Gift Ideas for Rookies

Yeti Rouge 2024

La Tribu Alonso

The 2024 Yeti cuvée is a wine as atypical as its name, born in Beaujolais under the passionate impetus of the collective La Tribu Alonso. This 100% Gamay, or rather, should we say "100% Gamay diversity," brings together no fewer than 31 different varieties of this grape: Gamay teinturier, white, rosé, old clones, forgotten plants... A mosaic of grapes that reflects the richness of life and the free spirit of its winemakers.

The grapes are grown on granitic soils, without synthetic products, following a completely natural approach, even without certification. After a 5-day semi-carbonic maceration in fiber tanks, fermentation occurs thanks to indigenous yeasts, without oenological input. The wine is then aged for 12 months in concrete eggs, which brings roundness, energy, and balance, without woody masking.

The result? A vibrant and juicy red wine, with a light and brilliant color. The nose reveals crisp red fruits, a herbaceous touch, some sweet spices, and a peppery hint. On the palate, it is fluid, digestible, with a beautiful texture that remains fresh and elegant. A smooth Gamay, but never simplistic.

Yeti can be enjoyed as an aperitif, with artisanal charcuterie, lightly spiced dishes, or even grilled white meats. It's a wine of immediate pleasure, which appeals to both the curious and enlightened lovers of lively natural wines, to be drunk young or within 5 years.

Pinot Noir Red 2023

Covenant Red 2020

Danis dans la Vigne

An exceptional Malbec, matured in the silence of the cellar

Covenant 2020 embodies the philosophy of long-term patience. A truly unique cuvée by Danis dans la Vigne, crafted with rare precision. This 100% Malbec, organically grown on the clay-limestone soils of deep Cahors, is naturally vinified without unnecessary oenological intervention, with a short maceration, then aged for three years in barrels, topped up only once a year. This demanding, bold method allows the wine to concentrate, oxidize slowly, and round out in a near-oxidative dynamic, before a year in stainless steel tanks, then a year of rest in the bottle.

A mature, complex, accomplished wine that contrasts with the sometimes raw image of Malbec. Covenant lives up to its name: a true pact between time, matter, and the winemaker's craft.

Deep, enveloping, meditative

Upon serving, the wine reveals a dark color with deep garnet reflections. The nose is captivating: bitter cocoa, sweet spices, stewed black fruit, truffle, almost a hint of leather. On the palate, it's a unique experience. The texture is velvety, full-bodied, yet perfectly balanced. The length is remarkable, persistent, with a saline finish. One senses a wine in full maturity, ready to be enjoyed, but also built for aging.

Covenant 2020 is perfect for noble red meats, game, a truffle dish, or even a dark chocolate dessert for the most adventurous. Serve at 16-18°C, without decanting, in a large glass that allows it time to breathe.

Antenet Cahors Rouge 1998

Danis dans la Vigne

A cellar gem, between family heritage and the depth of time

Here is a rare, almost confidential wine, which tells a story even before it is opened. Antenet 1998 is a unique cuvée, vinified more than twenty-five years ago by Danis's father, the current winemaker of the Danis dans la Vigne estate. This Cahors from another era, made from 100% Malbec, was crafted with respect for tradition and with a philosophy already very close to natural winemaking: short maceration, aging in concrete vats for two years, no oenological "makeup."

The typical clay-limestone soil of the Cahors vineyard produces an excellent keeping wine, with tannins polished by time and incredibly rich aromatics. At only 12% alcohol, it defies modern standards with its balance, freshness, and exceptional longevity.

A deep, aged, memory-filled wine

After more than two decades of rest, Antenet 1998 reveals a brick-red garnet color, with brown reflections. The complex and captivating nose unveils aromas of stewed black fruits, prune, blond tobacco, with a hint of undergrowth. On the palate, the texture is melted, ample, with a rare smoothness. This wine evokes a bygone era, yet remains strikingly delicious, perfect with roasted meats, game, or a dish rich in umami.

Served at 16-18°C, with no need for decanting, this wine is ready to be enjoyed. It is a liquid archive, a family treasure, to be discovered like reading a letter from the past.

Saint Joseph Cuvée Madloba Red 2014,

Domaine des Miquettes

From the prestigious AOP Saint-Joseph, Domaine des Miquettes offers us a unique cuvée with its Saint-Joseph Cuvée Madloba 2014. Certified organic (Eurofeuille, All our organic wines), this wine is made from Syrah grown on steep terroirs in the northern Rhône, offering a pure and intense expression of the grape variety.

A Georgian-inspired vinification

This cuvée bears the name "Madloba," which means "thank you" in Georgian, a nod to an ancestral winemaking method. The wine is aged in qvevris (buried amphorae), which gives it a beautiful aromatic depth and a silky texture, while preserving its natural and authentic character.

An intense nose and a structured palate

Upon opening, this organic Saint-Joseph reveals a deep and complex nose, marked by notes of ripe black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry), violet and spices. On the palate, the attack is ample and velvety, with a well-integrated tannic structure and a long finish with slightly smoky and mineral accents.

For what occasion?

Served at 16-18°C and decanted before tasting, this wine is the perfect accompaniment to grilled red meats, game in sauce or stewed dishes with mild spices. With an aging potential of 5 to 10 years, it will evolve towards even more complex aromas over time.

Borgonon Granate Red 2006,

Barranco Oscuro

Borgoñón Granate is an organic and natural red wine from Andalusia made from Pinot Noir. Classified as Vino de Mesa (table wine), it is vinified by Cortijo Barranco Oscuro. As its name suggests, it draws inspiration from Burgundy. This 2006, which has had time to reflect, is one of the best vintages of this cuvée.

Vinification

This wine comes from Pinot Noir vines planted at an altitude of 1,280 meters on schist soils. The wine is aged for one year in old barrels.

Tasting

Borgoñón Granate is a beautifully atypical wine that displays remarkable density while being relatively clear and not very concentrated (a reference to Burgundy). Intense red fruits, cherries, melted and velvety tannins, and a long and seductive smoky finish. It ages well. Great balance, melted tannins, pair it with a beautiful grilled prime rib or Spanish canned fish. A pata negra ham? Certainly, it's a compatriot.

Learn more about Cortijo Barranco Oscuro

Manuel Valenzuela cultivates the highest vines in the world (1,368 meters), in Andalusia, on the Sierra Contraviesa. Barranco oscuro means "dark valley," a reminder of the original site of the property, which was moved at the end of the 19th century after the phylloxera crisis. In 1979, the estate was taken over by Manuel, who decided to use natural methods in preference to those of modern oenology.

A drop of 1,400 meters

At first, he bought grapes, but his goal was to replant vines. Currently, the twelve hectares of Cortijo Barranco Oscuro extend over a drop of almost 1,400 meters. On a poor, dry, schistose terroir, two localities concentrate the plots: Cerro Las Monjas at the very top and Hoyo y Cerro de Las Gayumbas lower down, near the winery buildings.

High-altitude wines

Strong thermal contrasts explain the freshness of the wines, produced without the addition of exogenous yeasts and without inputs in the vineyard or cellar. Although the estate is not certified organic due to the disillusionment that fraud in this area has brought Manuel, his estate is a member of the Spanish Association of Natural Wine Producers. His wines are straightforward and clean, without compromise: they give joy through the seriousness of the work that was necessary to produce them.

Auxerrois Origin White 2022,

Jean-Marc Dreyer

Auxerrois Origin by Jean-Marc Dreyer is an organic (AB label), biodynamic, and natural dry white Alsatian maceration wine (orange wine), with no added sulfites. Jean-Marc Dreyer's Origin range consists of single-varietal cuvées based on six Alsatian grape varieties (Sylvaner, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Muscat), enhanced by skin-contact maceration with a touch of controlled oxidation. The discovery of each Origin vintage is always a pleasant surprise.

Vinification

Auxerrois, or Pinot Auxerrois, is a typically Alsatian grape variety with floral and spicy notes. The harvest, done by hand, is macerated for seven days in whole bunches. After pressing and fermentation, the wine is aged for ten to eleven months in Alsatian style, in tuns and demi-muids, without topping up. Biodynamic method, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, unfiltered, unclarified, no sulfites added in the vineyard or cellar.

Tasting

Floral, fresh, seductive, slightly smoky, Auxerrois Origin by Jean-Marc Dreyer is both atypical and delicious. The maceration gives it a distinguished chew on very fine tannins. With its amber color, floral notes, seductive bitters, delicious salinity, hints of white peach and citrus, and perfect straightness, it is ready for any pairing. A bellota Iberico ham would melt with happiness next to it, but it will also be a delight alongside smoked fish, seafood platters, mature cheeses, or white meats. We will enjoy it, for our part, with a beautiful roasted poultry.

Learn more about Jean-Marc Dreyer

Jean-Marc Dreyer, a biodynamic and natural Alsace winemaker (AB organic certification label), succeeds several generations of his family at the Dreyer & Fils estate, created in 1830 between Obernai and Molsheim. Upon taking over the estate, he immediately opted for biodynamics. In 2009, upon returning from a pilgrimage to Compostela, he decided never to add sulfur to any wine again. Having made this decision, he asserted his style around skin maceration, accentuated, chiseled, bringing out the soul of Alsatian grape varieties. Jean-Marc also works with direct pressing and often with single varietals. He also produces Pinot Noir reds of surprising depth.

Maceration and Direct Press

Jean-Marc Dreyer's wines are characterized by whole-bunch maceration (but you should also taste his direct-press whites). "Maceration in Alsace," he says, "is an ancestral tradition! In the past, we worked by hand and let the grapes macerate before sending the marc to the press." Gentle oxidation is also a particular characteristic of his wines, generally vinified without topping up. Jean-Marc is best known for his "Origin" series, a finely macerated expression of Alsace grape varieties, but we invite you to discover his other wines.

Vin paillé Red 2012

Marie and Vincent Tricot

Marie and Vincent Tricot's Vin de paille is undoubtedly a curiosity: it's a sweet wine made from 100% Auvergne Gamay, entirely organic and natural, made like a Vin de paille from the Jura. The harvest is dried on straw in an attic before pressing. We're not used to Gamay vinified this way, or even red wine vinified this way.

It's an experiment, but the result more than justifies the boldness. Drying on straw concentrates the sugar in the grape berries and accentuates the flavors. Only a drop remains in each berry, but what a drop! Sweet, caressing, syrupy, complex, this Vin de paille is a delight. Its color is not a pure red but an amber, and the nose is a veritable basket of slightly jammy fruits: plum, prune, raisins, strawberry. It is possible that a refermentation takes place in the bottle, which can give a sparkling attack to this wine, but it disappears quickly. On the palate, a delicious sweetness, lots of strawberry and pleasantness. Very easy to drink.

To find out more

Among the generation of Auvergne winemakers who, at the dawn of the 21st century, are resurrecting the vineyards of this beautiful volcanic province of the Massif Central in organic and natural ways, Marie and Vincent Tricot are pioneers, and their name is well known to those who have long loved natural wine. After a varied winegrowing journey that took them from Beaujolais to Chile and from Chile to Costières-de-Nîmes, they landed in Auvergne, at the foot of the Puy de Dôme, in the commune of Orcet where they took over Claude Prugnard's vineyard, a land that had not seen the slightest chemical input for around thirty years. The estate is located on a hillside, on the left bank of the Allier, in a volcanic clay-limestone area neighboring the vineyards of Châteaugay, Chanturgue and Corent. They acquired it in 2003 and, since then, have been making wines from Auvergne Gamay, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a little Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat. These rare and sought-after wines are mainly sold directly. They have a straight and flamboyant profile, and express themselves with as much character as simplicity.

In Absentia Red 2018

La Senda

Entirely produced in the north of El Bierzo from trousseau (locally called bastarda) on various quartz-clay-limestone plots at an altitude of 550 meters. The vines are seventy to ninety years old. Maceration lasts three to four days in chestnut vats, followed by nine months of aging in French oak barrels. No filtration, no added sulfites. Dark garnet color, smoky and fruity nose (trousseau-style: black cherry and raspberry), with a characteristic hint of bitter cocoa and peony. The mouthfeel is full and velvety, the flavor is fruity and smoky, both crisp and mineral. The delicious finish calls for another sip... Serve with roasted game birds, rare pigeon, roast venison, coq au vin, or chicken mole poblano. In a carafe, it will fully express its charms.

Munjebel CD Red 2020

Cornelissen
Munjebel CD is a single-plot red cuvée, certified organic (Eurofeuille) and biodynamic. Made from 100% Nerello Mascalese, it is produced by Frank Cornelissen in the DOP (AOP) Etna Rosso/IGP Terre Siciliane Nerello Mascalese. It comes from a single plot in the Calderara Sottana contrada, at an altitude of 610 m, facing north. This high-quality contrada is appreciated in cold and difficult vintages: its gravelly soil absorbs heat and re-radiates it during the coldest hours of the night.

Vinification
100% Nerello Mascalese, Munjebel CD comes from 40-year-old vines cultivated biodynamically. The grapes are destemmed and lightly crushed. Fermentation starts from a vat foot and is accompanied by a 50-day skin maceration. Aged for 18 months in epoxy vats, then 18 months in bottles. No fining, light filtration.

Tasting
This highly regarded contrada produces quite feminine wines, combining elegance and depth, especially in the best years. You can pair them with red meats, charcuterie, and great Italian, Iberian, or Gascon hams. For example, ham from black pork from Bigorre or a cecina (beef ham) from maison Aitana.

Learn more about Frank Cornelissen
A key and universally respected figure in natural, organic and biodynamic wine, the 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 could 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 "Night Coast 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 Etna valley 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…

Grisou Rosé 2021

Belly Wine Experiment
Complex, refreshing, unusual, and delicious… A rosé, obviously, but with a fairly solid structure. One might guess from its name that it's a vin gris, and its color gives us the final hint. Grisou is a vin gris (therefore) quite typical of Belly Wine's experimental passion, since it is made from Carignan from the South and Pinot Gris from Heiligenstein (Alsace) grown on clay-siliceous soils. Two very different terroirs are united in one wine. Let's remember that Grisou, like Rosé, is a still wine with a pale color made from black grapes in short maceration. Here, it's a little more complicated since two-thirds of the grapes are directly pressed, the remaining third being crushed in whole bunches and macerated for four days. Disgorging takes place two months later. This wine is organically grown and has received no chemical inputs or sulfites, in the vineyard or in the cellar. As it plays on several levels, both light and straightforward, Grisou can allow for very wide pairings.

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 it in spades: 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.

Amphore Rouge, 2023

Philippe Chatillon

With Amphore 2023, Philippe Chatillon delivers a rare and unique red cuvée, blending the typicality of the Jura with an ancestral aging method. This certified organic natural wine, classified as Vin de France, comes from a subtle blend of Pinot Noir and Trousseau, two emblematic grape varieties of the Jura, grown on clay-limestone soils and vinified with a spirit of purity and respect for the fruit.

After a short one-week maceration, the wine is aged for two years in amphorae (qvevris), these terracotta jars traditionally used in Georgia. This aging choice allows for slow and natural oxygenation, without the transfer of woody aromas, thus preserving the frankness of the fruit, the floral delicacy, and the complexity of the wine.

On the nose, Amphore 2023 immediately captivates: crisp red fruits, violet, a fresh herbaceous note, and a slightly earthy touch that recalls the very material of the amphora. On the palate, it is a light, fluid, yet structured wine, with a natural tension and a beautiful aromatic persistence. The balance between the finesse of Pinot Noir and the vitality of Trousseau is remarkable, supported by an aging process that acts as a revealer rather than a disguise.

At the table, this vibrant red will accompany grilled red meats, root vegetable dishes, or fine charcuterie. It will express itself fully at around 12 to 14°C, after decanting, and can be kept for 5 to 10 years.

With this cuvée, Philippe Chatillon creates an author's red wine, free and inspired, where the terroir of the Jura meets the millennial wisdom of amphora winemaking.

Vino Rosso Red 2017

Corva Gialla
Red fruits, mineral and earthy notes, tertiary aromas, spices, and tobacco: this sums up the profile of Vino Rosso, the emblematic red of Azienda Corva Gialla, with beautiful notes of evolution and a pronounced but not excessive full-bodiedness. The richness, due to a high natural sugar content during fermentation, and the polyphenolic maturity are remarkable, as well as the balance between velvety and tannicity, lightness and body, roundness and acidity. On the nose, notes of spices such as cinnamon, black pepper, and fennel; On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and dominated by red fruits: ripe cherry, raspberry and strawberry. Black fruits and plum are not left out, and delicious aromas of dried fruits (prune, fig) combine with spices on the finish. Vino Rosso is a 100% Sangiovese from vines planted at an altitude of 450 meters on a west-facing plot with volcanic soils. The harvest is destemmed and macerated for about three weeks in fiberglass vats, with daily pumping over or punching down as needed. Vino Rosso is aged for twelve months in chestnut barrels and at least two years in bottles before being marketed.

Find out more
The azienda Corva Gialla ("yellow crow") is a wine estate 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, high tuff rock formations delimiting deep valleys carved by numerous rivers and torrents. Corva Gialla is located in Lubriano, opposite Civita di Bagnoregio. Alta Tuscia is proving to be a breeding ground for young winemaking talents devoted to nature who are promoting these lands deprived throughout history. Founded in 2017, the estate comprises four hectares cultivated by Beatrice Arweiler, originally from another wine-growing region, between the Rhine and the Moselle. The new owner also planted an olive grove (Frantoio and Leccino varieties) and developed the estate into a mixed crop and livestock system. The vines were planted with the help of Gian Marco Antonuzzi of the Le Coste estate. The friable 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.

Magnum Que Pasa Red 2012, Domaine Leonine

Seventy-year-old Grenache noir and gris combine to create this highly drinkable red. The harvest spends fifteen days in carbonic maceration before spending five months in barrels before being bottled by gravity without added sulfur. Juicy, sappy, and delicious, it smells and tastes of the garrigue and the Mediterranean, enhanced by flawless freshness. So what's going on? Only very pleasant things.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Noisette Ancestral White 2018, Émilie Mutombo
A little something from the land of cava, a lovely amber color, fruit and bubbles: a lively and bouncy effervescent, a celebration of life to be enjoyed during summer evenings (but not only).
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

The Crystal Ship White 2018

Les Valseuses

A Doors song inspired the name of this wine, a Jura Savagnin macerated for two months in whole bunches. Guitars and organ, richness and structure: pure pleasure!
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Unatantum Liquoreux Red Still 2009

Le Coste

This sweet red is 100% aleatico, grown on the volcanic soils of the Azienda Le Coste estate. The grapes are air-dried for a month, hung in whole bunches from wires, and the wine is slowly fermented for three years. This produces a wine that is sweet without being syrupy, and wonderfully complex.

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Su Chi No'Nau Rouge 2013, Gianfranco Manca Panevino
A blend of two hundred-year-old plots of vines: Grenache and Cannonau. Fermentation and aging take place in stainless steel vats. Fruity, slightly carbonic, between fruit and stone: a slight smoky touch brings to mind schist, a volcano. A very fine table wine.
Natural wine with no added sulfites

Casilla de las Flores Red 2014

Bodega Marenas

A 100% Pinot Noir from Spain.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Into the Wine Red 2016

La Sorga
The Mourvèdres that make up this single-variety red wine come from the Saint-Chinian appellation. The destemmed grapes macerate in demi-muids (thick 500- to 650-liter barrels) for sixty days, virtually in an infusion, then the wine is aged for six months in amphorae. Notes of violet and black fruits: perfect for a tagine, borscht, or red cabbage velouté. Aging potential: twenty years.

Pairs with: Middle Eastern cuisine, Pot au feu