France

Muscanna Blanc 2021

Domaine Einhart
The magnum format will amplify the richness of its aromas and the smooth tannins of this Muscanna, whose color is a beautiful orange-amber, with superb brightness. The initial nose offers the rich aromas typical of overripe Muscat berries, slightly smoky. A second, very refined nose brings a hint of citrus that invites tasting. On the palate, the attack is very straightforward and ample, accompanied by a smooth acidity expressed through notes of candied quince. The finish is invigorating, with smooth tannins linked to maceration. Magnificently complex, this dry white is Domaine Einhart's homage to the Muscat grape variety, as the name of the cuvée indicates. Muscanna is indeed a 100% Alsace Muscat, grown on the estate and harvested by hand when overripe. The vines are around 25 years old and grow on the splendid oolitic limestone (muschelkalk) terroirs in the Fleckenstein, Westerberg, and Meyen areas. The harvest is destemmed, maceration in vats lasts four to six days, and fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged in stainless steel vats on fine lees and is unfiltered at bottling. We recommend decanting Muscanna to help it develop its splendid aromas.

Find out more
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.

Mensonge à Papa Red 2021

Belly Wine Experiment

Fresh, supple, fruity, light, and easy-drinking, Mensonge à Papa is a delicious wine for aperitifs, sharing, thirst quenching, meals, and good company. It proudly carries the banner of Gamay from two regions: Auvergne (from Châteaugay, near Riom, on calcareous-volcanic soils) and Beaujolais (from Rivolet, on blue granite). It is the result of a blend of equal parts of these two origins of the same grape variety, with a shared family resemblance, but also a marked difference: the Gamay from Auvergne has more acidity. Lie to Dad is therefore, in a way, an ode to Gamay. The grapes are first slowly pressed, then their must is added to whole bunches (of Gamay, surprise!) for a fifteen-day carbonic maceration. The aging takes place for a year in fiberglass vats. No chemical inputs are added during the cultivation and vinification, and in particular no sulfites. Classified as a Vin de France and with an alcohol content of 13.5%, it will be wonderful as an aperitif or with food, or just to have a good time.

To find out more
Founded and run by Claire Sage and Aimé Duveau, located in Chanteuges (Haute-Loire), Belly Wine Experiment is as much an experiment as a winemaking business. The creative duo has a lot to live up to: Claire is the sister of Daniel Sage, a fan of underwater wine aging but above all an importer of Catalan wines. Hence the presence of Catalan grape varieties in Belly Wine Experiment's blends, alongside Burgundy, Auvergne, and Jura grape varieties, readily found in the same bottle. Aimé is the son of Manu Duveau, a poet-winemaker from Auvergne, a former stonemason, and a great winemaker of local Gamays at his Domaine de l'Égrappille. The uniqueness of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia, for example, being able to sit alongside Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme with the utmost naturalness. The wines are made using semicarbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical additives or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The house is also known for its very high-quality, vinous perries.

Muscat Petit Grain White 2002

Le Petit Gimios

A liqueur muscat in the tradition of Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, the region where the estate is located. This petit grain muscat is a fortified wine, meaning a must whose fermentation has been interrupted by the addition of alcohol. This produces a delicious beverage, both sweet and fresh, with incredible aromatic complexity. You can keep it chilled almost indefinitely after opening, tightly corked: ideal for pouring a drink for friends who are visiting. Also interesting for catering, served by the glass, due to its stability once the bottle is uncorked. Almost unlimited pairings. Serve chilled.

Find out more

Le Petit Domaine de Gimios is located near Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, an ancient terroir and source of sweet muscats from the Languedoc. In fact, the estate is dedicated to the region's typical small-grain muscat (in addition to a few other varieties), and Anne-Marie Lavaysse is firmly rooted in tradition by producing fine wines from this precious grape variety. In 1993, she and her son Pierre took over several old, abandoned vineyards, which she now uses to create the estate. Small, certainly, but multicultural and almost self-sufficient: the muscat from old vines shares the space with vegetable and food crops, fruit trees, and some livestock farming. None of this receives any chemical inputs, sulfur, or mechanical force, and the estate, certified by Écocert, is cultivated biodynamically. On these five hectares, viticulture and mixed farming are one. The harvest is carried out by hand in the early morning, destemmed and foot-trodden, before macerating for approximately ten days using native yeasts. No sulfites are added during bottling. The wines are universally described as "delicious," "pure and fresh," "clear and easy to drink." The house produces dry, sweet, liqueur-like, and fortified muscats, as well as very fruity reds made from traditional local grape varieties. Everywhere, the impression of biting into fresh grapes is felt.

Moelleux de Muscat Blanc 2012

Le Petit Gimios
Truly special and unique, the moelleux de Muscat from Petit Domaine de Gimios is a sweet wine that will intrigue your palate: charm, character, complexity, a touch of mystery, a sweetness that lingers languidly with a magnificent finish. It is intended for lovers of wines that stray from the beaten track without losing their voluptuousness. This moelleux de Muscat comes from a plot that the estate also works dry. It will pair well with tapas, dinner or lunch aperitifs, raw fish and seafood.

Find out more
Le Petit Domaine de Gimios is located near Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, an ancient terroir and origin of sweet muscats from Languedoc. In fact, the estate is dedicated to the region's typical small grain muscat (in addition to a few other varieties), and Anne-Marie Lavaysse places herself directly in the tradition by producing beautiful wines from this precious grape variety. In 1993, she and her son Pierre took over several old abandoned vineyards, which she now owns. Small, certainly, but multicultural and almost self-sufficient: the muscat from old vines shares the space with vegetable and food crops, fruit trees and some livestock. None of this receives any chemical inputs, sulfur, or mechanical force, and the Ecocert-certified estate is cultivated biodynamically. On these five hectares, viticulture and mixed farming are one and the same. The manual harvest takes place in the early morning, the grapes are destemmed and crushed by foot, before macerating for about ten days using indigenous yeasts. No sulfites are added during bottling. The wines are universally described as "delicious," "pure and fresh," "frank and digestible." The estate produces dry, sweet, liqueur, and fortified muscats, as well as very fruity reds made from traditional local grape varieties. Everywhere, the impression of biting into fresh grapes.

Magnum Pommard 1er Cru Pezerolles Rouge 2017,

Domaine de Chassorney
The nose is full of stewed and spicy red fruits; raspberry dominates. On the palate, we clearly recognize the typicality of the Pommard terroir, the suppleness and liveliness it gives to the wine. This magnum of Pommard "Les Pézerolles" needs time to reveal itself: this 2017 vintage is worth drinking now or waiting a little longer. Classified as a premier cru, this Pinot Noir, full of candied red fruits and suppleness, comes from the Pézerolles plot, just above the Petits Épenots climat. It was among the first plots established in the AOC Pommard in 1936. Its terroir is located between 250 and 330 meters above sea level on marl, brown calcic and brown calcareous soils. The grapes macerate for three weeks in whole bunches. The wine is aged for about a year in barrels and is neither filtered nor clarified before bottling.

To find out more
Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful viticultural practices, the winemaker used this counter-example 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 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, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura, Languedoc, and elsewhere. At his farm, the soil and vines are worked as naturally as possible: regular horse-drawn ploughing, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are tended 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.

Orange Blanc 2020,

Château Lafitte
This Orange cuvée, with its spectacular old gold color and supple, enchanting tannins, is made from 100% Petit Manseng, the emblematic Jurançon grape variety. It is harvested by hand during the second half of September. Both the viticulture and the vinification process are carried out without the addition of chemical additives or sulfites. Orange is macerated for three weeks in terracotta jars, which gives it its beautiful tawny color, powerful nose, and supple, melting tannins. A true treasure to cellar for up to ten years (if you can manage that). The possibilities for almost infinite flavor pairings are endless (everything goes with it, including the most unlikely ingredients). A dense and powerful orange, of astonishing complexity, which at the same time does not forget to be fine and caressing.

To find out more
Château Lafitte is located in Béarn, on the noble terroir of Jurançon, the origin of superb sweet wines and dry wines that have nothing to envy them. Since the 14th century, Monein, the commune where the estate is located, has been nestled in an exceptional natural, rich and hilly environment. In the 16th century, vines already occupied a significant part of the property, and they have persisted to the present day. Philippe and Brigitte Arraou, the current owners, have undertaken to revive viticulture on the site, helped since 2012 by their son Antoine, a winemaker as passionate as his parents. Château Lafitte is now managed biodynamically and with agroforestry: five hectares of marl-limestone soils typical of the appellation, on a hilly terrain that can become very cold in winter. The king grape varieties of Jurançon, Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, represent the majority of the grape varieties. Also typical of Jurançon and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques in general, viticulture en hautains, that is to say raised and trained very high, is practiced. As it was in many primitive vineyards, some of which are still active (Portugal, Spain, Georgia, etc.). On this beautiful estate, winemaking experiments are legion: aging in terracotta jars for dry wines, solera for sweet wines in untopped barrels, photovoltaic roofs for the cellar, rainwater harvesting, gravity-fed vinification. Château Lafitte produces sweet Jurançons as well as still dry wines and a very successful natural sparkling wine, Funambule.

White Absinthe 60° - 70cl

Awen Nature Distillery

This certified organic white absinthe is the result of a special recipe that was the subject of many years of research by the founder of the Awen Nature distillery. Entirely organic and natural, it derives its flavor from a combination of seven distilled botanicals, a bouquet that expresses very refreshing notes, always with a dominant anise and complex notes of plants such as wormwood, coriander, hyssop, and lemongrass. This absinthe is created and distilled exactly as this liqueur was before the 1915 ban. To fully appreciate it, we recommend the traditional method: in a glass containing a measure of absinthe, place a sugar cube on an absinthe spoon and pour fresh water drop by drop over the sugar cube. Upon contact with water, white absinthe becomes slightly cloudy to reveal iridescent and brilliant reflections.

Find out more
The Awen Nature distillery is a factory of magic potions: beverages with a strong Celtic content, organic liqueurs with a strong touch of poetry. This Breton distillery, located in Ille-et-Vilaine and run by Julien Fanny, initially dedicated itself to absinthe, a liqueur that Julien helped to rehabilitate. It’s not “the liqueur that makes you crazy,” he says: “we were already crazy before.” He strives—successfully—to reproduce the taste of yesteryear, that of the absinthes that were once given to children on a piece of sugar as a dewormer. “You need a touch of madness to be a distiller today,” says Julien. In addition to absinthe, Julien distills a wide range of spirits and liqueurs: gins, vodkas, botanical rums, Swedish elixir, concoctions inspired by role-playing games... All made from plants, respecting the environment, without preservatives or artificial flavors. An ode to plants that the korrigans must sip in secret, at night, on the moors.

Saint Joseph Cuvée Madloba Red 2020

Paul Estève

Rhône Valley - Saint-Joseph AOC AOP

The fruit is dense, clean, and precise, the tannins are fine, smooth, and full of freshness, and the minerality is subtle. Even the intensity of a Rhône Syrah reveals that "taste of water," that thirst-quenching fluidity that is the hallmark that Chrystelle Vareille and Paul Estève seek to give to their wines. With its floral and spicy notes, its mineral tension over a full texture and intense sapidity, this wine is reminiscent of Georgian qvevri wines aged in terracotta. Madloba ("thank you" in Georgian), in AOP Saint-Joseph, is a 100% Syrah. The vines, almost forty years old, are planted at an altitude of 350 meters, on a hillside plot with granite and black mica soils. The harvest ferments in tinajas, unburied terracotta jars, and after pressing the wine returns to the tinaja for a year of aging. This aging method enhances the wine's texture, softens the tannins, and develops the fruit. As versatile as it is for pairings, Madloba red can do anything.

Find out more

Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille are the creators of the Domaine des Miquettes, whose great specialty is the use of Georgian techniques. They are passionate about 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, 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 cultivated organically (Ecocert) with 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.

Magnum La Petite Robe Blanc 2020,

Jean-Yves Péron


There are actually two different vintages of La Petite Robe in one: the character will vary depending on the choice of container, magnum or bottle. Jean-Yves likes to call this a stylistic exercise. Let's focus here on the 150 cl magnum. The Jacquère grape here lends its mineral and floral character with a slight oxidative note, in addition to its richness and volume on the palate. The wine offers notes of charcoal and white fruits, a beautiful balance, and great intensity. La Petite Robe is an ideal maceration white wine for raw or cooked seafood, which it will highlight with its mineral purity. Wonderfully sweet and crisp, this is yet another great success from Jean-Yves Péron, who crafts this typically Savoyard white grape variety with the precision afforded by limestone soils. The grapes come from Adrien Dacquin's plots, on calcareous-granite soil near Chambéry. The vines are around fifty years old. The harvest is directly pressed, and after fermentation, the wine is aged for a year in barrels previously used for several wines. No filtration, fining, or addition of sulfites.

To 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 are produced by its varied soils and its many ancient grape varieties! 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 of biodynamic farming from the start, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little further downstream in the Isère valley. Composed of micro-plots of vines, it is staggered between 350 m and 550 m above sea level and is entirely worked by hand. His trading activity, which began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winegrowers 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 winegrowers 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 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.

Les Œillets Blanc 2020,

Jean-Yves Péron


Superbly structured, Les Œillets offers chewiness, texture, a tannic mouthfeel, and a more pronounced, controlled oxidative note. The tension is strong, balanced by a hint of apricot. Woody, with explosive minerality and beautiful tension, this is a very atypical maceration white with powerful aromatic notes. There are plenty of fruit and candied citrus notes. This is a 100% Jacquère white, whose vines grow on limestone soil. It's roughly the same terroir as for La Petite Robe, but Jean-Yves expects this vintage to reach a higher phenolic maturity in order to obtain a greater tannic concentration. The plots are therefore harvested later. The maceration is also more thorough: four or five days of carbonic maceration followed by ten days of punching down the cap. After racking and pressing, the wine is sent to 225-liter barrels where it will mature for at least a year.

To 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 are produced by its varied soils and its many ancient grape varieties! 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 of biodynamic farming from the start, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little further downstream in the Isère valley. Composed of micro-plots of vines, it is staggered between 350 m and 550 m above sea level and is entirely worked by hand. His trading activity, which began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winegrowers 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 winegrowers 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 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.

Nuits Saint Georges Aux Croix Rouges Blanc 2020,

Frédéric Cossard


A beautiful deep gold color, a magnificent nose, opulent, deep, and heady, with notes of white flowers. On the palate, it has plenty of presence and a lovely honeyed, brioche-like sensation. This superb Nuits-Saint-Georges blanc seduces with its rarity, but also with its freshness and balance. The Pinot Blancs from which it is made grow on limestone and marl soils.

Find out more
Through his entirely natural approach, 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 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 merchant house 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 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. 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.

Bourgogne Blanc Bigotes Qvevris Blanc 2020,

Frédéric Cossard


The organoleptic and tactile qualities of Bigotes are enhanced by aging in qvevris, a Georgian-style buried terracotta jar, which gives it even more silkiness and velvety texture. The aromatic attack of this dry white wine is distinctly lemony and continues with yellow fruits. On the palate, it offers tension, fullness, indulgence, a touch of fat, and plenty of persistence. For a generic Burgundy, it soars at a good height. Produced on a small plot of Chardonnay in the Burgundy regional appellation, it is, in a way, the white counterpart of the Bedeau red.

To find out more
Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful viticultural practices, the winemaker used this counter-example 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 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 ploughing 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 coveted wines, which sometimes require waiting.

Magnum Saint Romain sous le Chateau Clos du Cerisier White 2020,

Domaine de Chassorney

Full of fresh fruit and fragrant white flowers (gardenia, jasmine, etc.), elegant and dense… Mineral, fresh, powerful, and long-aging, this wine has it all. This pure 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, it is aged for about a year in barrels. The magnum format allows the wine to jostle and mature beautifully.

Find out more

Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed 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 that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked as a wine broker for some time 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 since vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. At his home, the soil and vines are worked as naturally as possible: regular horse-drawn ploughing, 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. Reds or whites, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.

Ma' Carotte Blanc 2018,

Frédéric Gounan
It will meet all occasions. Fruity, balanced, fresh, and mineral, Ma' Carotte is an orange wine—in other words, a macerated white—from Auvergne made from equal parts Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, directly pressed. Enjoy it, Frédéric doesn't make it every year.

Find out more
Coming from 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 vines' foliage to be aerated and exposed to the sun, guaranteeing ripe fruit at harvest. Still 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).

Juliette Blanc 2018,

Jean-Pierre Robinot
One hundred percent Chenin, Juliette (named after Juliette Robinot, the winemaker's daughter) is dry and beautifully fresh. It is a remarkable expression of the grape variety, produced from vines that are over a hundred years old. The harvest is late, marked by botrytis (noble rot). After direct pressing into barrels, the wine ferments and ages for over six years in the same container. A rare wine to cherish.

To find out more
Anyone interested in natural wine in France has inevitably 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 vintages produced by Jean-Pierre, warm, friendly, and luminous, are in the image of their creator. After running the wine bar L’Ange Vin 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 own vineyard and make sulfur-free wines. He reclaims uncultivated hillside land on great terroirs, as well as troglodyte cellars dug into the tuffeau. 2002 will be his first vintage. At the same time, under the brand L’Opéra du vin, 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.

Pinot Noir Rouge 2020,

Frédéric Cossard
Crisp, dense, lively, fresh, and fruity, this wine has benefited from all the expertise of the Burgundian master. Simply named, it's Frédéric Cossard's entry-level wine, but what an entry-level wine!

Find out more
Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and wines of Burgundy, undistorted by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years as a wine merchant, the existence of harmful winegrowing 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 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, Languedoc, or elsewhere. At his place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular ploughing 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.

Cuvée Expériment Rosé 2020,

Belly Wine Experiment
A rosé with a lot to tell, somehow bridging the gap between Catalonia and Auvergne. Fruit, freshness, liveliness, vivacity, and a beautiful light ruby ​​color. Officially classified as a red wine because it contains white wine, this rosé Experiment cuvée is made from equal parts Gamay from Auvergne and Xarello from Catalonia. The Gamay undergoes semicarbonic maceration in whole bunches for fifteen days, then it is blended with crushed Xarello, along with its stems, and macerated for five days. Classified as Vin de France and with an alcohol content of 12.7%, the wine is produced without any chemical additives, either in the vineyard or in the cellar. It is aged in fiberglass vats.

To find out more
Founded and run by Claire Sage and Aimé Duveau, located in Chanteuges (Haute-Loire), Belly Wine Experiment is as much an experiment as it is a winemaking business. The creative duo has a lot to offer: Claire is the sister of Adrien Sage, a fan of underwater wine aging but above all an importer of Catalan wines. Hence the presence of Catalan grape varieties in Belly Wine Experiment's blends, alongside Burgundy, Auvergne, and Jura grape varieties, often found in the same bottle. Aimé is the son of Manu Duveau, a poet-winemaker from Auvergne, a former stonemason, and a great winemaker of local Gamays at his Domaine de l'Égrappille. The unique feature of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia, for example, blending naturally with Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme. The wines are made using semi-carbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical additives or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The winery is also known for its high-quality, vinous perries.

Au Bon Secours Rouge 2020,

Babass
Sébastien Dervieux, Babass to his friends, is a warm-hearted character who practices the art of additive-free winemaking in the sweetness of Anjou. His vineyard is in Rochefort-sur-Loire, his cellar in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay, and his headquarters in Beaulieu-sur-Layon. Through him, the work of the Hacquet family, pioneers of natural wine after the Second World War, is perpetuated, some of whose plots he has taken over. This legacy is expressed, among other things, in the Joseph-Anne-Françoise cuvée, whose appellation brings together the siblings' first names. The terroir is located on the last foothills of the Armorican Massif before the Paris Basin. It is a region of small hillsides; The Loire, very close, exerts a strong influence, as does the ocean, which is about a hundred kilometers away. The vines are neither too hot nor too cold. The particularity of this region is the schist, either degraded (giving clay) or not degraded in places. This terroir produces mineral wines, the climate of the wines rather "on the fruit" and moderately full-bodied. The plots are in a single block, planted with traditional Angevin grape varieties: 1.4 ha of Grolleau, 0.9 ha of Cabernet Franc, 1.2 ha of Chenin and 0.7 ha of Gamay. All the vines are cultivated in certified organic. The harvest is manual. In the winery, fermentation is natural and the wines are without sulfur or other additives ("apart from sometimes a few drops of sweat"). The red wines, including some single-varietal vintages, are macerated in whole bunches. The whites are pressed slowly in a vertical press. All the wines are aged in fiber vats and are neither filtered nor fined, simply racked if necessary and without abuse.
"My wine is the wine of a little guy in his little corner with his little grape varieties," says Sébastien modestly, who also declares that he makes grape wines, forged by the climate of the vintage, the terroir, the grape variety and his decisions (good or bad). His approach is not to distort this balance with magic powders that lead to standardization. His Cabernet Franc reds are round, peppery and fleshy; his Grolleau reds, pure fruit, are fresh and easy to drink.
This recent cuvée from Babass, without additives or filtration, is based on Gamays planted on schist terroirs in 1959 and 1960. After manual harvesting, the grapes macerate in whole bunches for about ten to fifteen days depending on the vintage. The devatting is manual, followed by slow pressing in a vertical press. The free-run and pressed juices are blended immediately, after which the wine is aged for five to eight months on fine lees. The wine is wonderfully gurgling, fluid and drinkable, fruity and crisp, with fresh acidity and a lovely aromatic palette of red fruits, earth and spices. A very fine Gamay.

Groll N'Roll Rouge 2020,

Babass
"My wine is the wine of a little guy in his little corner with his little grape varieties." Behind this good-natured modesty hides Sébastien Dervieux, Babass to his friends, a warm-hearted character who practices the art of additive-free winemaking in the sweetness of Anjou. His vineyard is in Rochefort-sur-Loire, his cellar in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay, and his headquarters in Beaulieu-sur-Layon. Through him, the work of the Hacquet family, pioneers of natural wine after the Second World War, is perpetuated, some of whose plots he has taken over. This memory is expressed, among other things, in the Joseph-Anne-Françoise cuvée, whose appellation brings together the first names of the siblings. The terroir is located on the last foothills of the Armorican Massif before the Paris Basin. It is a region of small hillsides; the Loire, very close, exerts a strong influence, as does the ocean, which is about a hundred kilometers away. The vines are neither too hot nor too cold. The particularity of this region is the schist, either degraded (giving clay) or not degraded in places. This terroir produces mineral wines, the climate of the wines rather "on the fruit" and moderately full-bodied. The plots are in a single block, planted with traditional Angevin grape varieties: 1.4 ha of Grolleau, 0.9 ha of Cabernet Franc, 1.2 ha of Chenin and 0.7 ha of Gamay. All the vines are cultivated in certified organic. The harvest is manual. In the winery, fermentation is natural and the wines are without sulfur or other additives ("apart from sometimes a few drops of sweat"). The red wines, including some single-varietal wines, are macerated in whole bunches. The whites are pressed slowly in a vertical press. All the wines are aged in fiber vats and are neither filtered nor fined, simply racked if necessary and without abuse.
Sébastien says he makes grape wines, forged by the climate of the vintage, the terroir, the grape variety and his decisions (good or bad). His approach is not to distort this balance with magic powders that lead to standardization. His Cabernet Franc reds are round, peppery and fleshy; his Grolleau reds, pure fruit, are fresh and easy to drink.
A 100% Grolleau single-varietal red, without additives or filtration, from vines planted towards the end of the 1950s on schist terroir and vinified in whole bunches for ten days to two weeks depending on the vintage. After manual racking, pressing is done slowly in a vertical press. The free-run and pressed juices are blended immediately, and aging is short: five or six months on fine lees. Ideally served at 15°C, this is a wine that is not cold to the eyes or elsewhere, with a light color and a great freshness on the palate that gives the sensation of biting into a juicy and slightly peppery grape. A big favorite.

i Vicini Barbera Reserve Rouge 2017,

Jean-Yves Peron
Jean-Yves Péron began his career studying biochemistry, but he quickly became drawn to the vine and trained as an oenologist in Bordeaux. Near Lake Annecy, Jean-Yves Péron skillfully combines committed viticulture and merchant winemaking, both with a focus on nature. His Mondeuse reds are magnificent, as are his whites made from ancient local grape varieties—Jacquère, Altesse, Bergeron, and Persan—no less so. He lives in Chevaline, but his current vineyard, three hectares of which have been biodynamic since the beginning, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little further downstream in the Isère valley.
Jean-Yves 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 business, which he began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winemakers close to home, but also in Northern Italy: for him, it is a new dimension to his work as a winemaker, allowing him to multiply 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 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. The "reserve" qualification indicates that this Barbera has been macerated for longer than Jean-Yves' classic Barbera: fermentation with long and patient punching down is followed by three years of aging. It is therefore more structured, more powerful, deeper, offering evolving notes (chocolate, cocoa, etc.), more in the style of Pas de l'Ours. It therefore presents a fairly classic style for a Barbera. A wine that is both serious and joyful.