Gift Ideas for Rookies

Bergeron Ergastoline White - 2019

Patrick Bouju

For this 100% Bergeron (another name for Roussanne) from Savoie terroirs, the vinification is by Patrick Bouju and the label by Aurélien Lefort. Skin-on maceration with finesse, great polish and complexity. A rare bottle full of character, one to be enjoyed.

Cyprès de Toi Red 2022

Fond Cyprès

An ode to the southern grape varieties, a beautiful, dense, and deep red from Languedoc. Its freshness and density also make it a thirst-quenching wine that also performs very well with food. Cyprès de Toi Rouge is to be enjoyed in all circumstances; it is a wine for all occasions. Very drinkable, straightforward, and structured, it is the result of a blend of the estate's young vines: Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan, destemmed and vinified separately with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats, a traditional method in the Corbières. This fermentation and aging method owes its total absence of oak, allowing for a very pure fruity experience. No inputs are used in the vineyard, the winery, or the bottling process. This is practiced all year round, as the estate keeps the juices in vats: the idea is that there is never a shortage. It will be an ideal companion for Iberian ham, red or white meats, duck, and all grilled dishes.

To find out more

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 want to obtain entirely natural wines, concentrates of terroir. In the heart of the old Corbières massif, they took over an old estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache vines, which had not seen any fertilizer or pesticides for years: these clean and vibrant soils were 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 assessed 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.

Cuvée 0.72+ (exclusive cuvée) white 2019

De Vini

0.72+ is a dry white wine produced by Christophe Bosque of De Vini, organic and natural, without any added sulfites or chemical additives. It comes directly from the Muscadet region, the Loire estuary. While it doesn't carry the Muscadet appellation (it's a Vin de France), it can be considered a Muscadet and enjoyed as such.

In the vineyard and in the winery

0.72+ Blanc de De Vini is made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne (another name for the Muscadet grape variety) grown in Maisdon-sur-Sèvre (Loire-Atlantique) on gabbro soils characteristic of the region. Gabbro is a granular igneous rock resting on a granite subsoil, and this produces splendid, vibrant, and mineral white wines. Gabbro and granite are Vinilibre's preferred soils and constitute a precious viticultural heritage. The wine was aged for one year in buried cement tanks (traditional in this region), on its lees, without any additives.

If you want to know…

The name of the cuvée comes from an anecdote: originally, due to a minor technical glitch during bottling, it didn't contain exactly the standard quantity. The error has since been corrected (0.72+ de De Vini is now in its fourth vintage).

Tasting

Let's hear from the winemaker: "It tastes divine!" Three years in the bottle have only served to polish, refine, and enhance it. "The older the gabbro, the better it is," its creator also confides. This wine is excellent to drink now or later, well chilled. An elegant acidity blended with a balancing roundness, a saline and mouthwatering character make 0.72+ an unfailing companion to raw seafood, oysters, sashimi and sushi, fish tartares and carpaccios, or smoked fish. This cuvée is also available in red.

Learn more about Christophe Bosque and De Vini

De Vini, along with the Vinilibre wine trading business, is the multifaceted venture of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. Wine has always been his passion. We are particularly interested in his local creations, made from grapes grown on his two-hectare vineyard and fermented in a traditional Nantes-style underground vat—a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in a natural style.

Gabbro melt

After years working as a wine merchant, importer, and then winemaker, this former cameraman, who holds a vocational diploma in oenology and viticulture, acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in 2017 in Gorges, Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson. The soils there consist of gabbro on a granite subsoil, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe is full of praise for this type of soil.

Muscadet, but better

Christophe's wines may be made from grapes sourced from the finest French terroirs, particularly in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a special affection for his own vines, which he tends with passion and a deep respect for the terroir. His labels and appellations reveal a touch of humor and a flair for the pun, but inside the bottle, it's serious business: wines off the beaten path, just the way he likes them.

Munjebel White 2020,

Frank Cornelissen

The white version of the Munjebel cuvée combines beautiful concentration, freshness, and oriental aromas: orange blossom, jasmine, and dried apricot. Produced on mid-altitude plots from equal parts Grecanico Dorato and Carricante, in the Calderara, Borriglione, Crasà, and Picciolo plots, this white wine is extremely mature. The vines are over forty years old; the grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed, and macerated for about four days. No fining, no sulfiting, and lightly filtered before bottling. This wine will pair with an almost infinite variety of dishes, meat and fish, oysters and shellfish, and all Asian cuisines.

To find out more
A great must-have and universally respected figure in natural wine, Frank Cornelissen is a classic. This man of constant questioning lives in human and cosmic resonance with his contrasting terroir: he has demonstrated that the powerful minerality of a great volcanic soil could be highlighted by the naturalness of his wines. The brilliance, the directness and the exquisite fruitiness of his vintages earn him the admiration even of those reluctant to go "natural". They are good initiation wines.
His Sicilian azienda is located in Passopisciaro, in the northern Etna valley. It is, he says, the "Night Coast" of Etna for the great diversity of its wines spread over many locations (contrade) at different altitudes. The climate is continental and harsh, even snowy, in winter, but very warm and sunny from June to September. The altitude gives the wines tension and elegance. The vines coexist with a Mediterranean polyculture: olive trees, almond trees, vegetable gardens... (Frank also produces olive oil). The age of the vines ranges from forty years to over one hundred years. The plots, nineteen in number, on twenty-four hectares in total, are all at altitude, between 600 and 900 meters, on several volcanic flows. They are all vinified separately: Frank decides on the blend based on the quality of the wines from each plot. In general, seven or eight vintages are made in addition to the generic wines (rosé, basic red and white). The soils are made up of different types of basalt, between powder and rock, with perfect drainage that allows for the production of concentrated and fine wines.
Nerello Mascalese dominates the estate's grape varieties. This great traditional red grape variety from the northern valley of Etna is the only grape variety used in the great vintages. Its growing cycle is long, which allows the vine to work the soil and capture its minerality in the fruit. Other grape varieties include: Nerello Capuccio, Minella Bianco, Minella Nera, Alicante Bouschet, Malvasia, Cattaratto, Moscadella, Grecanico Dorato, Carricante…

Smack Rouge 2022

Nicolas Chemarin
The SMACK cuvée is a Culinaries exclusive, produced by Nicolas Chemarin using 100% Gamay. This Beaujolais Villages red wine reveals aromas of fresh red fruits and a supple texture on the palate. It pairs perfectly with light dishes such as andouillette, white meats, and charcuterie.

The SMACK cuvée is vinified using traditional methods, including a 15-day semi-carbonic maceration in a Morgon vat with the grapes whole, followed by aging in a concrete vat for 8 months. The region's terroir is characterized by granite and clay-limestone soils, which is reflected in its character.

Le Grenache du Bois Saint Jaume Rouge 2019,

Fond Cyprès
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 our style, wines with character, rooted in our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They aim to produce entirely natural wines, concentrated expressions of terroir. In the heart of the old Corbières massif, they took over an old estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache vines, which had not seen any fertilizer or pesticides for years: these clean and vibrant soils were 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 assessed 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, 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, Fond Cyprès wines reflect the South: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.
This Grenache comes from a sandy plot of sixty-year-old vines surrounded by a forest. It is aged between nine and twelve months in old 228-liter barrels. Fresh, very supple, balanced, it is to drink or to keep. It is another example of Fond Cyprès' "forest" wines, marked not only by their grape varieties but also by the wooded and windy environment that refreshed the growth of the grapes. Delicate and velvety, this wine offers beautifully blended tannins and a magnificent balance.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Alexandre Blanc 2018,

Sous le Végétal
Alexandre is the latest addition to the Sous le Végétal series, a (successful) experiment conducted on the island of Samos (an archipelago in the eastern Aegean Sea) by the team of two winemakers, Patrick Bouju and Jason Ligas. This series, distributed exclusively by Culinaries, is organized around the revival of the island's dry-vinified vineyards, thus around the island's endemic Muscat à Petit Grain, as well as Avgoustiatis red grape vines. This Alexandre is a dry white wine that differs slightly from what the project has produced so far, as it is composed 100% of the Asyrtiko grape variety, a magnificent white grape variety indigenous to the Greek islands whose primary origin is the volcanic island of Santorini. It is present in other territories of Greece, island or not, and is particularly happy on volcanic soils where it faithfully transmits the mineral richness. It is thus also found on the island of Samos, where it superbly expresses the nature of the quartz and schist soils. The harvest is directly pressed, the aging is one year in stainless steel vats, concrete eggs and neutrally heated barrels. Alexandre is a joyful and slightly exuberant wine which offers the typical notes of asyrtiko at good maturity - notably bergamot, which is a distinctive mark of the grape variety, and candied lemon - placed on a beautiful mineral framework with a saline finish which is a common trait of the white cuvées of Sous le Végétal. It would be difficult to list the possible taste pairings with this wine, let's say that it corresponds to the adage "everything that is very good goes with everything that is very good". However, we will taste with it the whole assortment of mezedes of the Greco-Levantine tradition.



The design of the label of this bottle was created by the artist Fabrice Loiseau: Geimyo 鯨妙



To find out more
Beneath the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team of friends gathered around the winemakers Jason Ligas and Patrick Bouju. The successful venture marks a renaissance for the ancient vineyards of this island in the North Aegean Sea, which owes its dense, wooded vegetation to various nicknames received in Antiquity, from Dryoussa (“covered with oaks”) to Kyparissia (“covered with cypresses”) and Melamphyllos (“With dark foliage”). This natural wealth covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks, including basalts, limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron, etc. The idea was born from Jason’s meeting with the Samos Wine Cooperative. Patrick Bouju soon joined the project. The five vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia, Alexandre, and Auguste—are produced on around sixty plots of Samos Muscat à petits grains (as well as Avgoustiatis for the red cuvée and Asyrtiko for Alexandre), between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. Each plot is vinified separately. For vinification, four types of containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats, and 500-liter barrels. Each lieu-dit is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black bottles sealed with wax. No sulfur is added, no filtration: the winemakers of Samos rediscover wine as it was made in their childhood. This is one of the wonders of natural wine: it allows, through the most innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the A la Natural cuvées by Patrick Bouju.

Coince ta bulle Sparkling Rosé 2022

Château Frédignac
"A true delight, we can say: this pet' nat' is worthy of rivaling the blockbusters of the genre. A lovely pale amber-salmon color, unfiltered; a label evoking the crispness and fullness of a grape berry: Coince ta bulle is a natural sparkling rosé wine from Château Frédignac, in other words a Crémant Bordeaux in the Vin de France category produced in the Blaye-Côtes-de-Bordeaux appellation. This lovely, fresh, lively, joyful, and festive wine, with light notes of red fruits, is well on its way to becoming a pet' nat' classic. One hundred percent Merlot, obtained by a brief maceration on the skins of the destemmed harvest, it is a fruity delight, both round and dry, whose fine bubbles are made to accompany all kinds of tasty foods in a friendly atmosphere. It is a magnificent gastronomic wine that lends itself to all pairings. Don't miss Coince ta bulle.

To find out more
Château Frédignac, a 100% organic estate (Nature & Progrès), is located in the Blaye-Côtes-de-Bordeaux appellation, very close to the small town of Blaye, practically on the banks of the Gironde. Founded in 1918 by Jean-Marie L’Amouller, a Breton sailor who found happiness on the right bank of the estuary — which is called “the River” here — it became a quality wine estate a few years later by absorbing the vineyard of a property with a centuries-old reputation, Château Saugeron. The appellation is best known for its velvety, deep red wines, in which Château Frédignac excels. But the achievements of this wine estate dedicated to respecting the terroir and virtuous agricultural practices do not end there: an organic white is produced, as well as several natural cuvées of various colors, from pet'nat'rosé to still red. The red grape varieties are typical of the appellation — the two Cabernets, Franc and Sauvignon; Merlot, Carménère and Côt (Malbec) — and the whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon) are similar. The clay-limestone soils promote both soil drainage and their beneficial freshness for the vines. Combined with methods that are deeply respectful of the soil, plants, animals and winemaking, these pedological conditions allow the Château Frédignac team to be proud of its wines: as worthy of their local tradition as they are in keeping with the desire to work as closely as possible to the natural.
fresh, fruity, fine bubbles, festive, joyful, pleasant, strawberry, raspberry, red fruits
"

TN Tinto Natural Red 2021

Partida Creus
Powerful and structured, TN Tinto Natural offers beautiful tannins on the palate. It carries notes of undergrowth, white pepper, smoke, and dried hay, with a curious yeasty note. It is a very fine blend of Sumoll, Ull de Llebre, and Bobal that produces a solid yet fluid table wine, crisp and fruity (black fruits), enhanced with earthy and smoky notes. Excellent gurgling, a wine for friends, the owner's cuvée, full of sunshine and personality. TN Tinto Natural comes from old vines growing on clay-limestone soils. Maceration is carried out in whole bunches for four or five days, and fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in oak barrels. The wine also ages there for ten months and spends another month in stainless steel vats before being bottled without filtration or fining (or the addition of sulfites, of course). An excellent red wine for every day.

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

A Freux Blanc 2016

La Sorga
For this cuvée, Grenache Blanc from the Hérault Valley macerates whole bunches for 45 days in vats. It is also aged in vats for 12 months. Its notes of mandarin, beeswax, and white peach will pair well with hard or blue cheeses. Aging potential: 10 years.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Pairs with: Strong cheeses, Hard cheeses, Mature cheeses, Charcuterie

Grande Pestilence Red 2017

Domaine La Sorga

To make this blend of Cinsault and Grenache grown on schist soils in the Faugères appellation area, the Cinsault macerates whole bunches for sixty days with the partially destemmed Grenache, before aging for one year in vats. Its notes of white pepper, rose, and peony will complement grilled meats, charcuterie, and spicy terrines.
Aging potential: ten years.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Pairs with: Terrines and pâtés, Red meats, Grilled meats

G&M White 2022,

Patrick Bouju

G&M (Grenache-Muscat and many other things) is an organic and natural dry white wine produced in Auvergne by Patrick Bouju, a maceration cuvée without added sulfites, vinified from grapes from Languedoc and Auvergne. It demonstrates all the winemaker's expertise through organic white grape varieties from various sources. Classified as a Vin de France, this is a very complete wine, adaptable to all occasions.

In the vineyard and in the cellar

To obtain G&M, Patrick Bouju blended Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Viognier from Pézenas, Muscat d'Alexandrie from Canet-en-Roussillon, Ugni Blanc and Grenache Gris from Pinet in Languedoc, and finally Chardonnay from Auvergne from his own vineyards. This is a maceration cuvée vinified in vats and terracotta amphorae.

Tasting

G&M offers a superb balance between opulence, perfume, liveliness and acidity. It is a rich and complex orange wine in its blend which is similar to the grand écart in the variety of provenances which in no way compromise the unity of the vintage, harmonized by aging in vats and terracotta. It goes with everything, including White Meats, poultry, fish, hot starters, mature cheeses or flaky pastries.

Learn more about Patrick Bouju and the La Bohème estate

Near Billom, the Auvergne Tuscany, once covered in vines, is the privileged domain of Gamay d'Auvergne, an ancient strain of the grape variety. It is here, on these volcanic soils, that Patrick Bouju works, mainly with old vines.

Viticulture and trade

Patrick breathes new life into the often abandoned terroirs of Puy-de-Dôme and its indigenous grape varieties. Under the La Bohème estate, he operates as a wine merchant using purchased organic grapes. His exclusive Culinaries partnerships are famous: with Action Bronson for the series A la Natural, with Jason Ligas in Greece for Sous le Végétal…

A winemaker who lends a helping hand

The current renaissance of the Auvergne vineyard (which was once the third largest in France) owes a lot to Patrick. The fact that he likes to lend a hand to his winemaker friends in France and elsewhere only confirms his image as a role model, a leader. Its noble, chiseled, distinguished, never trivial wines are immediately recognizable in the glass.

Cuvée Yard Rouge 2019,

Jean Louis Pinto
This cuvée was specially created for YARD by Jean-Louis Pinto! A supple, drinkable yet complex red wine, perfect for dinner parties. The grapes come from three different terroirs: the clay-limestone soils of Campagnac, northwest of Gaillac; the clay-limestone soils of Saint-Jean-Laseille (Perpignan); and the Villafranchian limestone gravel of Adissan, north of Pézenas. The blend is composed of Braucol, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Colombard. All the grape varieties are vinified separately with a whole-bunch maceration of approximately twenty days (depending on the grape variety) and blended after aging. This is carried out in stainless steel or epoxy resin vats.

To find out more
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 (“It’s, it’s from here”) that he gave to his winemaking business, located in Moulin-Neuf, a town near Aude, between Mirepoix and Limoux. A region where vines once abounded, until the major mildew attacks at the beginning of the 20th century. Jean-Louis buys grapes grown organically by other winegrowers, his friends, in whom he has complete confidence. He doesn’t just buy the product, he monitors the fruit set, the ripening, and makes regular visits until August, in order to know the grapes before harvesting them. He vinifies it at home using natural methods, practicing long macerations with whole bunches. A three-week maceration is common for him, as are very gentle pressings in a vertical press. He says he has "a lot of vines in common" with his friend Anthony Tortul (La Sorga, see link). His collection area extends throughout the Languedoc, particularly in the Hérault, around Adissan, Faugères and Saint-Chinian, as well as in the Aude (Limoux) and Tarn (Gaillac), two terroirs that are dear to him. It turns out that the typical Languedoc soils – schist, basalt, pebbles, clay-siliceous – particularly appeal to him for the freshness they give to the wines. "I make wines from the South," he says. "I especially look for terroirs that give freshness, even if the wines have an alcohol content of 14%." » The grape varieties are, of course, typically Languedoc: Grenache, Carignan, Mauzac, Cinsault, Braucol, Duras and Sauvignon. The most powerful reds are made in five terracotta jars, which help him control the extraction and give his wines, he says, "a very crystalline side." The soil, the location, as we understand it, are of the utmost importance to him: once again, the name of his estate Es d'Aqui was not chosen by chance.

Palli et Genesia (exclusive vintage) White 2022

Sous le Végétal

Fine, delicate, fresh, and deliciously muscatel-like, Palli & Genesià is an organic, biodynamic, and natural wine with no additives or sulfites. It is one of five white vintages in the Sous le Végétal series, and, like three others, is made from small-grain Muscat grapes from the island of Samos (an archipelago in the eastern Aegean). It expresses all the minerality of the pink granite soil from which it is made. Palli & Genesià Genesià comes from vines planted near the village of Platanos, pruned en goblet on an old vineyard, abandoned and brought back to life—hence its name, derived from palingenesià, “rebirth” in Greek. The vines are cultivated organically in conversion to permaculture, without any additives in the vineyard or the cellar, and the harvest is manual. As with all other Sous le Végétal cuvée, fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats and terracotta amphorae. The wine is bottled by gravity and sealed with a black beeswax cork. The black glass bottle guarantees aging. Palli & Genesià is the perfect accompaniment to seafood and Eastern Mediterranean meze. You can open it with friends to enjoy tapas or seafood starters: we suggest, for example, preserves from Calle El Tato. Palli & Genesià will also go very well with cheeses, for example the Auvergne tommes and fourmes from Ferme Pradel.

Learn more about Sous le Végétal

Beneath the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages exclusively from Culinaries, created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed Patrick Bouju.

History

Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron... In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.

Grape varieties and vinification

Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis, asyrtiko and a blend of Samos muscat and avgoustiatis. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of winemaking containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats, and 500-liter barrels. Each plot is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black, wax-sealed bottles. No sulfur is added or filtration is performed.

Cuvée 0.72+ (exclusive cuvée) White 2022,

De Vini
0.72+ is a dry, organic, natural white wine made without any added sulfites or chemical additives by Christophe Bosque of De Vini. It comes straight from the land of Muscadet, the Loire estuary. Without having the appellation (it is in Vin de France), it can be considered a muscadet and drunk as such.

In the vineyard and in the cellar
0.72 + white from De Vini is made from 100% melon de Bourgogne (another name for the muscadet grape variety) planted in Maisdon-sur-Sèvre (Loire-Atlantique) on gabbro soils characteristic of the region. Gabbro is an igneous rock with a grainy texture resting on a granite subsoil, and this produces splendid, lively and mineral white wines. Gabbro and granite are Vinilibre's preferred soils and constitute a precious wine-growing heritage. The wine was aged in buried cement vats (traditional in this region) for a year, on lees, without any additives.

If you want to know...
The name of the cuvée comes from an anecdote: originally, due to a small technical incident during bottling, it did not contain exactly the standard quantity. The error has since been corrected (0.72 + of De Vini is in its fourth vintage).

Tasting
Let's hear from the winemaker: "It tastes like the fire of God!" Three years in the bottle have only polished, chiseled, and improved it. "The older the gabbro, the better it is," also confides its author. This wine is excellent to drink now or later, very cold. An elegant acidity mixed with a balancing roundness, a saline and salivating side make 0.72 + an unfailing companion to raw seafood, oysters, sashimi and sushi, fish tartare and carpaccio, or smoked fish. This cuvée also exists in red.

Learn more about Christophe Bosque and De Vini
De Vini, along with the Vinilibre winery, is the multi-faceted business of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. He has always been passionate about wine. We are particularly interested in his local creations, produced from his vineyard of some two hectares and fermented in buried vats in the Nantes style - a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in natural mode.

Gabbro Fondu
After spending years as a merchant, importer, then wine merchant, this former cameraman with a BTS in oenology-viticulture acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in Gorges, in Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson in 2017. The soils there are made up of gabbro on a granite substrate, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe is full of praise for this type of soil.

Muscadet for the better
Christophe's vintages may come from grapes purchased from the best French terroirs, particularly in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a special affection for his vines, which he maintains with passion and attention to the terroir. A touch of humor and a sense of pun can be seen on his labels and in his appellations, but in the bottle, they are serious, off-the-beaten-track wines, just the way he likes them.

L'Arroseur Rosé 2021,

De Vini


L’Arroseur is an atypical rosé with a high drinkability, the kind of wine its creator, Christophe Bosque, calls a "4 X 4," that is, an all-terrain vehicle, equally at home as an aperitif, with a meal, or in any other circumstance. "It's a good conversation wine; it goes with everything," he says. Christophe had once said to himself, "I'll never make a rosé," because he had drunk few that he really liked. For him, a rosé is very hard to make, often with disappointing results. Yet, he made one, and it doesn't disappoint anyone! “You expect a rosé on the palate, but what you get is something completely different, drier and more varietal: it’s one of those wines that, for me, are neither a rosé, nor a white, nor a red. I call them blouge or rouange.” Whichever category you choose, this cuvée is interesting in its own right. It’s a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Colombard, and Grolleau, with a complement of Melon de Bourgogne. “The big surprise,” says Christophe, “was the Colombard, a very acidic grape variety with varietals, which was once used to give aroma to Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne is as neutral as you can get, and that’s precisely what makes it so magical). We blended grape varieties from three different estates, and since it lacked a bit of volume, we added Melon de Bourgogne.” This varietal Colombard paired well with the Cabernet Franc and Merlot. I have no hesitation in saying that this wine is a UFO." All the grape varieties that make up L'Arroseur are pressed directly. The must is fermented in buried vats in the Nantes style, lined with sandstone tiles, and its aging also takes place in vats, on lees. Bottling was done in spring 2022.

To find out more
The De Vini, Vinilibre estate is the multi-faceted business of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. He has always been passionate about wine, and after spending years as a merchant, importer, and then wine merchant, this former cameraman trained in oenology and viticulture acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in Gorges, in Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson, in 2017. The soils there consist of gabbro on a granite substrate, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe's vintages may come from grapes purchased from the best French terroirs, notably in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a particular affection for his vines, which he maintains with passion and attention to the terroir. A touch of humor and a sense of pun can be seen on his labels and in his appellations, but in the bottle, they are serious, off-the-beaten-track wines, just the way he likes them. We are particularly interested in his local creations, produced from his vineyard of some two hectares and fermented in underground vats in the Nantes style - a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in natural mode.

1984 Red 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 was never 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.
This 100% Mencia red (a descendant of the Trousseau) comes from clay-limestone soils very rich in quartz, iron, and slate, at an altitude of around 650 meters in southern El Bierzo. The vines are seventy to ninety years old. The grapes macerate for three to four days in old oak barrels, and the wines are aged for seven months in French oak barrels and tuns. No sulfites are added, no filtration. Dark garnet color, warm slate nose with fruity accents—the marriage of cherry and pebble—a full and juicy palate: a bright wine, perfectly faithful to its terroir. Decanting is recommended.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Narboneta Red 2019

Emilie Mutombo in collaboration with Paolo Carbonera Giani
Full of life and character, Narboneta is a 100% Bobal red, grown on sandy soils by Émilie Mutombo, a winemaker who learned her trade in Catalonia with Partida Creus. This cuvée is made in collaboration with Paolo Carbonera Giani. After a two-week maceration, the wine is aged for eight months in chestnut barrels. Fruity, with round, supple tannins, to be enjoyed with food and good company!
Natural wine with no added sulfites

Mead,

L'Arbre aux Abeilles
L'Arbre aux Abeilles' still dry mead is made from floral, Mediterranean honey from the hills of the Cévennes foothills, where Yves-Élie and Chantal have a few beehives, sedentary like the others. The subtle nose recalls the scent of beehives in summer.

Ah! Ramon!!! Red 2017

La Sorga
Antony Tortul loves old vineyards: he devotes his life to finding them and making wine in them. Just as there are landless shepherds, he can be defined as a landless winemaker, in other words, a wine merchant whose area of ​​activity extends throughout Languedoc and, eastward, as far as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in search of the best terroirs. Born in Foix, with six years of experience as a wine technician and oenologist in various vineyards in the south of France, he created La Sorga in 2008. His enthusiasm leads him on a path made of favorites, and each of these favorites is a vineyard. The result is a dizzying mosaic of natural, lively and spirited wines, which reinvents itself each year with around thirty cuvées per vintage. Few winemakers can include such a variety of grape varieties: the whole of southern France is there with muscats, grenaches, picpoul, mauzac, carignan, cinsault, marsanne, alicante, braucol, duras, viognier, len-de-l’el, and tutti quanti.
Ah! Ramon!!! is a tightly packed blend: Aramon, Cinsault, Terret Bourret, Noir de La Calmette, Alicante Bouschet, but it is clearly the Aramon that dominates. The vines are approaching a century old. The grapes come from Vieussan, in the Saint-Chinian appellation area, on schist soils. All the blended grape varieties macerate for forty days in sandstone jars, almost as an infusion. The average is manually destemmed, and anything less ripe or less attractive is pressed directly. The aging continues in sandstone jars for a year. The profile is empyreumatic (meaning toasted, roasted), distinguished, camphorated, loaded with black cherry, tobacco, garrigue and sweet spices. The palate is very refined with a very Burgundian profile, also smoky and kirsch: characteristics that are ultimately quite typical of Aramon. This wine will be a lovely accompaniment to cooked pasta (lasagna) or lamb chops, but it can do anything. Aging potential: twenty years.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.