Gift Ideas for Rookies

Pet Nat White 2023,

Domaine Einhart

A crisp and thirst-quenching natural sparkling wine

Domaine Einhart's Pet Nat White 2023 is a cuvée full of vitality, carefully crafted according to the principles of the ancestral method. Composed of a unique blend of Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir, this natural sparkling wine (or "Pet Nat") is the result of a destemmed maceration of several days for each grape variety, before blending. Bottling took place during fermentation, followed by 7 months of resting on slats to obtain a fine and natural effervescence.

A bright and joyful tasting

Upon opening, Pet Nat Blanc seduces with its delicate and persistent bubbles. On the nose, it reveals fruity and gourmet aromas of peach, lemon and exotic fruits, accompanied by floral touches. On the palate, this sparkling wine is light, lively and thirst-quenching. Its freshness and crispness make it accessible and irresistible, with a clean and mineral finish that invites you to take another sip.

A perfect companion for aperitifs and gastronomy

This Pet Nat White is ideal for accompanying a convivial aperitif, where it will delight lovers of natural sparkling wines with its joyful and spontaneous character. It also pairs perfectly with Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, raw fish, seafood and fresh cheeses. For an optimal experience, serve it between 6 and 8°C, after a slight disgorging if necessary.

La Bueilloise Blanc 2022

La Grapperie
La Bueilloise is a dry white sparkling wine from the Coteaux du Loir, classified as Vin de France, organic (Ecocert), and natural. It is produced by Renaud Guettier of La Grapperie, without the addition of sulfites or any other chemical additives. A fine example of this winemaker's expertise, with added bubbles.

Vinification
La Bueilloise is a blend of young and old Chenin Blanc (60%) and Pinot d'Aunis (40%) vines, pruned in goblet and crescent shapes on a flint-clay terroir. The oldest vines are 115 years old and the youngest 8 years old. The harvest is carried out by hand at full maturity. Spontaneous fermentation in fiberglass vats using indigenous yeasts for one month, followed by fermentation in bottles where aging continues for twelve months on the lees. Manual disgorging without the addition of preservatives, then recapping.

Tasting
The atypical blend of La Bueilloise is based on the majority of Chenin, ripe to the point, which brings its roundness, aromas and liveliness. The Pineau d'Aunis brings a slight bitterness. Dry and nuanced, sending out clouds of aromas in bursts, this wine offers lively and intense bubbles. Fresh apple, pear, minerality, dryness, straightforwardness. An aromatic and refreshing sparkling wine, which you can pair with a wide range of good things and not necessarily "white wine" products: it will go well with local charcuterie, fresh veal and pork, raw or cooked shellfish (scallops) and crustaceans, lobster or fish in sauce, and fine sweet or savory flaky pastries. It is the perfect companion to a good blanquette or salmon with beurre blanc.

Learn more about Renaud Guettier and La Grapperie
In the Coteaux du Loir appellation, La Grapperie is the name of the estate of Renaud Guettier, who can be described as a master of Chenin, but also of Pineau d'Aunis, which is one of the oldest grape varieties in the Loire Valley.

The estate
Renaud's 60 hectares of hillside vines are protected from the north winds by the Bercé forest. Depending on the altitude, the terroirs are predominantly clay, flint, or sand. The grape varieties are the two traditionally authorized in the appellation: Chenin for the whites and Pineau d'Aunis for 90% of the reds, the rest consisting of a few ares of Côt, Gamay and Grolleau. Some vines are more than a hundred years old.

In the vineyard and the winery
The entire estate is cultivated organically. The soils are worked and all viticultural interventions are manual, including the harvest, carried out at full maturity, which is reflected in the fullness and smoothness of the wines. For the reds, the Pineau d'Aunis is partially destemmed (depending on the plot) and the macerations are quite long, three to four weeks, with punching down, to promote aging potential. The wines are aged in barrels for between twelve and twenty-four months, then racked, blended and bottled without filtration. For the whites, the Chenins are pressed directly at low pressure then put into barrels with complete malolactic fermentation, for at least eighteen months, malolactic included, and sometimes up to thirty-six months.

Gewurztraminer Origin Blanc 2020,

Jean-Marc Dreyer
Sumptuous, disconcerting, addictive, Gewurztraminer as you wouldn't expect, with a super-powerful aroma, without the sugar. Jean-Marc Dreyer's Origin range is dedicated to single-varietal cuvées based on Alsatian varieties. Decidedly orange, this macerated Gewurztraminer is the answer to those who find this grape variety heady and syrupy: all the sugars have been consumed, leaving an extraordinary richness of aromas, bare and unvarnished. The mango, ylang-ylang, and bouquet of flowers and exotic fruits are all there, enhanced by a dry, unsweetened structure. This wine calls for foie gras, but it can be drunk with anything. Biodynamic method, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, unfiltered, unclarified, with no sulfites added in the vineyard or cellar.

Find out more
"Maceration in Alsace is a tradition!" says Jean-Marc Dreyer, adding that direct pressing in this region is a modern invention, linked to the advent of electricity. In the past, we worked by hand and let the grapes macerate before sending the marc to the press. " Whole-bunch maceration is Jean-Marc Dreyer's signature and represents 85% of the estate's production, the rest consisting of direct-pressed whites, often aged using gentle oxidation. Jean-Marc succeeds several generations of his family at the Dreyer & Fils estate, established in 1830 between Obernai and Molsheim. Upon taking over the estate, he immediately opted for biodynamics, but he hesitated for a while between several methods: at first, his wines were more oaky, aged in new barrels with stirring. Then, a sweet period: all his wines contained residual sugar. In 2008, he tried vinifying without any sulfur and found his direction: the following winter, upon returning from the pilgrimage to Compostela, he swore never to add sulfur to any wine again. Having made this decision, he affirmed his style around skin maceration, quite extensive, chiseled, always surprising on Alsatian grape varieties, whose structure it brings out without sacrificing delicacy. Jean-Marc works in single-varietal or blended vintages and also produces Pinot Noir reds of surprising depth.

Beaujolais Villages Rouge 2022,

Domaine Bélicard


This organic Beaujolais Villages, vinified naturally using semi-carbonic maceration, highlights all the deliciousness of Gamay Noir. Grown on granite soils, its 54-year-old vines give the wine beautiful depth.

A natural wine bursting with fruit
Whole-bunch vinification and aging in wooden vats for one month allow the primary aromas of the grape variety to be brought out. Natural sedimentation without filtration guarantees a pure and vibrant wine.

An intense nose and an explosive palate
This Beaujolais Villages AOP is distinguished by an expressive nose of cherry, redcurrant, and kirsch, with a hint of spice. The palate is a veritable firework of red fruits, with a fresh and juicy finish.
Served at 14-16°C, it can be enjoyed as an aperitif or with simple, convivial dishes.

Xarel Lo Blanc 2015,

Clot de Les Soleres


Nestled in the heart of Catalonia, the Clot de Les Soleres winery has established itself as a leading reference in Spanish natural wines. With this Xarel Lo 2015, winemaker Joan Ramon Escoda enhances the indigenous Xarel-lo grape variety, delivering a pure and vibrant expression of the Catalan terroir.

A lively and evolved white wine
Produced using certified organic farming (Eurofeuille label), this wine is produced without oenological additives, with spontaneous fermentation using indigenous yeasts. After a long vinification and barrel aging, the Xarel Lo 2015 reveals a beautiful evolution, gaining in complexity while retaining a fresh and mineral structure.

An expressive nose and a structured palate
On the first nose, subtle aromas of ripe white fruits, golden apple, candied quince and honey intertwine with slightly oxidative notes, evoking Jura wines. Upon aeration, touches of nuts and Mediterranean herbs complete this rich and deep aromatic palette. On the palate, the attack is ample, carried by a beautiful acid tension and a silky texture. The saline and persistent finish highlights the mineral signature of the Catalan terroir.

Pairings and occasions
This mature white goes perfectly with refined dishes such as roasted poultry with herbs, mature cheese such as Comté, or even seafood paella. Ideal to accompany a gourmet meal, it will also appeal to lovers of natural wines in search of unique discoveries.

CC Blanc 2022,

Patrick Bouju

Auvergne Chardonnay in its finest expression
With the CC 2022 vintage, Patrick Bouju offers a natural Chardonnay produced with respect for the volcanic terroir of the Auvergne region. Vinified using direct pressing and aged for 15 months in stainless steel vats, this wine captures the purity and energy of the region's clay-limestone and basalt soils.

Tasting: Defined elegance
The CC 2022 seduces with its delicate aromas of white fruits, citrus fruits, and vine flowers. On the palate, a beautiful liveliness is balanced by a subtle roundness. The finish, saline and mineral, reflects the unique character of the Auvergne terroir.

Food and wine pairing: subtlety and finesse
This Chardonnay will pair perfectly with grilled fish, seafood or creamy dishes like a parmesan risotto. It can also enhance soft cheese or roast poultry.

Aging potential
Enjoy it now, but it can also be kept for up to 5 years, to gain depth and complexity.

Magnum Cuvée 0.72+ (exclusive cuvée) White 2019,

De Vini

A natural and bold tribute to the Melon de Bourgogne
Christophe Bosque's Cuvée 0.72+ White 2019 is an elegant reinvention of the Melon de Bourgogne, the emblematic Muscadet grape variety. Although classified as a Vin de France, this natural wine, produced from vines grown on gabbro soils in the heart of the Nantes region, offers a sensory experience close to the best Muscadets, while freeing itself from the constraints of the appellation. Fermented without additives or added sulfites, this dry wine is a true expression of the terroir of Maisdon-sur-Sèvre, where gabbro and granite give the wine a remarkable mineral liveliness and depth.

Artisan vinification, traditional aging
Vinified in buried cement vats, according to the traditional method of the region, the Cuvée 0.72+ has benefited from an extended aging of one year on lees. This method gives the wine a silky texture and a unique aromatic complexity. Christophe Bosque, passionate about the expression of the terroir and a follower of natural practices, makes every effort to preserve the authenticity of this vibrant and balanced white.

An ideal companion to seafood
The tasting reveals a clear and bright color, accompanied by a fresh nose where aromas of citrus, green apple and saline notes mingle. On the palate, the wine seduces with its lively acidity, its marked minerality and a slightly iodized finish. Perfect to accompany oysters, raw or smoked fish, as well as seafood, it is ideally enjoyed between 10 and 12°C.

With an aging potential of several years, the Cuvée 0.72+ Blanc 2019 is a rare pearl for lovers of natural and expressive wines, uniting tradition and modernity in a 150 cl bottle perfect for sharing.

Cyprès de Toi Blanc 2023

Fond Cyprès
Discover "Cyprès de Toi 2023" from the Fond Cyprès estate, a natural white wine from Languedoc-Roussillon. Made from Grenache Blanc, this wine expresses the purity of its clay-limestone terroir and traditional winemaking methods that respect the integrity of the fruit.

A Natural and Authentic Vinification
This white wine is the result of direct-press vinification, followed by cold settling. Fermentation and aging take place in stainless steel vats for six months, thus preserving the freshness and liveliness of the Grenache Blanc. The exclusive use of indigenous yeasts underlines Fond Cyprès' minimalist approach, without the addition of additives or filtration. These respectful technical choices result in a wine of great purity, faithfully reflecting the characteristics of its terroir.

A Vibrant and Precise Tasting
To the eye, "Cyprès de Toi" reveals a luminous color with golden highlights, a sign of its youth and vitality. On the nose, fresh citrus aromas assert themselves with finesse, evoking lemon, grapefruit, and slightly floral notes. On the palate, the attack is frank and thirst-quenching, with a beautiful mineral tension that extends into a lively and refreshing finish. The balance between acidity and silky texture makes it a precise and harmonious wine, perfect for accompanying convivial moments.

Food and Wine Pairing
"Cyprès de Toi" pairs wonderfully with grilled fish, seafood, or summer salads. Its freshness and elegance also make it an ideal companion for a refined aperitif. Serve it between 10 and 12 degrees to fully appreciate its aromatic nuances.

Ageing and Serving
With an aging potential of 5 to 10 years, this wine can be enjoyed now for its freshness or waited to reveal more complex aromas. It does not require decanting.

Pause Rouge 2020

Les Chais du Port de la Lune
Pause is an organic and natural red wine vinified in Bordeaux by the Chais du Port de la Lune, a merchant winery. Like all of this estate's vintages, it is a blend whose name refers to a musical theme. Pause is classified as a Vin de France. A relatively old vintage, this is a rare cuvée, as it comes from a small yield.

Vinification
Pause, from the Chais du Port de la Lune, is a blend of Carignan from Limoux, Gamay from Beaujolais (Côtes-de-Brouilly) and Syrah from the Hautes Corbières.

Tasting
Freshness and liveliness characterize this natural red wine. It is balanced, digestible, fruity, powerful and intense. Robust and concentrated, it will keep for several years. It will go well with red meats, charcuterie, cured meats, and will be admirable as an aperitif.

Learn more about the Chais du Port de la Lune
Under this poetic name hides a wine merchant house run by two oenologist partners, Laurent and Annica. The winemaking and aging cellars are located in the same place, in Bacalan, a northern district of Bordeaux that has undergone massive renovation in recent years, including the construction of the Cité internationale du Vin.

All the terroirs of France
Bordeaux, of course, but also Frontonnais, Anjou, Beaujolais… The grapes come from everywhere, harvested from partner winegrowers working organically. They are transported to Bordeaux to be vinified and aged. This gives rise to atypical blends and varied vintages, each of which is a discovery.

Organic, artisanal and urban wine
All the grapes are organic, the winemaking methods are gentle and natural (adding inputs in small quantities and as a last resort), often natural (no addition of sulfites). Crushing is done by foot and pressing in a vertical press. Fine craftsmanship for pure and honest wines, as representative of their winegrowers and their terroirs as of an innovative approach in the ancient city of wine.

Riesling Blanc 2022

Domaine Einhart
Riesling from Domaine Einhart is, as its name suggests, a dry white wine made from 100% Riesling from the Alsace region, organic (Ecocert) and natural, classified as a Vin de France. Riesling, the lord of Eastern European grape varieties, finds here an expression worthy of its nobility.

Vinification
The twenty-five-year-old Riesling vines from Domaine Einhart grow on the muschelkalk (oolitic limestone) soils of the Kreutzweg area. The grapes are harvested by hand and then pressed directly. Fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts. Aging on fine lees is ten months in century-old beer barrels (an Alsatian specialty) and precedes bottling without filtration. From the vine to the cellar, Riesling was produced without any additives or sulfites.

Tasting
A beautiful orange-yellow color. The first nose is very delicate, slightly musky, with notes of grapefruit and dandelion flower. The second nose is fresher and mineral with aromas of thyme, aromatic herbs, and flint. The palate begins with vivacity and a beautiful verticality, a minerality typical of limestone. The finish is persistent and saline. Decanting is recommended so that Riesling can spread its wings and express its mineral notes. You can serve this gem from the Einhart estate with any kind of dish; it is easy-going, but it also pairs well with cheese, roast poultry, sauerkraut, or smoked fish.

Learn more about the Einhart estate
In the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, the Einhart estate is a ten-hectare family estate whose vines grow in 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.

Pet Nat White 2020,

Domaine Einhart

A pinkish-amber color, plenty of freshness, roundness, and fruitiness, with superb, delicious, and fresh bubbles! The expression of the limestone from the Muschelkalk soils is perfect, with a magnificent salinity on the palate. We expected no less from the Einhart estate and its mastery of macerated whites, but also from its experience with sparkling wines, crémant being a local expertise. This natural sparkling wine, subtitled "pure grape," presents itself boldly, without apostrophe. It is made from 70% Sylvaner and 30% Gewurztraminer, grape varieties grown on the property, hand-harvested and destemmed. No additives are added to the vineyard or the winery. The vines, averaging thirty years old, grow on Muschelkalk limestone soils located in Weingarten and Oberer Altenberg. Vinification, plot-by-plot and entirely gravity-fed, begins with a four-day maceration for each grape variety, with indigenous yeasts. The wine spends twelve months on slats before disgorging.

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 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.

Le Carignan de la Source Rouge 2021

Fond Cyprès
Languedoc to the tips of its nails, delicate, dense, and fresh, fruity and generous, all freshness and delicacy: a beautiful, lively and spicy bottle, with lovely notes of leather and undergrowth, and well-integrated tannins that don't attack the palate. Coming from a sixty-year-old limestone-marl Carignan plot, this wine, after hand-harvesting and destemming, is fermented for four weeks in concrete vats. The wine is then aged for twelve months in old demi-muid (barrels of 500 to 650 liters) which has the quality of not oaking the wine but ensuring a comfortable, gentle aging. With its ripe and evolved tannins, this classified Vin de France cru offers great aging potential, but we can already start drinking it. A lively bottle, to be paired with everything that the Western Mediterranean coast (Languedoc, Roussillon, Catalonia, Valencia region, etc.) has to offer. We obviously don't forget the region east of the Rhône: Provençal, Italian, Greek cuisines, etc. Keep for around ten years.

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 wanted to obtain entirely natural wines, concentrates of terroir. In the old Corbières massif, they took over an old heart of the estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache, which had not seen any fertilizer or pesticides for years: these clean and living soils were 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 signature of the soil. Deliciously balanced between mineral imprint, plant environment, and fruit expression, the wines of Fond Cyprès reflect the South of France: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.

La Syrah de la Pinède Rouge 2021

Fond Cyprès
Dense, full-bodied, and generous, this Syrah is ready to drink but can still wait. Classified as a Vin de France, 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 which 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.

Foresta Blanc 2021

La Vinicola di Antonio Gismondi
From the outset, the palette is admired: a beautiful, intense amber color, and notes of bitter orange marmalade, spices, and fresh sage on both the nose and palate. Foresta is a powerful and robust wine, yet nuanced and sensitive. Marked by maceration, this orange wine offers a veritable explosion of tropical notes and warm spices on the nose, followed by a vibrant, mineral finish and a strong, dense body. Notes of orange peel, dried apricot, and ripeness are evident: this is more of an autumnal wine than a springtime one. Within the Azienda Gismondi repertoire, it represents the robust and structured side of the winery, while exhibiting the purity and freshness that characterize the estate. It comes from a site a little away from the azienda, at a lower altitude, where the Trebbiano Rosa grape variety grows on heavily clayey soils. This terroir, slightly heavier than that of the estate itself, gives the wine a denser, more intensely flavorful nuance that distinguishes it from wines produced at higher altitudes. Trebbiano Rosa makes up 50% of the blend, with Malvasia di Candia making up the remaining half. The manually harvested grapes macerate on the skins for two weeks in open-topped fiberglass vats, then, after pressing, the wine is transferred to stainless steel vats for aging for six to eight months. Bottled without filtration, sulfite, or additives.

Find out more

Antonio and Anabel Gismondi's azienda is located in Cerreto Sanita, in the Benevento region of Campania. A microclimate gives this area an almost continental feel: humid winds from the Tyrrhenian Sea collide with the first ramparts of the Apennine chain, causing condensation in the air and lowering temperatures, which are significantly cooler and more humid than on the coast. If we add a thermal inversion phenomenon between day and night, common in the Apennine climate, the freshness of the wines from the Antonio Gismondi estate is nothing mysterious in this southern Italy, which is nevertheless known for its very hot climate. The estate is family-run: for generations, the Gismondi family has cultivated vines and made wine using the most traditional and natural methods, to which are added biodynamic techniques. For a long time, of the fifteen tons of grapes produced each year, one ton was reserved for vinification on site for family consumption, the rest going to the local wine cooperative. It was the meeting with Massimo Marchiori and Antonella of Partida Creus [link] that led Antonio and his wife Anabel to decide to start producing their own natural wines from the entire harvest. The two-hectare vineyard is located between 350 and 380 meters above sea level, on clay, loam, and stony soils, with two-thirds facing south, planted with vines around six years old. The rest faces southwest and corresponds to the Pietre and Cerreto cuvées, with vines thirty years old. The grape varieties are Merlot, Freisa, and Sangiovese for the reds, and Falanghina and Malvasia di Candia for the whites.

Cerreto Blanc 2021

La Vinicola di Antonio Gismondi
The nose is marked by citrus (lemon zest), as is the palate: the citrus lingers, the minerality asserts itself. Cerreto, named in homage to the town where it was born, will be a good companion to seafood, shellfish, and raw fish. It is a lively and fresh white wine with a pale yellow color and an acidic, lemony nose with notes of white flowers: gardenia, jasmine, and orange blossom. Cerreto is made entirely from Malvasia di Candia vines, a grape variety also known as Uva di Cerreto. It is a very old local grape variety, even said to be indigenous, a clone of Malvasia di Candia. The vines grow on clay-limestone plots facing southwest. The harvest, carried out manually, undergoes a skin maceration of four or five days in stainless steel vats, followed by pressing and aging for six to ten months, also in stainless steel vats to preserve the purity of the fruit. No sulfites are added, no filtration.

Find out more

Antonio and Anabel Gismondi's azienda is located in Cerreto Sanita, in the Benevento region of Campania. A microclimate gives this area an almost continental feel: humid winds from the Tyrrhenian Sea collide with the first ramparts of the Apennine mountain range, causing condensation in the air and lowering temperatures, which are significantly cooler and more humid than on the coast. If we add a phenomenon of thermal inversion between day and night, common in the Apennine climate, the freshness of the wines from the Antonio Gismondi estate is nothing mysterious in this southern Italy, which is nevertheless known for its very hot climate. The estate is family-run: for generations, the Gismondi family has cultivated vines and made wine using the most traditional and natural methods, to which biodynamic techniques are added. For a long time, of the fifteen tons of grapes produced each year, one ton was reserved for on-site vinification for family consumption, the rest going to the local wine cooperative. It was the meeting with Massimo Marchiori and Antonella de Partida Creus [link] that decided Antonio and his wife Anabel to start producing natural wines at home from the entire harvest. The two-hectare vineyard is located between 350 and 380 meters above sea level, on clay, loam, and stony soils, with two-thirds facing south, planted with vines around six years old. The rest faces southwest and corresponds to the Pietre and Cerreto cuvées, with vines thirty years old. The grape varieties are Merlot, Freisa and Sangiovese for the reds, and Falanghina and Malvasia di Candia for the whites.

Oolithe Blanc 2021

Domaine Einhart
Named in homage to its shell limestone soil, Oolithe is a macerated white wine with a lovely pale apricot color. It immediately reveals a beautiful minerality, great freshness, and the integrity of its predominant grape variety, Sylvaner. The olfactory sensation is enhanced by aromas of fresh apple. 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 silty muschelkalk soil from which it is sourced (plots located in Weingarten and Oberer Altenberg). The four grape varieties that make up this wine grow on this soil: Sylvaner (30%), Auxerrois (25%), Gewurztraminer (20%) and Pinot Blanc (25%). The average age of the vines is forty-five years; the grapes come from old massal selections. The harvest, entirely manual, is destemmed, and maceration, on indigenous yeasts, takes place for a few days. The wine is aged on fine lees, in stainless steel vats, before being bottled without filtration. From the vineyard to the cellar, this wine was made without any additives or sulfites. Decanting is recommended so that it can fully express its floral grace.

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Located in the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, horizontally above Strasbourg, the Einhart estate is a ten-hectare family property whose vines are located on the hillsides that rise between the Alsace plain and the Vosges mountains. The soil is clay-limestone and rich in fossils (muschelkalk, i.e. shell limestone and oolitic limestone, and lettenkohle or dolomitic limestone). Since 1990, Nicolas Einhart has been at the helm, now assisted by his son Théo. Faithful to his commitments to the TIFLO association, of which he is a co-founder, Nicolas devotes his viticultural work to the protection of the land and biodiversity, winemaking without inputs, the refusal of harmful phytosanitary products and the maintenance of ecological refuge zones. His estate has been certified organic since 2011. Like Jean-Marc Dreyer [link], he is firmly focused on skin maceration and produces white maceration wines (orange wines) in addition to a Pinot Noir red. Entirely manual harvests, destemming of the grapes, light punching down and delicate pressing are characteristic of the estate, as well as the separate vinification of each terroir, aging on lees and the absence of filtration before bottling. The wines are pure grape, lively, powerful, invigorating, and transcribe the minerality of the very beautiful terroirs of the Vosges foothills.

Beaujolais Village P'tit Grobis Blanc 2021,

Nicolas Chemarin
The sensations offered by this organic and natural white Beaujolais-Villages are complex and difficult to summarize: first, on the nose and palate, the lactic, buttery, and yeasty notes are very present. The fresh acidity is accompanied by flint, notes of white flowers, and a youthful expressiveness. The minerality of this wine is remarkable. Drinking young, it expresses its youth well, and a little age reveals white fruits, a slight richness, and sweet notes. Vinified entirely from granitic Chardonnay as it should be, this white counterpart to the red cuvée P’tit Grobis offers a pale opalescent yellow color. The harvest is directly pressed, followed by settling that does not rob the wine of all its fine lees, hence a slightly cloudy color. It will pair with many dishes; it is also one of the rare wines that can be recommended with vegetarian cuisine.

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Nicolas Chemarin, nicknamed P’tit Grobis as a resident of Marchampt (Beaujolais), is the fourth generation of winemakers on his family vineyard in the Beaujolais-Villages appellation, on a land full of stones where he crafts wines of surprising depth and sincerity. It was in 2005 that he took over two hectares of vines from his father and in 2006 that he signed his first vintages. In 2008, he acquired other vineyards and decided to devote himself solely to his estate, whose very steep terroir consists of poor, rocky soils on gray granite rock. The vines rest on the bedrock through very thin soil, and their roots plunge deep into the rock. Depending on the configuration of the soil, the vines are pruned in goblet form or raised on stakes. Their average age is eighty years. The grape varieties, Gamay and Chardonnay, are classically Beaujolais. Nicolas also cultivates two other terroirs in the Régnié appellation: Les Bullats, with light, filtering sandy soils, and La Haute Ronze, very close to Morgon, whose deeper, clayey soils produce full-bodied wines. The wines undergo long macerations (from 18 to 30 days) with punching down and temperature control (Nicolas works cold, around 20 °C). The aging is partially done in thermoregulated concrete vats for a third, the remaining two thirds being spent in barrels of four to ten wines in order to provide oxygenation but little or no woody sensation. Nicolas Chemarin is already well known in the natural world for his sweet and fruity vintages, wines for pleasure, and for vintages from difficult and magnificent terroirs, endowed with admirable and complex mineral, aromatic and spicy notes.

Cyprès de Toi Rosé 2021,

Cyprès Base
A pretty, soft salmon pink color, reminiscent of wild strawberries, but make no mistake: this rosé won't sing you a lullaby. Powerful and assertive, perfectly dry, beautifully balanced between fruit and acidity, it hasn't forgotten its original Malbec, from which it is produced using direct pressing. If you serve it very chilled on a very hot day, you'll be grateful, because that's its purpose. Lively, tangy, and full of character, it can be drunk on any occasion and at any time of day.

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This Corbières 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 wanted to obtain entirely natural wines, concentrates of terroir. In the heart of the old Corbières massif, they took over an old heart of an estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache, which had seen neither fertilizer nor pesticides for years: these clean and living soils were 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. 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 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 signature of the soil. Deliciously balanced between mineral imprint, plant environment, and fruit expression, the wines of Fond Cyprès reflect the South of France: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.

P'tit Grobis Rouge 2020,

Nicolas Chemarin
Fruity, mineral, and taut, P'tit Grobis rouge is a wine of incredible vitality, capable of converting even the most reluctant to Beaujolais. This is Nicolas's most personal cuvée, which he named after his local nickname. One hundred percent Gamay in the Beaujolais-Villages appellation, a gurgling, elegant wine, it represents the Gamay Noir with white juice at its most enjoyable.

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Nicolas Chemarin, nicknamed "P'tit Grobis" as a resident of Marchampt (Beaujolais), is the fourth generation of winemaker on his family wine estate in the Beaujolais-Villages appellation, on stony land where he crafts wines of surprising depth and sincerity. In 2005, he took over two hectares of his father's vines and in 2006 he produced his first vintages. In 2008, he acquired other vines and decided to devote himself solely to his estate, whose very steep terroir consists of poor, rocky soils on gray granite rock. The vines rest on the bedrock through very thin soil, and their roots plunge deep into the rock. Depending on the configuration of the soil, the vines are pruned in goblet or raised on stakes. Their average age is eighty years. The grape varieties, Gamay and Chardonnay, are classically Beaujolais. Nicolas also cultivates two other terroirs in the Régnié appellation: Les Bullats, with light, filtering sandy soils, and La Haute Ronze, very close to Morgon, whose deeper, clayey soils produce full-bodied wines. The vintages undergo long macerations (from 18 to 30 days) with punching down and temperature control (Nicolas works cold, around 20°C). The aging is done partially in thermoregulated concrete vats for a third, the remaining two thirds passing into barrels of four to ten wines in order to provide oxygenation but little or no woody sensation. Nicolas Chemarin is already very well known in the natural world for his sweet and fruity vintages, wines of pleasure, and for vintages from difficult and magnificent terroirs, provided with admirable and complex mineral, aromatic and spicy notes.

VNR Red 2019,

Partida Creus
The 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. For them, it's not just a matter of heritage rescue, 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-gravel soils, poor and poorly irrigated, where the vines suffer to give their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic viticulture, entirely manual and natural in order to give new life to these wines. Vinyater, sumoll, garrut, monastrell, ull de perdiu, ull de llebre, sumoll, queixal de llop, cariñena, trepat, subirat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel.lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel.lo: it is a true conservatory of 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 exclamations of joy.
VN, Vinel·lo, is a particularly successful blend of native grape varieties: it is composed of Samsó (Cinsault), Garrut (Mourvèdre), Trepat, Ull de Perdiu, Queixal de Llop, Sumoll and Grenache Noir, harvested on predominantly limestone soils. Vinification is done individually according to the varieties. No filtration, no additives, no added sulfites. A supple and hyperfruity classic "à la Jura", an everyday wine, easy to drink, with a beautiful fresh expression and notes of pomegranate.