France

Cuvée Yard Rouge 2019,

Jean Louis Pinto
This cuvée was specially created for YARD by Jean-Louis Pinto! A supple, drinkable yet complex red wine, perfect for dinner parties. The grapes come from three different terroirs: the clay-limestone soils of Campagnac, northwest of Gaillac; the clay-limestone soils of Saint-Jean-Laseille (Perpignan); and the Villafranchian limestone gravel of Adissan, north of Pézenas. The blend is composed of Braucol, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Colombard. All the grape varieties are vinified separately with a whole-bunch maceration of approximately twenty days (depending on the grape variety) and blended after aging. This is carried out in stainless steel or epoxy resin vats.

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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, see link). 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 have an alcohol content of 14%." » 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 location, 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.

Morgon Côte du Py Red 2020,

Les En Hauts

Plum, cherry, flesh, structure: this is a Gamay that's full of Morgon, and for good reason. Juice, sap, gurgling, and pleasure: the famous Côte du Py has struck again, with all its spices, fruit, and overflowing minerality. This is the result of the combined work of winemakers Damien Coquelet and Frédéric Cossard. This wine is the result of semi-carbonic maceration of whole bunches, and is aged for ten months in concrete eggs.

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Les En-Hauts is not strictly speaking a wine estate but a project of vintages produced in partnership between Damien Coquelet and Frédéric Cossard. These two great figures of Burgundy viticulture—yes, Beaujolais is in Burgundy—had every reason to join forces to produce colorful and flavorful vintages together.
Frédéric Cossard is a biodynamic and natural star of Burgundy winemaking, who gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed by agricultural chemicals. His vintages are pure and elegant without artifice and are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. His practice is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in other regions. His vines are tended 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. Damien Coquelet, for his part, is the worthy successor of the great organic winemakers to whom we owe the advent of nature in the Beaujolais region: he is the son-in-law of Georges Descombes, and Jean Foillard was his mentor, who continued the pioneering work of Jules Chauvet and Marcel Lapierre. Owning nine hectares in Morgon on granite-sandy soils, he cultivates two and a half hectares plus a few leased vines: in all, four hectares on the legendary Côte du Py. A specialist in Morgons qui morgonnant and Chiroubles qui chiroublent, he embodies the true nature of Beaujolais.

Mead,

L'Arbre aux Abeilles
L'Arbre aux Abeilles' still dry mead is made from floral, Mediterranean honey from the hills of the Cévennes foothills, where Yves-Élie and Chantal have a few beehives, sedentary like the others. The subtle nose recalls the scent of beehives in summer.

Riesling Blanc 2021

Domaine Einhart
The color of this Riesling from Domaine Einhart is a beautiful orange-yellow. The initial nose is delicate, slightly musky, with notes of grapefruit and dandelion flower. The second nose is fresher and more mineral, with aromas of thyme, aromatic herbs, and flint. The palate begins with vivacity and beautiful verticality; the minerality is typical of limestone. Dried herbs return before a lingering finish with remarkable salinity. Riesling, the lord of Eastern grape varieties, finds here an expression worthy of its nobility. Light skin maceration is successful for this grape variety, and this one is no exception. The twenty-five-year-old vines grow on the muschelkalk (oolitic limestone) soils of the Kreutzweg area. The grapes are harvested by hand and then directly pressed. Maceration, using indigenous yeasts, takes between four and eight days. Aging on fine lees is ten months in century-old beer barrels (an Alsatian specialty) and precedes bottling without filtration. From the vineyard to the cellar, this wine was made without any additives or sulfites. Decanting is recommended so that it can spread its wings and express its mineral notes.

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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. Faithful to his commitments to the TIFLO association, of which he is a co-founder, Nicolas devotes his winemaking work to the protection of the land and biodiversity, winemaking without inputs, the refusal of harmful phytosanitary products and the maintenance of ecological refuge zones. His estate has been certified organic since 2011. Like Jean-Marc Dreyer [link], 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 pure grape, lively, powerful, invigorating, and transcribe the minerality of the very beautiful terroirs of the Vosges foothills.

Toile de Fond - Cuvée Exclusive Rouge 2021,

Fond Cyprès
Velvet, full-bodied, full-bodied, and a beautiful aromatic palette: this red has it all and will pair well with anything (moments, occasions, dishes, etc.). Toile de Fond is an exclusive cuvée from Fond Cyprès for Culinaries. It consists of eighty percent free-run juice from Carignan de la Source and twenty percent pressed juice from the Corbières blend, renamed this year Le Cordières des Andes (one-third Carignan de la Source, one-third Syrah de la Pinède, and one-third Grenache du Bois Saint-Jaume). The grapes are vinified separately before being blended in concrete vats for aging. This newcomer, which is very dear to us, is a red wine for all occasions, in the straightforward and sunny style – without excess heat – which characterizes this estate.

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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.

Gentiane

La Jeannette

"Auvergne is more of a secret than a province; we never seek it as much as when we've already found it." This beautiful phrase by Alexandre Vialatte expresses, in a way, the research of the creators of La Jeannette. These pure Auvergnats had the wonderful idea of reviving gentian, this traditional Auvergne liqueur, which is mainly drunk as an aperitif and blends well with blackcurrant liqueur. You know it: it has lit up many a bar counter with its bright yellow flash, tinged slightly with green, in the clinking of ice cubes. You may have found it, from one brand to another, a little too sweet. It is precisely on its flavor that the creators of La Jeannette have worked.
Many traditional liqueurs have been dusted off in recent years. Generally, this dusting consists of a reduction in sugar content, accompanied by an intensification of flavors and a firm intention to focus on wild, organic, and natural ingredients. For La Jeannette, it's a success. The products are 100% Auvergne: first, fresh gentian roots harvested on the slopes of the Auvergne volcanoes. This is the main element. Next, lemon verbena, also known to Auvergne liqueur makers, an infusion of vine peaches, and a touch of peppermint.
One small sip and you immediately understand that this is no longer Grandpa's gentian, even if it's a grandmother laughing at you on the label. You first perceive that no excess sugar hides the freshness of the ingredients. Because the attack is fresh: the peppermint overlaps the continuous bitter note of the gentian. It's very balanced and very successful. In the mid-palate, the verbena asserts itself and adds to the overall sensation of freshness. It's a beautiful bitterness, the flavor that cures all and lifts the spirits. Needless to say, any cocktail with a hint of bitterness is allowed (negroni, americano, spritz, etc.), but we find it so delicious that we enjoy it on its own over ice, or with one of our favorite tonics, Hysope.
What's more, Jeannette is involved: she's working to save wild gentian. During an Ulule campaign, one euro per bottle sold was donated to an Auvergne association dedicated to preserving this precious root, promoting its replanting in its natural environment. If our aperitif can also be eco-friendly, who's going to complain?

Ah! Ramon!!! Red 2017

La Sorga
Antony Tortul loves old vineyards: he devotes his life to finding them and making wine in them. Just as there are landless shepherds, he can be defined as a landless winemaker, 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 made of 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 include such a variety of grape varieties: 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.
Ah! Ramon!!! is a tightly packed blend: Aramon, Cinsault, Terret Bourret, Noir de La Calmette, Alicante Bouschet, but it is clearly the Aramon that dominates. The vines are approaching a century old. The grapes come from Vieussan, in the Saint-Chinian appellation area, on schist soils. All the blended grape varieties macerate for forty days in sandstone jars, almost as an infusion. The average is manually destemmed, and anything less ripe or less attractive is pressed directly. The aging continues in sandstone jars for a year. The profile is empyreumatic (meaning toasted, roasted), distinguished, camphorated, loaded with black cherry, tobacco, garrigue and sweet spices. The palate is very refined with a very Burgundian profile, also smoky and kirsch: characteristics that are ultimately quite typical of Aramon. This wine will be a lovely accompaniment to cooked pasta (lasagna) or lamb chops, but it can do anything. Aging potential: twenty years.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Chestnut Mead,

L'Arbre aux Abeilles

L'Arbre aux Abeilles' chestnut mead is a unique semi-dry wine. On the palate, it's a dialogue between the sweetness and bitterness characteristic of chestnut honey: woody, forest, and caramelized notes. Serve it as an aperitif or with desserts, game, pâtés, foie gras, and other charcuterie.

Sans ordonnance White 2021,

Les Vignes du Domaine du Temps

The nose of Sans ordonnance is fine, complex, exotic without being excessive: the musky notes of the Muscat à Petit Grain are initially very discreet and then develop in the glass. The aroma unfolds on the palate with very controlled notes of ripeness, wisteria, honey candy, and yellow peach on a lovely acidic base. The freshness is wonderful, tempered by a touch of richness. A rich and expressive wine, excellent with fish and seafood. Sans ordonnance is composed of 60% Muscat à petits grains and 40% Viognier, grown on the clay-limestone soils of the Carcassonne region, near the Montagne Noire. The harvest ferments naturally in stainless steel vats before aging for nine months in oak barrels. Sans ordonnance is neither fined nor filtered.

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Domaine du Temps is located in Cabardès, a small region of Languedoc that was once a subdivision of Cathar Country. Stretching from the southern slope of the Montagne Noire to the city of Carcassonne, it is bordered to the west by the Lauragais and to the east by the Minervois. Hilly, wild, rich in Mediterranean flora, it is a preserved ecosystem, especially since the Domaine du Temps, in the place called Font Juvénal, is a magical place: around a former 18th-century priory, sixty hectares of forests and scrubland protect thirteen hectares of vineyards on stony clay-limestone soils. The balance between dryness and coolness is a boon for viticulture, with a wide range of grape varieties. In addition to the Languedoc grape varieties (Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, Viognier, Muscat), Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sémillon and Chenin are grown. The estate has been Ecocert certified since 1998, is entirely managed biodynamically, and has dedicated itself to natural wine since 2015. The work in the vineyard and cellar is methodical, rigorous, and attentive: only the best grapes are kept, resulting in small yields, and destemming is determined based on the ripeness of the bunch. The reds are vinified using carbonic maceration of individual grape varieties, with the blending taking place before the year's aging. The whites are slowly and gently pressed to extract only the best from the grapes. These precautions result in smooth, controlled wines with great integrity and very supple tannins. They are fresh, delicious, and expressive.

Aphrodite Blanc 2019

La Grapperie
Candied apples, spices, freshness, tension, and balance: plenty of structure and minerality. A little residual sugar adds richness and fullness without the slightest trace of heaviness. The signature of the old vines (over a hundred years old) is evident. Pure Chenin Blanc, Aphrodite is a charming wine made from vines planted in 1935 on flint-clay soils. The grapes are pressed directly at low pressure and then transferred by gravity before undergoing barrel fermentation with indigenous yeasts followed by aging for twenty-four months in tuffeau cellars. On the nose, notes of undergrowth are found on the palate with slightly caramelized and brioche aromas, balanced by some herbaceous notes at the end. A very, very great wine.

To find out more
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. His principle, he confides, is "to produce complex, rich wines with good aging potential and imbued with the minerality of their terroir." The vines are located on hillsides, between 60 and 120 meters above sea level, protected from the north winds by the Bercé forest. Depending on the altitude, the terroirs are dominated by clay (at the bottom of the slope), flint (mid-slope), or sand (on the higher ground). The 60-hectare vineyard comprises around fifteen plots. The grape varieties are the two traditionally authorized varieties in the appellation: Chenin for the whites and Pineau d'Aunis for 90% of the reds, the remainder consisting of a few ares of Côt, Gamay, and Grolleau. The average age of the vines is seventy years, including almost two hectares of century-old vines and one and a half hectares of vines aged sixty to eighty years. Convinced of the enormous potential that these old vines can bring to his vintages, Renaud is meticulous in restoring the vineyard. The entire estate is cultivated organically. The soils are worked and all viticultural interventions are manual, including the harvests, carried out at full maturity, which is reflected in the fullness and smoothness of the wines. For the reds, the Pineaux d'Aunis are 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 and then poured into barrels by gravity. Fermentation takes place in barrels, on indigenous yeasts, with complete malolactic fermentation, for at least eighteen months and sometimes up to thirty-six months.

Les années folles Rosé Pétillant 2020,

Jean-Pierre Robinot
Here is a seductive natural sparkling rosé with an intense peach, salmon, and almost orange color. The delicate bubbles convey the finesse of the Pineau d'Aunis—very old vines growing on clay-limestone soil—and its characteristic profile: red fruits, spices, white pepper, and minerality. Produced directly after hand-harvesting and fermented in vats with indigenous yeasts, it remains in the bottle for nine months on its lees before being disgorged by hand. No filtration, no clarification, and no added sulfites. As his name suggests, he is sure to create a great atmosphere.

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Anyone interested in natural wine in France has certainly come across Jean-Pierre Robinot at some point and has never forgotten this smiling, bouncy figure. It is clear that while it has not yet been proven that all wines resemble their winemaker (a study to be undertaken), the wines produced by Jean-Pierre, warm, friendly, and bright, are a reflection of their creator. After running the L’Ange Vin wine bar on rue Richard-Lenoir in the 11th arrondissement of Paris for nearly fifteen years, Jean-Pierre returned to his native Chahaignes, a small village in the south of Sarthe, on the borders of Anjou and Touraine. His dream is to acquire his vineyard and make sulfur-free wines. He reclaims hillside wasteland on large terroirs, as well as troglodyte cellars dug into the tuffeau stone. 2002 will be his first vintage. At the same time, under the L’Opéra du vin brand, he vinifies grapes purchased from local winegrowers. Jean-Pierre Robinot practices demanding organic viticulture, without chemical weed control. The soil is worked and amended using natural composts. All harvests, carried out at maturity on healthy grapes, are done by hand. The location and climate favor noble rot.

Es d'aqui Casse Tête Red 2020

Jean Louis Pinto

Seductive, deep, dense, with a strong personality, Casse-Tête is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Mourvèdre. The Cabernet comes from an alluvial terrace with large pebbles in the Tarn region, and the Mourvèdre from clay-limestone soil. The harvest macerates for twenty days in whole bunches and the aging is done on lees in sandstone jars.

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 attacks of mildew 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.
"

Eveil Blanc 2023

Domaine Einhart

A dry and vibrant white, combining freshness and conviviality

The Domaine Einhart, a rising star in natural wine in Alsace, offers us here an exclusive cuvée full of character: Éveil 2023. This dry and balanced white, labeled organic, is a tribute to the limestone terroirs and emblematic Alsatian grape varieties. Composed of 35% Riesling, 35% Auxerrois, and 30% Gewurztraminer, this wine expresses all the richness of its loamy, clayey, and limestone soil, grown on plots located on cool, windswept hillsides.

A Tasting Experience in Elegance

With a luminous pale gold color, Éveil 2023 opens with a delicate nose blending subtle aromas of bergamot and white flowers. On the palate, the freshness is pronounced, with a lovely mineral tension and a slight salinity. Its ample texture and slightly spicy aromatic profile make this a white wine that is both lively and generous, supported by beautiful acidity and a lingering finish.

Authentic winemaking

The grapes, hand-harvested in 20kg crates, undergo meticulous treatment in the cellar. After a short 24-hour maceration to initiate fermentation, they are pressed directly. Fermentation is carried out by indigenous yeasts, guaranteeing a pure expression of the fruit and terroir. It is then aged for 8 months in Pinot Noir barrels, on fine lees, to give the wine its balance and depth.