the soil and provides nutritional support, alternating with natural grass cover. The harvest is destemmed. Maceration is entirely semicarbonic, followed by pressing in the first third of fermentation. Alcoholic fermentation ends in the liquid phase. Aging is six months in stainless steel vats. This Tannat is already a classic. Simon Capmartin's goal was to create a pure fruit cuvée, to capture the intensity of the grape variety: it is Tannat, picked and bottled. "As little extraction as possible is used; we try to capture the fruit." The profile is quite fresh, but the wine remains quite fleshy and even easy to drink. It is a wine of character, for the table, for eating. A gastronomic wine.

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Guy Capmartin settled in 1985 in the former convent of Maumusson-Laguian, in the Gers, to exploit the magnificent surrounding soils, from which he would soon produce highly acclaimed wines in the Madiran and Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bilh appellations. In 1987, Tradition, his first cuvée, was born. Since the 2000s, he has decided to work exclusively in organic and biodynamic agriculture, a decision reinforced and rooted by his son Simon, who took over. The wines have been noted and have received numerous awards. Certification was obtained in 2013, and the Demeter label is in progress. Taking advantage of his most specific plots of the estate, Simon also undertakes to produce natural cuvées, without inputs and according to the principle of minimal interventionism. Labeled Vin de France or Côtes-de-Gascogne, these are the cuvées that we offer you at Culinaries.
The estate's grape varieties are organized around Tannat, the king of Madiran, surrounded by a palette as rich and diverse as the estate's soils: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, a little Syrah and Grenache Noir, plus a few old red vines currently being identified. A plot of tannat, located on a very fine and very supple clay-marl soil with gravel, is pre-phylloxera. For the white, Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng and Petit Courbu, as well as, for the Côtes-de-Gascogne, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Viognier.
The main objective of the Capmartin estate is to make frank, fruity, authentic and honest wines, perfectly reflecting their terroir, which explains the parcel-based nature of the wines under the appellation: one parcel corresponds to one vintage, and vice versa. This also explains the number and variety of vintages.

i Vicini Barbera Rouge 2019,

Jean-Yves Peron
He began by studying biochemistry, but Jean-Yves quickly became drawn to the vineyard 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. His trading activity, which he began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winegrowers near his home, but also in Northern Italy: for him, it gives a new dimension to his work as a winemaker, allowing him to multiply the terroirs and to deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging.
Near Lake Annecy, Jean-Yves Péron skillfully combines committed viticulture and merchant winemaking, both under the sign of nature. His Mondeuse reds are magnificent, his whites from old local grape varieties – Jacquère, Altesse, Bergeron, Persan – are no less so. He lives in Chevaline, but his current vineyard, three hectares biodynamic since the beginning, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little downstream in the Isère Valley.
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 woody 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. Savoyard wine has long suffered from a somewhat flimsy image, not taken seriously enough. Yet, what treasures its varied soils and numerous ancient grape varieties produce! Jean-Yves Péron embodies the rebirth of this beautiful vineyard. In 2017, Jean-Yves Péron decided to expand his range by harvesting organic grapes in the heart of the Italian Piedmont. This resulted in several vintages, including this 100% Barbera red. The second most widely used red grape variety in Italy after Sangiovese, Barbera produces full-bodied, colorful wines with notes of red fruits. This is the case with this one, fresh and fruity, a little lighter than the average Barbera with a delicious carbonic acidity. Its style is closer to that of Champ Levat. Long, generous, a great wine to savor.

Saint-Joseph Amphore Rouge 2018,

Domaine des Miquettes
With passion and talent, Domaine des Miquettes combines the terroir and winemaking traditions of the Rhône with those of Georgia, whose viticulture is a model for Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille, the estate's founders. Located in Ardèche, south of the Saint-Joseph appellation, Paul learned his trade from René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two leading figures in natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he began by taking over Paul's family farm with two acres 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 and clay decoctions. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work. The harvest is entirely manual.
The great specificity of the Domaine des Miquettes remains the use of Georgian techniques, inspired by their passion for this Caucasian country, 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 explore 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, terracotta erases astringency and transmutes it into a velvety texture, a fruity and supple substance.
Here is a superb Syrah from old vines in AOP Saint-Joseph, aged in terracotta amphorae. Deep, balanced, and structured, yet showing a beautiful fusion of tannins and an opulent aromatic palette, this fruity and spicy Saint-Joseph is to be drunk now or kept for a few more years. A beautiful signature of the Saint-Joseph terroir.

Saint Joseph Rouge 2019,

Domaine des Miquettes
With creativity and passion, Domaine des Miquettes combines the terroir and winemaking traditions of the Rhône with those of Georgia, whose viticulture is a model for Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille, the estate's founders. Located in Ardèche, south of the Saint-Joseph appellation, Paul learned his trade from René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two leading figures in natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he began by taking over Paul's family farm with two acres of vines, then in 2004 the entire estate, which now covers 4.3 hectares. The white grape varieties are located around the house, while the red grape varieties are planted on steep slopes, 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 with plant and clay decoctions. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work. The harvest is entirely manual.
The great specificity of the Domaine des Miquettes remains the use of Georgian techniques, inspired by their passion for this Caucasian country, 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 supple and fruity substance.
This beautiful Syrah from old vines in AOP Saint-Joseph is aged in terracotta amphorae. Fresh, balanced, structured but showing a beautiful fusion of tannins and an opulent aromatic palette, this fruity and spicy Saint-Joseph is to be drunk now or kept for a few more years. A beautiful signature of the Saint-Joseph terroir.

Auxey Duresses Les Crais Rouge 2019,

Domaine de Chassorney
Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undistorted by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years as a wine merchant, the existence of harmful viticultural practices, the winemaker used this counterexample to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of unadulterated purity and elegance that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked for some time as a wine broker before creating the Chassorney estate 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 trading house and buys 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 crus. The exercise is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. 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. Reds or whites, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and coveted wines, which sometimes require waiting.
Frédéric Cossard offers here a beautiful expression of Pinot Noir, typically Burgundian, obtained from vines over forty years old: fresh, crisp and powerful aromas of red fruits. Can age for a few years.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Magnum Saint Romain sous le Chateau Clos du Cerisier White 2019,

Domaine de Chassorney

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 viticultural practices, the winemaker used this counterexample to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of purity and elegance without artifice that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked for some 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 trading house and buys 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 crus. The practice is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc regions. At his place, the soil and vines are worked as naturally as possible: regular horse-drawn plowing, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to biodynamic principles: 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. This Chardonnay comes from a steep plot located between 280 and 400 meters above sea level. The soils are mainly marl, limestone, and clay. After direct pressing, aging is approximately one year in barrels. This wine is only available in magnum format; it is elegant, mineral, and powerful. The nose reveals a magnificent bouquet of white flowers, and the finish is accentuated by notes of yellow fruits.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Je t'ai dans la peau Blanc 2015,

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. 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 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 Italian or southern orange wines, 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 2015 vintage is produced using pure maceration. This is short: five to seven days. Aging is two years in barrels. This orange offers a beautiful golden color and buttery, caressing, round, fruity notes on the mid-palate. A beautiful balance to savor.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Bedeau Qvevris red 2019,

Frédéric Cossard
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 viticultural practices, the winemaker used this counterexample to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of unadulterated purity and elegance that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked as a wine broker for some time before creating the Chassorney estate 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 trading house and buys 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 crus. The practice is not limited to Burgundy since vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. 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. Reds or whites, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and coveted wines, which sometimes require waiting. A beautiful, very fine Pinot Noir, further refined and velvety thanks to aging in qvevri (Georgian-style terracotta jars). The harvest comes from plots of forty-year-old vines in Volnay and the surrounding area, and from a plot of fifty-year-old vines in Nuits-Saint-Georges. A sumptuous and satiny fruit, a touch of fresh earth and a touch of insolence to enhance the whole.
Natural wine without added sulfites.

Guy Sweet Wine 2011

La Sorga

Antony Tortul loves old vineyards: he devotes his life to finding and vinifying them. Just as there are landless shepherds, he can be defined as a landless winegrower, in other words, a wine merchant whose area of activity extends throughout Languedoc and, eastward, as far as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in search of the best terroirs. Born in Foix, with six years of experience as a wine technician and oenologist in various vineyards in the south of France, he created La Sorga in 2008. His enthusiasm leads him on a path filled with favorites, and each of these favorites is a vineyard. The result is a dizzying mosaic of natural, lively, and spirited wines, which reinvents itself each year with around thirty cuvées per vintage. Few winemakers can list such a variety of grape varieties on their list: the whole of southern France is there with muscats, grenaches, picpoul, mauzac, carignan, cinsault, marsanne, alicante, braucol, duras, viognier, len-de-l’el, and tutti quanti.

The Guy cuvée is obtained from a blend of two southern grape varieties growing on the hard Urgonian limestone of Puéchabon (Hérault): vermentino (called rolle in France), at eighty percent, from twenty-five-year-old vines, and viognier, twenty percent, from twenty-five-year-old vines. These two grape varieties macerate together in whole bunches for two weeks. Then, only the heart of the press is selected before aging in old barrels, without topping up, for more than nine years. A wine with a strong personality and finely oxidative notes, presenting a nose of bergamot, candied melon, and fresh walnut. The palate is ample, devoid of any residual sugar or woody sensation, powerful and of great complexity. The finish is lively. This wine holds up very well to air (more than six months) and offers a rock-solid structure.

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Sorga Africa Rouge 2019,

La Sorga
"Antony Tortul loves old vineyards: he devotes his life to finding and vinifying them. Just as there are landless shepherds, he can be defined as a landless winegrower, in other words, a wine merchant whose area of ​​activity extends throughout Languedoc and, eastward, as far as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in search of the best terroirs. Born in Foix, with six years of experience as a viticultural technician and oenologist in various vineyards in the south of France, he created La Sorga in 2008. His enthusiasm leads him on a path filled with love at first sight, and each of these loves is a vineyard. The result is a dizzying mosaic of natural, lively, and spirited wines, which reinvents itself each year with around thirty cuvées by vintage. Few winemakers can list such a variety of grape varieties on their menu: the whole of southern France is there with muscats, grenaches, picpoul, mauzac, carignan, cinsault, marsanne, alicante, braucol, duras, viognier, len-de-l’el, and tutti quanti.
Sorga Africa is a blend of cinsault (seventy percent, sixty-five-year-old vines) and carignan (thirty percent, sixty-five-year-old vines) grown in Cabrerolles, in the Faugères appellation area on schist soils. The two grape varieties macerate separately in whole bunches in a quasi-infusion, with light punching down and rack and return, for sixty and thirty-five days respectively. Aging takes place in vats for seven months. This wine shows very good air resistance. On the nose, it offers beautiful floral and peppery notes Evoking warm stone and black fruits. The palate is very rich, full and fresh. Its aging potential is ten years. This is the first vintage of this cuvée to be drinkable so soon after bottling: it is already ready to pair with oriental or African cuisines - North African or sub-Saharan, or to feature in a summer barbecue. Spices, even chili, will go very well with it. One love!
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Le Litre Arbitre White 2019

Château Lafitte

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