Gift Ideas for Rookies

Cyprès de Toi Blanc 2020,

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 want to create entirely natural wines, concentrated terroir. In the heart of the ancient Corbières massif, they are taking over an old estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache grapes, which have seen neither fertilizer nor pesticides for years: these clean, vibrant soils are ideal conditions for launching into natural winemaking. Around this historic heart, they first planted Grenache Noir and Syrah, then a plot of white grape varieties: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne. The estate has been Ecocert certified since 2010 and also complies with the Nature & Progrès charter. The vinification is done without the addition of sulfites or exogenous yeasts. "We make wines for pleasure," say Laetitia and Rodolphe. For them, natural wine is first assessed by taste, from the harvest. The vintages closely follow the plots, the musts are fruity, fluid, and complex. The wines of Fond Cyprès poetically evoke the estate's ecosystem and the vegetation that protects the plots: the pine forests, the shady springs, the beauty of the natural environment that brings freshness to the wines and leaves the soil's signature. Deliciously balanced between mineral imprint, vegetal environment and fruit expression, the wines of Fond Cyprès reflect the South: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.
This all-Grenache shaped by the limestone and blue marl soils of Escales, vinified and aged in stainless steel vats, is a seducer, dazzlingly fresh and delicious enough to evoke the most diverse culinary pairings. Wonderfully balanced, taut and yet affable, it first overturns on the table a basket of white fruits - ripe and crisp nashi pear, cottage garden pear - which quickly give way to exotic notes on the mid-palate: a fine touch of mango and apricot. In the background, wild thyme, thyme, garrigue, a breath of fig leaf and fresh lemon. A broad and generous palette that lends itself to all moments.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

P'tit Grobis Blanc 2019,

Nicolas Chemarin
Nicolas Chemarin, nicknamed P'tit Grobis as a resident of Marchampt (Beaujolais), is the fourth generation of winegrowers on his family 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 produced his first vintages in 2006. In 2008, he acquired additional vines and decided to devote himself solely to his estate, whose very steep terroir consists of poor, rocky soils over gray granite rock. The vines rest on the bedrock through very thin soil, and their roots plunge deep into the rock. Depending on the soil configuration, 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). Aging is partially done in temperature-controlled concrete vats for a third, the remaining two-thirds being spent in barrels of four to ten wines to provide oxygenation but little or no oaky sensation. Nicolas Chemarin is already well-known in the natural world for his delicious and fruity vintages, wines for pleasure, and for vintages from difficult and magnificent terroirs, endowed with admirable and complex mineral, aromatic and spicy notes.
All granitic Chardonnay as it should be, the white counterpart of the P’tit Grobis cuvée offers a pale opalescent yellow color. The harvest goes through direct pressing, followed by settling that does not rob the wine of all its fine lees. The sensations are complex and difficult to summarize: first, on the nose as on the palate, the lactic, yeasty note is present. The fresh acidity is accompanied by flint, notes of white flowers and a youthful expressiveness. Drink young, it expresses its youth well, and a little age reveals white fruits, a light fat and delicious notes.
Natural wine without added sulfites.

P'tit Grobis Rouge 2019,

Nicolas Chemarin
Nicolas Chemarin, nicknamed P'tit Grobis as a resident of Marchampt (Beaujolais), is the fourth generation of winegrowers on his family 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 produced his first vintages in 2006. In 2008, he acquired additional vines and decided to devote himself solely to his estate, whose very steep terroir consists of poor, rocky soils over gray granite rock. The vines rest on the bedrock through very thin soil, and their roots plunge deep into the rock. Depending on the soil configuration, 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). Aging is partially done in temperature-controlled concrete vats for a third, the remaining two-thirds being spent in barrels of four to ten wines to provide oxygenation but little or no oaky sensation. Nicolas Chemarin is already well known in the natural world for his delicious and fruity vintages, wines for pleasure, and for vintages from difficult and magnificent terroirs, endowed with admirable and complex mineral, aromatic and spicy notes.
P’tit Grobis rouge is a wine of incredible vitality, capable of converting even the most refractory to Beaujolais. It is Nicolas’s most personal vintage, which he named after his nickname in the country. One hundred percent Gamay in the Beaujolais-Villages appellation, it is delicious, fruity, mineral and taut. Gamay noir à jus blanc at its most enjoyable, gurgling but with elegance.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Goes with: Game birds, Furred game, Red meats, Roasted meats

Melocoton Beer 2020, Cyclic Beer Farm

Cyclic Beer Farm
Packaged in 75 cl bottles so that everyone can satisfy their thirst, the beers from the Barcelona-based brewery Cyclic Beer Farm play between classicism and flights of inspiration, in a contrasting and creative way, in the Catalan style. Based on classic principles and a Belgian fermentation model, the two brewer-winemakers Joshua and Alberto play with ingredients, aromas, and macerations, including cereals, fruits, vegetables, and grape skins from Catalan grape varieties, to achieve flavors reminiscent of an unidentified drinkable object (OBNI). Whether they assert themselves through balance or a certain controlled dissonance, these beers will never leave you indifferent and will reveal their full potential in the summer heat, served well chilled.
Melocotón, with an alcohol content of 5.5%, is a limited edition beer, a work of craftsmanship, and indulgence. Six hundred grams of organic peaches from the orchards of Ordal (Catalonia) very ripe (“we like them like that,” say the two brewers), scrupulously selected, in maceration per liter of beer, who can say better? The brew is based on barley and wheat, a mix of funky saison and sour saison. The acidity is very pronounced, and gives a very refreshing whey flavor, the bewitching aroma of peach unfolding in the background with a particular force in retro-olfaction. Another experiment from the Cyclic Boys that was worth trying and which we predict will be a hit on the terraces this summer.

Volta Beer 2020, Cyclic Beer Farm

Cyclic Beer Farm
Packaged in 75 cl bottles so that everyone can satisfy their thirst, the beers from the Barcelona-based brewery Cyclic Beer Farm play between classicism and flights of inspiration, in a contrasting and creative way, in the Catalan style. Based on classic principles and a Belgian fermentation model, the two brewer-winemakers Joshua and Alberto play with ingredients, aromas, and macerations, including cereals, fruits, vegetables, and grape skins from Catalan grape varieties, to achieve flavors reminiscent of an unidentified drinkable object (OBNI). Whether they assert themselves through balance or a certain controlled dissonance, these beers will never leave you indifferent and will reveal their full potential in the summer heat, served well chilled.
Volta is a pilsner-style beer with an alcohol content of 4%. It was created in homage to a classic competition in Catalonia, the Volta Catalunya cycling race, which is celebrating its hundredth edition this year (2021). The brew is made from organic pilsner malt and malted wheat flakes. The infusion is then made with organic lemon juice and zest as well as Ceylon black tea. The color is pale yellow, slightly cloudy. On the nose, a great freshness is immediately evident. On the palate, we perceive a very nice lemony acidity where the sour bite of the lemon juice is felt more than the aroma of the zest. The slightly tannic and floral note of Ceylon tea plays in the background. A very nice, expertly balanced success from Cyclic brewers, whose name, for the occasion, matches the one they gave to this beer.

R Riesling Blanc 2019,

Patrick Bouju
Vinified in Auvergne by Patrick Bouju, is Alsace Riesling becoming volcanic? In any case, it benefits from the expertise and talent of a great winemaker. It is a fresh, straightforward, and distinguished white, perfect for all occasions.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

La Gouyate Sweet White 2019,

Château Barouillet
40% Chenin, 30% Sémillon, 30% Muscadelle on clay-limestone soils, the partially botrytized harvest is done at dawn for optimal freshness. It goes directly into a pneumatic press and the must is fermented in stainless steel vats using indigenous yeasts to preserve the typicity and originality of the terroir. When the desired alcohol-residual sugar balance is achieved, the wine is filtered and bottled immediately, without aging in vats. This technique preserves the crispness of the fruit but also greatly limits the amount of SO2 without any risk of refermentation. Freshness and length on the palate are the beauty of this sweet wine with a fresh, mineral nose, offering notes of citrus zest and tropical fruits. The attack is frank, tangy, round, ample: an explosion of fruit. A hint of honeyed sweetness marks the mid-palate. The wine is as if straddling two sensations, sweetness and freshness, which makes it adaptable to many dishes. Serve chilled but not iced (9-11 °C)

Goes with: Desserts, Cheeses

SPLASH! White 2020,

Domaine Le Barouillet
This is a natural sparkling wine made entirely from Sémillon, a white grape variety typical of northern Aquitaine, grown on the clay-limestone soils of the Bergerac region. It is produced by direct pressing followed by fermentation in stainless steel vats using indigenous yeasts. When the sugar balance is reached, a light filtration on earth is performed to avoid disgorging. After this filtration, as soon as the wine begins to ferment again, it is bottled to complete fermentation, followed by a five-month aging process. This wine is drunk like a chilled white champagne, and its range of action is very broad: to be enjoyed alone or at a party, with friends, at any time of day or night, for any occasion, large or small. Excellent with oysters or raw seafood.

Goes with: Oysters and Shellfish