Gift Ideas for Rookies

Fleurie Grand-Pré Red 2019,

Domaine Bélicard

Nestled in the heart of Beaujolais, the Fleurie AOP appellation is renowned for its elegant and floral wines. Domaine Bélicard, certified organic (AB), delivers a remarkably fine cuvée, produced from 36-year-old vines planted in granite soils.

A Fleurie of elegance and depth

Vinified using traditional whole-bunch maceration in old wooden vats, this wine benefits from gentle extraction, respecting all the delicacy of Gamay Noir. Its 4-day aging preserves the freshness and pure expression of the terroir.

A floral nose and a full palate

From the first nose, this organic Fleurie reveals deep aromas of candied red fruits, enhanced with floral and spicy notes. On the palate, the balance is perfect between roundness and finesse, with an elegant and persistent finish.

What to enjoy this wine with?

Ideal at 14-16°C, this wine goes wonderfully with grilled fish, salads and barbecues. Its 5-year aging potential will allow for a beautiful aromatic evolution.

Xarel lo Macabeu White 2019

Cyclic Beer Farm

Xarel lo-Macabeu is, as its name suggests, a blend of equal parts Catalan Xarel lo and Macabeu grape varieties grown in Pla de Penedès (Alto Penedés) on clay-limestone soils at an altitude of between 200 and 230 meters. The vines are between 35 and 45 years old. The grapes are sorted, crushed, and macerated with the stems and skins, two days for the Xarel lo and one day for the Macabeu. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks and the two grape varieties are blended after alcoholic fermentation. The wine is fragrant, dry, aromatic, mineral, with balanced acidity and a touch of controlled oxidation.

Learn more

Cyclic Beer Farm is a duo of Barcelona friends, Alberto and Joshua. Based in the Catalan capital, they have two sides to their business: beer (Cyclic Beer) and wine (Cyclic Wine). The beers, inspired by the Belgian model, come in surprising and colorful ranges where expertly measured yeast cocktails and house brews combine with varied macerations of fruits, vegetables, herbs and grape marc from traditional Catalan varieties, the latter taken after the fermentation of their wines - because the second side is the wine, made exclusively from native Catalan grape varieties. As merchant winemakers, Alberto and Joshua personally harvest by hand from organic wineries throughout Catalonia and bring the harvest back to their brewery-cum-winery workshop in La Sagrera (Barcelona). There, they sort the grapes, tread them by foot, and ferment the must using exclusively indigenous yeasts. Depending on the type of wine, skin maceration takes place on the skins and stems for between one and three days for whites and between six and fifteen days for reds. The free-run juice is then transferred without pressing into stainless steel tanks where fermentation continues before bottling. The skins and stems, and sometimes part of the juice, are then used for the maceration of saison beers: an interesting synergy between beer and wine. No sulfites are added during vinification; nothing is added to or removed from the wine, which is never filtered. The harvest and other viticultural operations are decided according to the lunar calendar.

Jeune Tradition Red 2018

Bodegas Coruña del Conde

100% macerated Tempranillo, harvested from plots planted by Alberto López Calvo: an updated version of Julien's grandfather's work.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

I'm Natural Don't Panic #10 From Patio White 2018

Bodegas Coruña del Conde

Julien López's I'm Natural, Don't Panic range consists of macerated wines. This dry white is based 100% on the Airén grape variety, which is very common in Spain, particularly in Castile-León. Julien created this limited edition using grapes from a friend, Samuel Cano, from Patio. Fresh and tangy, slightly cloudy (unfiltered), with beautiful notes of linden and white flowers. No additives in the vineyard or cellar. Pair with grilled fish and white meats.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

La Syrah de la Pinède Rouge 2020,

Fond Cyprès
Dense, full-bodied, and generous, this Syrah is ready to drink but can still wait. It carries the freshness and shade of its forest environment and a certain gravity that is not uncommon in Corbières wines based on this type of blend. It features notes of garrigue and Mediterranean herbs. Coming from a plot of young vines (between sixteen and twenty years old) exposed to the north and the northwest wind, bordered by pines and cypresses that protect and refresh it, the Syrah harvest used to make this wine is destemmed, gently extracted, fermented in concrete vats, and the wine is aged for one year in old barrels. It is a true wine of the South, born of the sun and a faithful reflection of the earth.

To find out more
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 have a clear objective: "to produce wines from the South that reflect us, wines of 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 took over an old heart of an estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache vines, which had seen neither fertilizer nor pesticides for years: these clean and vibrant soils are ideal conditions 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. Vinification is carried out without the addition of sulfites or exogenous yeasts. "We make wines for pleasure," say Laetitia and Rodolphe. For them, natural wine is first evaluated by taste, from the harvest. The vintages closely follow the plots, the musts are fruity, fluid, and complex. Fond Cyprès wines poetically evoke the estate's ecosystem and the vegetation that protects the plots: pine forests, shaded 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, Fond Cyprès wines reflect the South: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.

Puls’Art white 2020

Domaine Einhart
Don't confuse it with a Poulsard because of its name (Poulsard is from the region a little further south). This magical wine is called Puls’Art simply because it pulses, and Gewurztraminer macerated on the skins is a great art, we support it. The color of this splendid white macerated wine is bright orange. The first nose, very inviting, brings aromas of candied apricot and rose petals. The second nose, very fresh, evokes cardamom. The attack on the palate is full-bodied, balanced, with a velvety sensation. We find the apricot aromas of the first nose. The finish is powerful and spicy, vibrant, "a limestone lollipop" in the winemaker's words. The twenty-five-year-old Gewurztraminers are harvested by hand and then destemmed. Maceration, using indigenous yeasts, takes place between four and nine days. Aging on fine lees is ten months in barrels, before bottling without filtration. From the vine to the cellar, this wine was made without any additives. Decanting is recommended so that it can spread its wings and express its mineral and charming notes, both earthy and exotic.

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Located in the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, horizontally above Strasbourg, the Einhart estate is a ten-hectare family estate 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 oolite 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 co-founder, Nicolas devotes his winemaking work to protecting the land and biodiversity, winemaking without inputs, refusing harmful phytosanitary products and maintaining ecological refuge areas. His estate has been certified organic since 2011. Like Jean-Marc Dreyer, he is resolutely moving towards skin maceration and produces white maceration wines (orange wines) in addition to a Pinot Noir red. Entirely manual harvesting, destemming of the bunches, 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.

Oolithe white 2020

Domaine Einhart
Oolithe, a macerated white wine, has a pale apricot color and exudes a beautiful minerality, great freshness, and the integrity of its predominant grape variety, Sylvaner. Aromas of fresh apple enhance it. The second nose opens more fully with elderflower, lily of the valley, and citrus peel. On the palate, the attack is lively, fresh, and mineral, leading to a spicy and persistent finish. The name Oolithe is a direct allusion to the oolitic limestone that makes up the muschelkalk soil from which it is sourced (plots located in Weingarten and Oberer Altenberg). On this soil grow Sylvaner and Gewurztraminer, the two grape varieties that make up this wine, at 60 percent and 40 percent respectively. The average age of the vines is thirty years. The harvest is manual, destemmed, and the brief maceration, on indigenous yeasts, takes place for four days. The wine is aged on fine lees, in stainless steel vats, before being bottled without filtration. From the vine to the cellar, this wine was made without any additives. Decanting is recommended so that it fully expresses all its floral grace.

To 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 oolite 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 co-founder, Nicolas devotes his winemaking work to protecting the land and biodiversity, winemaking without inputs, refusing harmful phytosanitary products and maintaining ecological refuge areas. His estate has been certified organic since 2011. Like Jean-Marc Dreyer, he is resolutely moving towards skin maceration and produces white maceration wines (orange wines) in addition to a Pinot Noir red. Entirely manual harvesting, destemming of the bunches, 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.

Pinot Noir 2020,

Domaine Einhart
A velvety, ripe red, 100% Pinot Noir, with an intense, fragrant, and gently fruity aroma. The deep, purplish color evokes black cherry. The initial nose is enhanced by aromas of black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry) with a hint of freshness blended into a light vanilla woodiness. The second nose is more open, with aromas of blood orange, bitter almond, and kirsch. On the palate, the berries are still present, supported by present but well-melted tannins, and lead to a velvety finish resting on a lovely freshness. Plenty of persistence and length. The Pinot Noirs from which it is made, aged around thirty years, grow on the muschelkalk (shell limestone) terroirs of Dittelsberg-Albermohn and are harvested by hand, then destemmed. Maceration, using indigenous yeasts, takes between ten and twelve days. Aging for one year on fine lees, in demi-muids, precedes bottling without filtration. From the vine to the cellar, this wine was made without any additives. Decanting is recommended so that it can fully express its finesse and grace.

To find out more
Located in the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, horizontally above Strasbourg, the Einhart estate is a ten-hectare family estate 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 oolite 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 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, he is resolutely moving towards skin maceration and produces white maceration wines (orange wines) in addition to a Pinot Noir red. Entirely manual harvesting, destemming of the bunches, 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.

Viognier Blanc 2019,

Domaine des Miquettes
Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille are the founders of Domaine des Miquettes, whose distinctive feature 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 of them, 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 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 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) with biodynamic practices. The vines are cared for and fortified with herbal 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.
A very fine single-varietal cuvée from the Domaine des Miquettes made from the noble Viognier from the Rhône Valley, its region of origin, where it gives its best. Its aromatic richness is highlighted by the terracotta vinification and the floral, fruity and mineral notes are of great opulence within a magnificent fresh framework.

Toile de Fond Cuvée Exclusive Red 2020,

Fond Cyprès
This Toile de Fond, bottled in June 2021, is an exclusive cuvée from Fond Cyprès for Culinaries. It consists of eighty percent free-run juice from the Carignan de la Source and twenty percent press juice from the blended cuvée Corbières (one-third Carignan, one-third Syrah, and one-third Grenache). The grapes are vinified separately before being blended in concrete vats for aging. This new addition, 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.

To find out more
Rodolphe and Laetitia, the two winemakers of this Languedoc estate, are also descendants of winemakers. Fond Cyprès is built on solid foundations. 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 heart of 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.

SM Rouge 2018,

Partida Creus
This Partida Creus estate is as important from a winemaking perspective as it is from a historical perspective—we're talking 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-versed—first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug bit them, and they soon abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There, they found a wealth of abandoned vineyards planted with a dizzying diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties, which they passionately revived to save these varieties—and their wines—from oblivion. On their part, it’s not just a matter of saving heritage, no: it’s a matter of taste and nature. Natural wines, which they will continue to make from now on on these sandy, poor, clay-limestone or clay-gravelly, poor and poorly irrigated lands, where the vines suffer to give their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic, entirely manual and natural viticulture 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, ceciat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel.lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel.lo: it is a true conservatory of the native Catalan grape varieties that Partida Creus cares for. Moscatel, Grenache, Merlot, and Cabernet (among others) are also grown there. Few wineries can boast growing so many different grape varieties. The wines reflect this diversity, with winemakers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety: single varietals 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 indicate the cuvée. 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 exclamations of joy. This red Sumoll, a very old Catalan red grape variety long neglected, is a favorite at Partida Creus. Not very productive, Sumoll gives its best on poor soils, which gives it great concentration, a beautiful balance, a black and juicy fruit, dense and generous, notes of spices and Mediterranean plants, and finally an earthy, animal and smoky character. The short maceration allows to preserve the freshness and acidity. It will be excellent with red meats, roasts, duck, but the range of its pairings is in truth very vast.

Garnatxa Wine Beer 2020, Cyclic Beer Farm

Cyclic Beer Farm
Packaged in 75 cl bottles so everyone can satisfy their thirst, the beers from the Barcelona-based brewery Cyclic Beer Farm play between classicism and flights of inspiration, in a contrasting and creative way, in the Catalan style. Based on classic principles and a Belgian fermentation model, the two brewer-winemakers Joshua and Alberto play with ingredients, aromas, and macerations, including cereals, fruits, vegetables, and grape skins from Catalan grape varieties, to achieve flavors reminiscent of an unidentified drinkable object (OBNI). Whether they assert themselves on balance or on a certain controlled dissonance, these beers will never leave you indifferent and will reveal their full potential in the summer heat, served well chilled. Garnatxa (6.7% alcohol) is part of the Cyclic Beer Farm 2020 Wine Ales series, which also includes Carignan, Xarel·10 and Trepat. They are fermented with the skins of local grape varieties. All the grapes are organic and harvested by hand before being pressed or macerated for winemaking. The resulting marc (skins and stems) is then added to already fermented and aged beers, selected for each type of grape variety. A maceration of one to six months follows to allow the residual sugar to complete its fermentation and the character of the grape variety to be communicated to the beer through infusion. Before bottling, brewers decide whether or not to add beer to achieve the desired flavors, based on acidity, the natural taste of the grape variety, tannins, complexity, and drinkability.
Brewers choose beers from three bases: their saison, their sour base (fermented from their lactic acid bacteria blend and their indigenous yeast blend), and their “funky” base (indigenous yeast and a cocktail of brettanomyces yeasts). After blending and bottling, the beers referment and mature for varying lengths of time.
Here, the garnatxa (Grenache) and carinyena (Carignan) grape varieties give this beer a lovely pink color and fruity and tannic accents, enhanced with a touch of wildness from the funky fermentation base.

Cuvée Mourvèdre Rouge 2020,

Frédéric Cossard
From the southern Rhône Valley, this beautifully structured red wine offers very fresh fruit and ripe, fine tannins. Elegant and dense, yet fluid, it is a 100% Mourvèdre vinified in whole bunches and aged for a year in concrete eggs. A good wine for laying down.

Find out more
Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undistorted by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful 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 a while 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 company and purchased organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais vintages. The practice is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura, Languedoc and elsewhere. At his place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular plowing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. Red or white, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.

Cerro las Monjas 1368 Red 2004,

Bodega Barranco Oscuro
Natural wine without added sulphites.

AA Anonimo Ancestral Rosé 2018

Partida Creus
The olfactory and flavor notes of this Anonimo Ancestral evoke undergrowth, grass, and yeast, along with red fruit. This wine is a sparkling rosé with a creamy texture and fine bubbles, offering a magnificent mineral sensation on the palate, superb texture, and remarkable freshness that requires a very low serving temperature (8-10°C) in a Bordeaux or tulip glass. Obtained using the bottle refermentation method and aged for twelve months on fine lees, it is not filtered or sulfite-added. It is the result of a blend of several traditional Catalan grape varieties that differ depending on the color: for example, Xarel lo, Macabeu, Parellada, Moscatel, and Ull de Llebre. The blend and its proportions are subject to variation depending on the vintage. It pairs well with Mediterranean dishes, particularly those containing garlic, for example, snails Burgundy style, a Romesco sauce, cod aioli, etc. Anonimo Ancestral is a friend of all grilled dishes, including fish and seafood (octopus, squid, etc.).

Find out more
Partida Creus is an important estate, both in terms of wine 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-versed—first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug tickled them, and they soon abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There they found a number of abandoned vineyards planted with a dizzying diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties, which they passionately revived to save these varieties—and their wines—from oblivion. For them, it's not just a matter of saving their heritage, no: it's 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 produce their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic, entirely manual and natural viticulture 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, ceciat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel·lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel·lo: it is a true conservatory of the native Catalan grape varieties that Partida Creus cares for. There is also Moscatel, Grenache, Merlot and Cabernet (among others). Few wineries can boast of growing so many different grape varieties. The wines reflect this diversity, with winemakers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety: single varietals are common among them, alongside very rich 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 indicate the cuvée. 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.

Hip Hip Poulsard red 2018

Domaine de l’Octavin
The Hip Hip cuvée is based on Poulsard, a red Jura grape variety that produces clear, light, savory wines full of red fruits. Crafted by Alice Bouvot, it is the result of a six-week carbonic fermentation using whole bunches of indigenous yeasts in fiberglass vats, without excessive extraction. The wine is neither filtered nor clarified, and no chemical additives are added in the vineyard or cellar. A charming wine for all occasions: it's so good that we hesitate to suggest pairings, it will go with everything.

To find out more
"You don't need anything," says Alice Bouvot, winemaker at Domaine de l'Octavin, "just a grape that feels good in its skin." Everything is said in favor of natural wine; it's a perfect description. Created in 2005, Domaine d'Alice is located in Arbois, in this wine-growing Jura region, often described as the most organic vineyard in France. The habit of making - among other things - oxidative wines is a good preparation for natural wine, this type of wine does not allow any chemical additives and especially no sulfites. It's a secret of this magnificent region. Originally spread over two hectares, the estate, managed entirely biodynamically (Demeter) since 2010, has expanded through the gradual acquisition of plots and now covers seven hectares.

An accomplished musician and passionate music lover, Alice intends to apply her musical sensitivity to the wines she makes. She draws a parallel between the technical perfection of conventional wines which risks excluding feeling, while "a musician who does not know music theory and plays with his guts creates emotion." For her, living wine is like this: instinctive, improvised, emotional. Introduced to natural wine by Stéphane Planche, sommelier at chef Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois, she will faithfully follow this path. The sometimes whimsical titles of her vintages are inspired sometimes by musical art (Dorabella, Zerline), sometimes by the numerous plots of land that make up her vineyard (En Curon, Les Corvées, En Poussot, etc.), and do not disdain a pun from time to time. Likewise, the labels adorned with happy and salacious little gnomes are a signature of the estate. As for the grape varieties, they are the classics of the Jura - Poulsard, Trousseau, Pinot Noir for the reds, and Chardonnay, Savagnin for the whites. Alongside her Arbois wines, Alice has created a business of "on the vine" grapes (Ecocert certified) with her winegrower friends from the region. Natural, committed, joyful and highly drinkable, the wines of Alice Bouvot are all the more coveted as the vintages, produced in plot-by-plot mode, appear, disappear and reappear depending on the vintage and inspiration.

Magnum Variette Red 2018

Domaine Fond Cyprès

A blend of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault: a full-bodied red with aromas of garrigue, blackcurrant, and blackberry. Pairs well with red wine stews: beef stew, gardianne, beef bourguignon, coq au vin, as well as roast red meats. Ideal with poached pears.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Orange White 2022,

Domaine Einhart

A complex and structured orange wine, an ode to Gewurztraminer

The Orange 2022, produced by Domaine Einhart, is a captivating cuvée that explores the full richness of Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. This orange wine, obtained through a week of destemmed maceration, fully expresses the aromatic potential and tannic structure of the grape variety. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for a month in stainless steel vats, this wine reveals a perfect balance between power, freshness, and minerality.

A generous and captivating tasting

From the first nose, the Orange 2022 seduces with its complexity. Aromas of dried apricot, fig, and mandarin intertwine with exotic touches of pineapple and passion fruit. On the palate, the attack is full and structured, with a slightly tannic texture that adds depth. The basalt minerality unfolds elegantly, supported by a vibrant freshness. The finish is long and persistent, marked by notes of honey and orange blossom, offering a unique and intense sensory experience.

An exceptional gastronomic wine

L’Orange 2022 is ideal for accompanying bold and refined dishes. It pairs perfectly with game birds, roasted white meats, or root vegetables such as celeriac and cabbage. Its powerful aromas also allow it to enhance mature cheeses or dishes with mild spices. Served between 8 and 10°C after decanting, this wine will reveal all its nuances and richness.

With an aging potential of 5 years, this vintage will be able to evolve in the bottle, gaining even more complexity and finesse.

SP Subirat Parent White 2021

Partida Creus

SP Subirat Parent, classified as Vino de Mesa (table wine), is, as its name suggests, made 100% from the native Catalan grape variety Subirat Parent. It is crisp and aromatic, with a nose of ripe white fruits, melon, and wildflowers. Agile on the palate, fresh and straightforward, lemony and slightly saline, it offers a long finish tinged with a delicate bitterness typical of the estate. Subirat Parent, one of the oldest Catalan grape varieties and a close relative of Malvasia, remains rare even in its country of origin. The clay-limestone soil enhances its freshness and integrity. The harvest is pressed after a three-day skin maceration. The must is settled and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats. It rests for three months in vats on fine lees before bottling.

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Partida Creus is an important estate, both from a winemaking and historical perspective – 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 they soon 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, bobal, cartoixà vermell and 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.

Muscana White 2022

Domaine Einhart

Muscana is an organic (Ecocert and AB labels) and natural dry white wine from Alsace from Domaine Einhart. Classified as AOC Alsace, this beautifully complex dry white is Domaine Einhart's homage to the Muscat grape variety.

Vinification

Muscana is a 100% Alsace Muscat, hand-harvested when overripe. The vines are approximately twenty-five years old and grow on the splendid oolitic limestone (muschelkalk) terroirs in the Fleckenstein, Westerberg, and Meyen localities. The harvest is destemmed, maceration in vats lasts one week, and fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged in stainless steel vats on fine lees and is not filtered at bottling.

Tasting

Muscana offers a beautiful orange-amber color with superb brightness. The first nose offers rich, slightly smoky aromas typical of overripe Muscat berries. A second, very fine nose brings a hint of citrus fruit that encourages tasting. On the palate, the attack is straightforward and ample, accompanied by a melted acidity expressed through notes of candied quince. The finish is invigorating, with melted tannins linked to the maceration. We recommend decanting Muscana to help it develop its splendid aromas and serving it with choice dishes: fresh or smoked fish, vegetables including asparagus, white meats and foie gras.

Learn more about Domaine Einhart

In the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, Domaine Einhart is a ten-hectare family estate whose vines grow on the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. The soil is clay-limestone and rich in fossils (muschelkalk, or shell limestone and oolitic limestone, and lettenkohle or dolomitic limestone).

A family estate

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 co-founder, Nicolas devotes his winemaking work to protecting the land and biodiversity, making wine without inputs, refusing harmful phytosanitary products, and maintaining ecological refuge areas. His estate has been certified organic (Ecocert and AB) since 2011. The estate produces white wines from maceration or direct pressing and a Pinot Noir red.

The best of Alsatian terroirs

Entirely manual harvests, destemming of the bunches, 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 grapes, lively, powerful, invigorating, and transcribe the minerality of these very beautiful terroirs in the Vosges foothills.