Fruity

Casa Rossa Red 2022

Jean-Yves Péron

Casa Rossa, a red or rather rosé wine leaning towards red, is none other than the Italian version of Vers la Maison rouge, a Savoyard cuvée by Jean-Yves Péron. It is an organic, biodynamic, and natural wine made from three grape varieties: Grignolino, Freisa, and Barbera.

Vinification

The organic grapes that make up Casa Rossa are harvested in Casale Monferrato, in Piedmont. The Barbera and Freisa undergo direct pressing, and the Grignolino undergoes carbonic maceration with a two-month cap-punching. The three grape varieties are blended before a year of aging in 300-liter barrels. This period is followed by a year of bottle aging.

Tasting

Jean-Yves Péron's Casa Rossa is a rosé that's not far from a red. The tangy Barbera grape brings liveliness; the Grignolino and Freisa (so named for their strong strawberry aromas) give a vinous side that makes Casa Rossa a beautiful winter wine, not a summer rosé. The wine is fruity, tangy, aromatic, and very delicious. It goes well on its own and with accompaniments (pasta, Italian dishes, etc.).

Learn more about Jean-Yves Péron

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

High-altitude biodynamics

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

Italian-Savoyard trade

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

BS Ancestral Sparkling White 2015

Partida Creus

BS Blanc de Sumoll is an organic and natural sparkling white wine (method ancestral) produced by Partida Creus in Catalonia, and bottled in magnum format. This sunny white, made from 100% white sumoll (a grape variety that has become extremely rare in Catalonia), is a historic cuvée, the first produced by Massimo and Antonella. Categorized as Vino de Mesa (table wine), this is a very rare vintage that should not be missed when a few bottles appear.

Vinification

The Sumoll grapes (a native Catalan variety) are hand-harvested, directly pressed, and a fine maceration completes their delicacy. Packaged in magnums (guaranteeing breadth and depth) and an old vintage, what more could you ask for?

Tasting

With a superb golden tone tending towards orange, BS Ancestral is made for the table and refined dishes. Vibrant and aromatic, it offers notes of citrus (grapefruit, orange, lemon), rose, peach, apple, quince, garrigue (thyme, rosemary), and quince, with a rather saline finish. It is also mineral with notes of honey, leather, and stone. It’s an all-terrain wine that will go well with any dish and in a festive atmosphere. Celebrate its opening with bellota ham, oysters, and smoked seafood.

Learn more about Partida Creus

Partida Creus is an organic, biodynamic, and natural winery in southern Catalonia (Bonastre, Baix-Penedés) cultivated by Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, former architects in Barcelona. By recovering abandoned vineyards, they have saved a stunning diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties from oblivion. On these sandy, clay-limestone or clay-gravelly soils, they produce natural wines without added sulphites.

A Catalan ampelothèque

Vinyater, sumoll, garrut, monastrell, ull de perdiu, ull de llebre, sumoll, queixal de llop, cariñena, trepat, ceciat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel·lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel·lo (among others): it is a true conservatory of native Catalan grape varieties that Partida Creus takes care of in natural mode. The wines reflect this diversity, with the winegrowers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety. The wines, fresh, vibrant, lush, and straightforward, breathe life.

The Partida Creus look

Single varietals are common at Partida Creus, alongside blends, all in the styles dear to Catalonia: still wine, sparkling wine (cava), or even vermouth. The bottles are instantly recognizable: plain glass or covered with ivory labels, the vintage being indicated by two large stenciled initials.

Munjebel MC Red 2014

Frank Cornelissen
Munjebel MC, an organic (Eurofeuille), biodynamic, and natural red wine from Sicily, is produced by Frank Cornelissen. It is classified DOP (PDO) Etna Rosso/IGP Terre Siciliane Nerello Mascalese. It comes from the Contrada Monte Colla, a very steep terraced plot, beautifully exposed to the sun and wind, directly opposite Mount Etna. We are pleased to offer this old vintage that showcases this wine at its peak of maturity and depth.

Vinification
The Nerello Mascalese vines, planted in 1946, grow on sandy-clay soil. The harvest is destemmed and lightly crushed, then macerated for sixty days on the skins. The wine is aged for 18 months in vats and 18 months in bottle. No fining, light filtration.

Tasting
Rich and powerful, yet elegant, Munjebel MC is a bit like the hermitage of Etna, and the depth and density of this wine are enhanced by its age. Intense color of a deep, saturated red, notes of red rose and wild red fruits. Body, richness and thickness, aromatic palate supported by a fresh acidity. Pair it with red meats and Mediterranean dishes. Try a black ham from Bigorre or a grilled or roasted wagyu.

Learn more about Frank Cornelissen
A key and universally respected figure in natural, organic and biodynamic wine, Belgian Frank Cornelissen, a winemaker conquered by Sicily, is a classic. This man of constant questioning lives in human and cosmic resonance with his terroir: he has demonstrated that the powerful minerality of a great volcanic soil can be highlighted by the naturalness of his wines.

An ideal terroir for plot-by-plot vinification
In Passopisciaro, Sicily, in the north of the Etna valley, the 19 plots cover 24 hectares of basalt soils spread over numerous localities (contrade) between 600 and 900 meters above sea level on the side of the volcano. It is, says Frank Cornelissen, the "Côte de Nuits of Sicily." Frank Cornelissen's "contrade" are all cultivated biodynamically and vinified separately: he decides on the blends based on the quality of each.

The nobility of Nerello Mascalese
Nerello Mascalese is the dominant variety and alone makes up the greatest vintages. This traditional red grape variety from the northern valley of Etna produces hypermineral wines due to its long growing cycle. Other grape varieties in the azienda: Nerello Capuccio, Minella Bianco, Minella Nera, Alicante Bouschet, Malvasia, Catarratto, Moscadella, Grecanico Dorato, Carricante...

Magnum XL Ancestral Sparkling White 2015

Partida Creus
This beautiful magnum elegantly bears its eight years of age: that's called age, and the notes of evolution that can be discerned add to its charm. These few years further strengthen its character while polishing the edges. Xarel·lo Ancestral, a smoky, deep, full-bodied, mineral, and explosive sparkling wine, is a true invitation to celebrate. The nose offers aromas of ripe white fruits—apple, pear, white peach—followed by mineral notes on the palate that form a framework for yeasty touches reminiscent of buttery pastries and fresh bread. Beautiful, straightforward, saline acidity. Very elegant, XL Xarel·lo Ancestral is a Vino de Mesa (table wine) that is highly drinkable and enjoyable. Made entirely from the native Catalan grape variety Xarel·lo, it is the result of hand-picking and direct pressing. The must is fermented in stainless steel vats using indigenous yeasts and finishes fermenting in bottles on fine lees for a minimum of ten months, without the slightest addition of sulfites.

Find out more

Partida Creus is an important estate, both in terms of winemaking and history – we are talking here about the history of the vine in Catalonia. Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, originally from Piedmont – and even from the Langhe region, where wine is well-known – first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug bit them, and soon they abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There they find a quantity of abandoned vineyards planted with a dizzying diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties that they passionately revive to save these varieties – and their wines – from oblivion. For them, it is not just a matter of heritage rescue, no: it is a matter of taste and nature. Of natural wines, which they will never stop making from now on on these sandy, poor, clay-limestone or clay-gravel soils, poor and poorly irrigated, where the vines suffer to give their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic viticulture, entirely manual and natural in order to give new life to these wines. Vinyater, sumoll, garrut, monastrell, ull de perdiu, ull de llebre, sumoll, queixal de llop, cariñena, trepat, subirat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel·lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel·lo: Partida Creus is a veritable conservatory of native Catalan grape varieties. It also grows moscatel, grenache, merlot and cabernet (among others). Few wineries can boast growing so many different grape varieties. The wines reflect this diversity, with the winemakers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety: single-variety wines are common among them, alongside extensive blends, all in the styles dear to Catalonia: still wine, "ancestral" sparkling wine, and even vermouth. The bottles themselves are works of art: bare glass, simply marked with two large stenciled initials that denote the vintage. The wines, fresh, vibrant, lush but always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, breathe life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits cries of satisfaction."

Vin de France Cuvée Madloba White 2020

Paul Estève

Madloba blanc is an orange wine that asserts itself from the first intensely floral nose, full of character and depth. The floral nature is confirmed on the palate with an abundance of tea rose, accompanied by a surprising, exotic expression of lychee and mango. With a rather rich and dense body, the freshness acts as a balance, and lovely bitter touches mark the finish. This white Madloba ("thank you" in Georgian) is produced in the Saint-Joseph AOP. It is a blend of 50% Marsanne and 50% Viognier. 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 two grape varieties are fermented together for six months in tinajas, unburied terracotta jars, and after pressing the wine returns to the tinaja for six months of aging. This aging method promotes the wine's texture and develops the fruit. Decant one hour before serving. Perfect for oriental, Asian, and exotic cuisines in general.

Find out more
Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille are the creators of the Domaine des Miquettes, whose great specificity is the use of Georgian techniques. They are passionate about this 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.