Gift Ideas for Rookies

Toile de Fond (exclusive vintage) Red 2023

Fond Cyprès

The Toile de Fond Red 2023 is an exclusive vintage from the Fond Cyprès estate, nestled in the foothills of the Corbières mountains in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. This wine, certified organic under the Eurofeuille label, is a true tribute to the clay-limestone and blue marl terroirs of this southern region. The cuvée is made primarily from Carignan, combined with Grenache Noir and Syrah, offering a rich and complex expression.

Vinification and Terroir

Vinification is carried out in accordance with the principles of natural viticulture. After a three-week maceration, the wine is aged for six months in stainless steel vats, preserving the purity of the aromas. The yeasts used are indigenous, reflecting the true essence of the terroir and limiting human intervention. The estate has been practicing organic farming since 2006, with manual harvests that guarantee meticulous grape selection.

Tasting

Upon tasting, this red wine reveals a deep color with garnet highlights. On the nose, intense aromas of leather and red fruits explode, highlighting a slightly animal touch, characteristic of the wines of this region. On the palate, the texture is silky, with a balanced structure and well-integrated tannins that provide a beautiful aromatic persistence.

Food and Wine Pairings

The Toile de Fond Rouge 2023 pairs perfectly with red meats, such as duck breast or grilled prime rib. For an optimal experience, serve it at a temperature of 14-16 degrees and do not hesitate to decant it to release all its aromatic complexity.

Aging Potential

This wine has an impressive aging potential of 10 years or more, which will allow its aromas to develop further over time. A vintage to discover and rediscover over the years, for wine lovers who like to see their collection evolve.

Toile de Fond Rouge 2023 is an invitation to explore the nuances of Occitania, in an approach that respects nature and the terroir.

Vino Bianco White 2022,

Corva Gialla

An emblematic white cuvée from Azienda Corva Gialla, Vino Bianco is only produced in the finest vintages. Fresh and fruity, this Vino da Tavola (table wine) offers a golden yellow color with amber highlights and a surprisingly rich nose of exotic fruits. White flowers, Mediterranean herbs, candied fruits... And despite this aromatic opulence, the wine reveals itself on the palate as clean, tangy, mineral, and intense, and stands out for its sapidity due to the volcanic soils. All of this makes it a balanced wine, suitable for all occasions. Vino Bianco is a blend of three grape varieties: Grechetto, Trebbiano, and Procanico. It comes from vines of varying ages planted at an altitude of 450 meters on a west-facing plot of volcanic soil. The harvest is hand-picked and destemmed. A small starter is prepared, while the rest of the harvest is pressed directly and added to the starter. The whole thing ferments and rests in fiberglass tanks until bottling in March.

Learn more

Azienda Corva Gialla (“yellow crow”) is a winery in Lazio, Italy, located on the edge of Umbria in the Alta Tuscia Viterbese. A volcanic region considered one of the most beautiful in Italy and characterized by its calanches, tall tuff rock formations delineating deep valleys carved by numerous streams and torrents. Corva Gialla is located in Lubriano, opposite Cività di Bagnoregio. Alta Tuscia is a breeding ground for young winemaking talents dedicated to nature who are enhancing these lands that have been neglected throughout history. Founded in 2017, the estate covers four hectares cultivated by Beatrice Arweiler, originally from another wine-growing region, between the Rhine and the Moselle. The new owner has also planted an olive grove (Frantoio and Leccino varieties) and developed the estate into a mixed crop-livestock system. The vines were planted with the help of Gian Marco Antonuzzi, from the Le Coste estate. The crumbly volcanic soil lends itself beautifully to viticulture and the planting of grape varieties such as Grechetto d'Umbria, Trebbiano, Vermentino, Sangiovese, and Ciliegiolo. The estate's wines are quintessentially Italian, meaning they are crafted primarily for enjoyment. They are straightforward, deep, and easy to drink, expressing the strong minerality of their soils.

Cloche et Fausset Perry 2011, Eric Bordelet

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

M&M Rouge 2022

Jean Louis Pinto
M & M is an organic and natural red wine from Jean-Louis Pinto of the Es d’Aqui estate. Classified as a Vin de France, it comes from the Languedoc and Roussillon terroirs, and presents a rather atypical profile due to its blend. The blend is made from Mourvèdre (40%) and Muscat of Alexandria (40%) with some secondary varieties, all grown on clay-limestone soils.

Vinification
The harvest is manual and treated differently depending on the grape variety: destemmed maceration, whole bunch maceration, direct pressing. The wine is a blend of several macerations and pressings. Once blended, the wine is aged in resin vats.

Tasting
This aromatic and slightly tannic wine is made for surprises. The blend produced can only give an extraordinary result. M & M brings together several dimensions: aroma, delicacy, fruit, tannins. It is both robust and opulent. Pair it with a nice roasted poultry, a rack of roasted pork or game.

Learn more about Jean-Louis Pinto and the Es d’Aqui estate
A child of Ariège, Jean-Louis Pinto chose to stay in the country and make wines that resemble their terroir, hence the name Es d’Aqui (“He is from here”) that he gave to his wine merchant estate, located in Moulin-Neuf, a town near the Aude, between Mirepoix and Limoux. A region where vines once abounded, until the major mildew attacks at the beginning of the 20th century.

Winemaker and merchant
Jean-Louis buys grapes grown organically by winegrower friends. He monitors fruit set and ripening, and does everything he can to understand the grapes before harvesting them. He vinifies them at home using natural methods, practicing long macerations on whole bunches and very gentle pressings in a vertical press. He says he has "a lot of vines in common" with his friend Anthony Tortul (La Sorga).

All the terroirs of Languedoc
Jean-Louis Pinto's collection area extends throughout Languedoc, particularly in Hérault, Aude, and Tarn. "I make wines from the South," he says. "I'm mainly looking for terroirs that give freshness." The most powerful reds are made in five terracotta jars, which help him control extraction and give his wines, he says, "a very crystalline quality."

Le Grenache du Bois Saint Jaume Rouge 2020,

Fond Cyprès
Fresh, delicious, supple, intense, balanced, and with a surprising length on the palate, this beautiful red Grenache is perfect for drinking or keeping. Delicate and velvety, it offers beautifully blended tannins and a magnificent balance with notes of undergrowth and garrigue plants. It has the generous and caressing character of its grape variety. This is a good example of Fond Cyprès' "forest" wines, marked not only by their grape varieties but also by the wooded and windy environment that refreshed the grapes' growth. After hand-harvesting, destemming, and four weeks of fermentation in concrete vats, the wine spends ten months aging in old barrels. It comes from a sandy plot of Grenache vines surrounded by a forest and a biodynamic olive grove. It is aged for nine to twelve months in old 228-liter demi-muids, which have the advantage of not oaking the wine but ensuring a comfortable, gentle aging process.

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 had a clear objective: "to produce southern wines that reflect us, wines with character, attached to our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They want to obtain entirely natural wines, concentrates of terroir. In the old Corbières massif, they are taking over an old heart of the estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache, which have seen neither fertilizer nor pesticides for years: these clean, 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.

Brân Rouge 2020,

Le Raisin Et L'Ange
Notes of undergrowth, tobacco, and spices, all accompanied by fresh, delicious, and indulgent fruit: this beautiful Ardèche red, fluid and full-bodied, is remarkable for its balance and adaptability. Perfect for all pairings and all occasions, it's not overpowering. In the Vin de France appellation, it's a blend of 100% Gamay. The grapes grew in a Mediterranean climate, with strong sunshine year-round. The vineyard is cultivated organically, and the harvest is entirely manual. The destemmed Gamay is macerated for fourteen days before pressing. Vinification and aging are carried out without any additives in stainless steel vats.

Find out more
Le Raisin et l’Ange is an Ardèche wine estate located at Mas de la Bégude, not far from Aubenas. It is a peaceful and serene place in the heart of the beautiful Ibie Valley, very close to the Ardèche Gorges. It has been run since 1983 by Gilles Azzoni, originally from Paris, who manages the farm and the six hectares of vineyard. From the beginning, Gilles has been concerned with practicing viticulture that respects nature. He wants to make “the wines he likes to drink”: thirst-quenching wines, not too alcoholic, and without added sulfites. He began by directing cultivation techniques towards organic farming, which was fully operational in 1997. The certifications (Ecocert and Nature & Progrès) were obtained in November 2010. Since his son, Antonin, took over the estate and assisted his father, a trading activity has been added to the farm's practices.
The terroir is dry, stony and clay-limestone. The vines are backed by hills and border the forest. The place has been cultivated for centuries, not only with vines but also with cereals (barley, rye). Not all of the vineyard area is exploited, and the vintages come from both the estate's grapes and organic grapes from other neighboring estates. Grown on-site or nearby, we find the typical varieties of the region—Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier—as well as Merlot, Gamay, Alicante, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. The cultivation and winemaking methods are entirely organic and natural: nothing is added to the vineyard, nothing added in the winery. Grassing of the soil and sowing of green manure are practiced. The estate is a member of the Association of Natural Wines (AVN).

Adrenaline Blanc 2020,

Domaine Capmartin
His successes in natural wine encouraged Simon Capmartin to create a natural counterpart to his dry Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bilh; thus, Adrenaline was born: 60% Petit Manseng and 40% Petit Courbu, grown on clay-limestone and clay-gravel soils. The average age of the vines is 20 years. The use of cover crops allows for soil decompaction and provides nutritional support, alternating with natural grass cover. The harvest is destemmed and undergoes a 24-hour skin maceration, followed by temperature-controlled fermentation in barrels (one-third) and vats (two-thirds). This is followed by malolactic fermentation in stainless steel vats. Aging is eight months on lees in stainless steel vats. No filtration, no added sulfites, and no inputs in the vineyard or cellar. “It’s beautiful,” says Simon; “with a very broad aromatic palette. The citrus tone is pronounced (candied lemon), as are the dried fruits. Round, balanced, and intense, it’s a very complex wine.”

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

VNB Blanc 2019,

Partida Creus
Partida Creus is an estate 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-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 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 here. 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-varietal 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 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.
This very fresh, easy-drinking white (10% alcohol) is the result of a very light maceration of native Catalan grape varieties: Garnatxa Blanca, Macabeu, Moscatell, Vinyater, Xarel·lo, Parsé and Parellada. Beautiful maturity, sharp character and acidity characteristic of this estate. Perfect for seafood.

Cidre Fermier 2018,

Florian Bourrienne
What mainly sets Florian Bourrienne apart from other cider producers is that he makes ciders for aging, intended to evolve over the years. His orchard is located in the heart of Calvados, in the Pays d'Auge region, but outside the AOC (Protected Designation of Origin) in order to preserve the freedom and uniqueness of his ciders. We can, without hesitation, call it natural cider, because the cider maker goes beyond organic to respect the traditional production method, which is delicate, patient, and requires a tremendous amount of work. From his fifteen-hectare orchard planted with tall stems, he produces ciders for aging, excellent to drink in their youth but sumptuous after several years. The blend is carefully measured according to the characteristics of each vintage. The fruit production is entirely organic and the fermentation processes—there are two for traditional cider—are slow and patient, so that the cider is made the right way, using natural yeasts. These are preserved in the cider thanks to a light filtration that respects all the living elements capable of polishing the taste and aromas, but also facilitates the formation of foam, which must be just right: neither too strong nor too weak. It's difficult to manage, but the result is well worth it. These are mastered ciders, eminently delicious, marked by an extraordinary sweetness and roundness of apple. Over time, they acquire notes of acidity and astringency that gracefully reinforce their beautiful aromatic palette. Ciders of taste and pleasure, as delicious at the table as they are as an aperitif.

This 2018 vintage is still a little young, but it is already delicious: drink it without regret now, but if you can afford to let it wait a few more years (at least three or four), you will appreciate it even more. The color is a beautiful, slightly coppery gold. With soft bubbles and a lemony nose, it offers a round and sweet mouthfeel, moderate acidity. It is a cider of pleasure and thirst that everyone agrees on.

Une Rose de Blancs Rosé 2020,

La Senda
La Bodega La Senda is the creation of Diego Losada, a native of Bierzo, a region in the northwest of the province of León, bordered to the north by Asturias and to the west by Galicia. Pilgrims traveling to Compostela via the Camino Francés or the Camino de Invierno can admire its magnificent landscapes, where ancient vineyards cover the hilltops. Viticulture dates back to Roman times, but the region was so traumatized by the phylloxera crisis that vines were not replanted until the mid-20th century, without massive uprooting, giving these vines an average age of forty to seventy years. Born in Ponferrada, in the northern Bierzo, Diego has never been one for compromise. Resolutely radical, with a passion for freedom and rigor, he first applied this disposition to music in the heavy metal band he formed with his high school friends. It was later to wine that he would devote this same passion, studying organic chemistry at university and learning the scientific aspects of viticulture. But the scientific rigidity and conventional methods he discovered on some of the estates where he worked did not satisfy him. Attracted to a viticulture closer to the land, Diego reclaimed a few plots to showcase the Bierzo terroir as naturally as possible. In 2012, he created the La Senda estate, whose name means "the path," on the outskirts of his hometown. His wines would be like him: honest, frank, natural, and expressive. Not awarded the designation of origin, they are the pure reflection of their soils and climate, the personality and energy of their creator.
Two white grape varieties in equal parts: Doña Blanca and Palomino from old plots whose vines are seventy to ninety years old. The vineyard is located in the north of Bierzo, planted on quartz-clayey limestone soils, at an altitude of 550 meters. The entire harvest macerates for three days in barrels that previously contained Mencia red wine, hence the particular color of this wine, aged four months in the same barrels. No filtration or added sulfites.
Natural wine without added sulfites.

Le Carignan de la Source Rouge 2019,

Fond Cyprès
This Languedoc estate is built on solid foundations: its two owners, Rodolphe and Laetitia, are both descendants of winegrowers. Even before planting their first vine, they already had a clear objective: "to produce southern wines that reflect our style, wines with character, rooted in our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They want to create entirely natural wines, concentrated expressions of terroir. In the heart of the ancient Corbières massif, they are taking over an old estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache grapes, which have seen neither fertilizer nor pesticides for years: these clean, vibrant soils are ideal conditions for embarking on a natural winemaking journey. 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.
Coming from a plot of sixty-year-old Carignan, this wine is aged for twelve months in old demi-muid (barrels of 500 to 650 liters). With its ripe and evolved tannins, it offers great aging potential, but we can already start drinking it. It is a typically Languedoc wine, full of freshness and delicacy, as fruity as it is generous. A lively bottle.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Keep on Moving 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 through balance or a certain controlled dissonance, these beers will never leave you indifferent and will reveal their full potential during the summer heat, served well chilled. Keep on Moving is a Belgian-style pilsner with an alcohol content of 5.6%. It is the result of a wonderful experiment combining beer and wine lees, a concept implemented with Catalan winemaker Nuria Renom. The idea is to reuse wine lees to create beers of original quality, rich in flavor, where bitterness and acidity form a solid harmony. This 2020 edition of the concept is based on 100% organic Belgian pilsner malt fermented with the lees of the 2019 Moscatell and Trepat wines from the Cyclic cellars. The base is that of a Berliner Weisse without boiling; fermentation with the lees is done hot before aging for two months in stainless steel. The next step is refermentation in bottles and barrels after adding a blend of homemade yeasts. A beautiful acid-bitter balance and subtle vinous notes make this beer a superb success, a drink to be served very cold as an aperitif or with a meal, which it will accompany with talent.

Variette Rouge 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, bourguignon, coq au vin, as well as roast red meats. Ideal with poached pears.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Le Blouge à Nestor Rouge 2022

Domaine Bélicard

With Le Blouge à Nestor 2022, Domaine Bélicard offers us a unique cuvée, resolutely natural, free, and unconventional. The name says it all: a "blouge," a joyful contraction of white (blanc) and red (rouge), made from a blend of Gamay and Chardonnay, both organically grown in Beaujolais. A wine without artifice, to be shared without hesitation.

Here, the focus is on infusion: the hand-harvested grapes are vinified in whole bunches, with semi-carbonic fermentation that preserves all the freshness of the fruit. Maceration is short (about one month), then the wine is aged in wooden vats, with total respect for the juice, without any oenological inputs, using indigenous yeasts and very little, if any, sulfites.

In the glass, Le Blouge à Nestor seduces with its light, almost cloudy ruby color. The nose evokes fresh red fruits, kirsch cherry, spicy notes, and a floral touch. The palate is supple, fluid, incredibly easy-drinking but not simplistic. There's a beautiful liveliness, a light body, melted tannins, and a slightly spicy finish.

This is a wine made for aperitifs with friends, fine charcuterie, a warm salad, tapas, or simply for opening a good bottle without a specific occasion. Le Blouge is pure pleasure in a bottle, with that artisanal and sincere touch one expects from a well-made natural wine.

Le paché Red 2022

Jean-Yves Péron

Le Paché is an organic and natural wine produced in Savoie by Jean-Yves Péron with the help of his collaborator Marc Payan. In Vin de France, it is made from Pinot Noir and hybrid grape varieties.

Vinification

The Le Paché plot is planted with old vines (60 to 120 years old) on limestone and schist soils. The vines are harvested by hand. The grapes undergo a two-week carbonic maceration before being fermented with two weeks of punching down the cap. The wine is aged for one year in 225-liter barrels.

Tasting

Floral, spicy, mineral, and delicately fruity—red berries, dried or jammy strawberries, pomegranate—, earthy notes, and a lovely aroma of roots and bark, Le Paché ticks all the boxes for a balanced, medium-bodied red wine. It pays a beautiful tribute to Pinot Noir from the mountainous region. Beautiful velvety mouthfeel, sweet spices.

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 Chevaline winery in the Bauges region, he vinifies 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 slopes, his hand-worked mountain vines in micro-plots 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.

Italo-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 from Northern Italy: this is the I Vicini series, which allows him to diversify the terroirs and deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging.

Grands Champs Red 2018

Pierre Naigeon

This "Grands Champs" Burgundy, certified organic by Eurofeuille, is a biodynamic and natural red wine produced under the AOP Bourgogne label in the Côte de Nuits region, southeast of Gevrey-Chambertin. Made from 100% Pinot Noir, it has a aging potential of five to ten years. Serving temperature: between 14 and 16°C.

Vinification

The Grands Champs plot, from which this organic Burgundy comes, is planted with fifty-year-old vines. Its soils consist of cone gravel on Bresse marl. The harvest, carried out by hand, is carried out in 6 kg crates to preserve the grapes. After rigorous manual sorting, traditional vinification begins with indigenous yeasts. Aging lasts ten months in oak barrels, 15% of which are new. Bottled without filtration or fining.

Tasting

Delicately fruity, Grands Champs is an authentic wine of its terroir. Very indulgent, it evokes black fruits (black cherry), raspberry, licorice and thyme. The palate is opulent and structured. It is a place of pleasure and conviviality that will accompany the most delicious dishes: Stewed Dishes (for example a cassoulet), Exceptional Red Meats, charcuterie and cured meats…

Les Combes Rouge 2018

Pierre Naigeon
Les Combes, certified organic by Eurofeuille, is a biodynamic and natural red Burgundy wine made from the Bourgogne-Pinot Noir AOP. The sixty-year-old grapes grow near the commune of Gilly-les-Cîteaux, in the Côte de Nuits region and bordering the Chambolle-Musigny appellation. The aging potential is five to ten years. Serving temperature: between 14 and 16°C.

Vinification
The Les Combes plot from which this organic Burgundy is produced consists of limestone scree on Bresse marl and clayey limestone. The harvest is carried out manually in 6 kg crates to preserve the grapes. A rigorous manual sorting is carried out, followed by traditional vinification with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged for ten months in oak barrels, 20% of which are new. Bottled without filtration or fining.

Tasting
Raspberry, red fruits, violet on the nose; the palate brings a note of licorice, notes of truffle, and confirms the raspberry. Les Combes is a generous, generous wine, with a very pleasant sapidity and depth. Pair it with coq au vin prepared with excellent poultry, serve it next to a beautiful platter of charcuterie, or make it the companion of a rib of beef.

Lou Dilun Red 2021,

Clos des B

Lou Dilun ("Monday" in Provençal) is an organic and natural wine from the Côtes-de-Provence appellation and under the Écocert organic label, with no added sulfites. In the Grimaud vineyards, the Grenache and Cinsault grapes are selected on the vine. Everything is done, in the vineyard and in the cellar, to ensure the harvest is in perfect health and to avoid the use of sulfur in the vineyard or sulfites in the cellar. Fresh on the palate, Lou Dilun is lively and fruity, silky and velvety, with beautiful body. Light notes of fruit pit emerge from the framework of melted tannins. The secret to its incomparable roundness and fruitiness? Six months of aging in Atelier Centre France oak barrels. This is a wine that will be a pleasure to pair with a beautiful roast poultry.

Learn more about Clos des B

Clos des B (initials of the two owners) is an organic and natural wine estate located in Grimaud, in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Gwendolyn Berger and Jean-Jacques Branger are the proud producers of the very first natural cuvées from this geographical area. Before the two Bs bought these three hectares of vines, all these wines went to the cooperative cellar of the Vignerons de Saint-Tropez. Driven by a "thirst for vines," as they say, Gwendolyn and Jean-Jacques overcame administrative difficulties, restored the vineyard, and soon produced reds, rosés, and even a blanc de noirs. Their grape varieties are typical of the region: Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, growing on schistose sands crossed by quartz veins. The property benefits from a microclimate that protects the vines from humidity, disease, and frost. The viticulture and winemaking approach resolutely embraces organic (the estate is under the Ecocert label, applied for in 2020), biodynamics, and natural. The wines are without added sulfites, fining, or filtration. The wines of Clos des B are a true reflection of their terroir and climate: fresh, fruity, and very pleasant to drink, beautiful natural wines from the terroir of Provence.

Perill Noir Sumoll Red 2014

Clos Lentiscus

Sensuality, seduction, charm, a touch of wildness: this vibrant, fruity, flavorful, and addictive Perill Noir Sumoll lives up to its name. Redcurrant, morello cherry, spices, herbaceous notes… The "black" alludes to the dark color of the Sumoll grapes, the native Catalan variety from which it is composed. Perill Noir Sumoll is a natural red whose freshness owes much to the local limestone soil, and Manel Avinyo's mastery of this notoriously difficult grape variety is evident. The harvest is destemmed and macerated for two weeks. Aging, in French oak barrels, lasts thirty months. Calm, deep, intense, and structured, this is a magnificent and chiseled wine that will accompany all that is best.

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Purity, elegance, and a crisp minerality due to the limestone characterize the productions of Clos Lentiscus. The note of controlled oxidation, when it is felt, does not dominate the tasting, and the wines are never deviant. The cavas are known for being exuberant, but those of Clos Lentiscus never have more than two grams of residual sugar per liter. The estate also produces still wines, red, white, and rosé. Located in Sitges, Catalonia, Clos Lentiscus is a winery in the heart of the Garraf Natural Park. Manel Avinyo and his brother Joan took over the family estate, renamed Clos Lentiscus by Manel. Even though Barcelona is only a half-hour drive away, the beauty of the landscape is striking and the immersion in nature is total: Mediterranean forests rub shoulders with Catalan scrubland (thyme, rosemary, rockrose, mastic tree which gave its name to the estate, etc.). The Penedès region also has a long winemaking history. Nestled in its gentle hills is Clos Lentiscus, in the Penedés appellation, on twenty hectares of sandy and clay-limestone soils facing due south at an altitude of 225 meters. According to historical documents, the family of Manel and Joan Avinyo has been established there since at least the 14th century. For a long time, the grapes were sold to local cooperatives, but as soon as the two brothers took over the estate, organic and biodynamic farming replaced conventional practices, the entire harvest goes into the house vintages, and organic and biodynamic practices have allowed this beautiful property to regain its former prestige: in the 19th century, its wines were sold in France and as far away as the Americas. Very quickly, Manel received a nickname: The Bubbleman, a tribute to his talent for vinifying cavas, these sparkling whites characteristic of the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, from indigenous varieties for which Catalonia holds the secret: sumoll, ull de llebre, xarel·lo, malvasia of Sitges, cartoixà vermell, cariñena (carignan), accompanied by tempranillo and muscat of Alexandria. The vines are old, some of them centuries old. No synthetic additives are used in the vineyard, and operations such as planting, pruning, de-budding, and harvesting are dictated by the lunar phases. Pollination is facilitated by the presence of beehives; sheep contribute to fertilization and control of the plant cover. Ringo, the white horse, is responsible for working the soil.