Gift Ideas for Rookies

Robert is a Gamay from old vines that seduces with its balance between concentration and finesse. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, and violet are enhanced by a subtle spicy touch. The palate is deep yet always fresh, with silky tannins and a long, mineral finish.

Winemaking

Manual harvest, fermentation with indigenous yeasts in whole bunches, aging in old barrels. Unfined, unfiltered wine with a minimum of added sulfites only if necessary.

Bulles Blanc is a lively and refreshing pétillant naturel, characterized by notes of fresh apple, lemon, white flowers, and a subtle brioche touch. The bubbles are delicate, the palate is crisp and thirst-quenching, with a saline finish that immediately calls for a second sip.

Winemaking

Ancestral method with natural secondary fermentation in the bottle, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, and aging on lees. Unfiltered wine, without dosage, and with very few added sulfites.

An intense and unique wine, where depth and freshness intertwine with character. Cordières des Andes 2023 reveals an assertive and captivating personality.

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This cuvée illustrates the creativity of Domaine Fond Cyprès, always with a natural approach and without superfluous inputs. Precise work in the cellar allows the wine's full complexity to be revealed.

The color is dark, dense. The nose opens with aromas of ripe black fruits, spices, and garrigue. On the palate, the texture is full-bodied, structured, with a beautiful freshness that balances the whole.

The finish is long, persistent, marked by a beautiful aromatic depth.

A gastronomic wine, ideal with rich and flavorful dishes.

A generous and bright Grenache, where ripe fruit expresses itself with elegance. A warm and balanced cuvée, typical of the Fond Cyprès style.

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The Grenache du Bois Saint Jaume 2023 comes from plots carefully cultivated using natural farming methods. The gentle vinification process preserves all the deliciousness of the grape variety.

The color is a deep ruby. The nose reveals notes of ripe red and black fruits, with a spicy and slightly licorice touch.

On the palate, the wine is ample, supple, with melted tannins. The balance between richness and freshness makes for a particularly pleasant tasting experience.

A convivial wine, perfect with grilled meats, Mediterranean dishes, or sunny cuisines.

With Art Brut Rouge 2024, La Tribu Alonso creates a unique and profoundly lively cuvée, a true manifesto of uncompromising natural wine. Crafted from a biocentric harmony of 140 co-fermented grape varieties, this wine is as intriguing as it is captivating, embodying a free and collective vision of wine, faithful to the estate's artisanal spirit.

The grapes, grown on granitic soils, draw out a subtle minerality that contributes to the wine's tension. Cultivated without synthetic products in the vineyard, the work fully respects natural balances. In the cellar, vinification is done without artifice, using only indigenous yeasts, and a gentle seven-day infusion in open vats, followed by a short maceration that preserves the fruit's brilliance and the aromas' finesse.

Upon tasting, the wine reveals a luminous red color with slightly hazy reflections, a hallmark of low-intervention wines. The nose opens with an expressive aromatic palette combining fresh citrus, crisp red berries, and a delicate, almost wild herbaceous touch. On the palate, the attack is supple and juicy, giving way to a round, floral, and surprisingly complex texture. The balance between freshness and depth results in a digestible, vibrant, and evolving wine.

This reinterpreted Gamay is suitable for simple pairings as well as more daring combinations. It will perfectly accompany seasonal cuisine, grilled vegetables, roasted poultry, or vegetarian dishes with fresh herbs.

Art Brut Rouge 2024 is an invitation to explore wine differently, in all its spontaneity and raw energy.

A blend of Tempranillo (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), this wine comes from vines over 20 years old located in northern Bekaa, at an altitude of 1,150 meters, on deep red clay soils with an eastern exposure.
Organically grown, it is vinified and aged for 12 months in stainless steel tanks on lees, offering a wine that is both precise and structured, driven by a beautiful high-altitude freshness and a clear expression of fruit. Production limited to 6,000 bottles.

Super Pink Rosé 2024

Magnum Elios Red 2022,

Jean Marc Dreyer

In the heart of Alsace, Jean-Marc Dreyer, a winemaker committed to organic and biodynamic agriculture (AB, Eurofeuille), creates an exceptional vintage with his magnum Elios 2022. Made from naturally vinified Pinot Noir, this wine embodies the purity and finesse of the Alsatian terroir.

A vibrant and delicate Pinot Noir

Produced through maceration and spontaneous fermentation, this wine benefits from careful aging, which enhances the precision of Pinot Noir while respecting its fruit. Its airy structure and balance make it a delicious and accessible red, ideal for a convivial tasting.

An expressive nose and an elegant palate

The nose reveals subtle notes of cherry, raspberry and sweet spices, with a floral touch that brings freshness. On the palate, the attack is supple and fruity, with silky tannins and a beautiful mineral length.

How to pair it?

Served at 16-18°C, this magnum of Alsace AOP will perfectly accompany roast poultry, a veal fillet or a platter of fine charcuterie. Its aging potential of 5 to 10 years will allow it to gain complexity over time.

Magnum Bourgogne En Carran La Croix de Bernard Red 2020,

Domaine de Chassorney

Located in Burgundy, Domaine de Chassorney, run by the talented Frédéric Cossard, produces wines of remarkable purity and elegance. This Bourgogne En Carran La Croix de Bernard 2020, in magnum format, perfectly embodies Burgundian Pinot Noir in all its finesse and depth.

A precise and refined Pinot Noir

Produced using respectful viticulture, this Bourgogne AOP fully expresses its terroir thanks to natural vinification and careful aging. Its aging potential of 5 to 10 years allows you to appreciate the full evolution of its aromas and its silky texture.

A subtle nose and a harmonious palate

Upon opening, this Pinot Noir reveals a delicate nose, blending fresh red fruits, floral notes and a hint of sweet spices. On the palate, the structure is supple and elegant, with fine tannins and a beautiful mineral length.

What pairings for this great bottle

Served at 16-18°C, it will go wonderfully with white meats, roast poultry, fine charcuterie and mature cheeses. This magnum format is ideal for special occasions and meals with lovers of authentic Burgundy.

Côte Pelée Red 2019

Jean-Yves Péron

This splendid Côte Pelée cuvée, produced in Savoie by Jean-Yves Péron, is a red wine classified as a Vin de France. A rare and precious bottle.

Vinification

Côte Pelée is made from century-old Mondeuse vines growing on mica-schist soils in Albertville. Only the finest grapes are selected to make this cuvée. The cap is punched down for two months and the grapes are aged for two years in barrels.

Tasting

A powerful, deep, and robust wine with notes of leather, black fruits, cherry, raspberry, and blackberry. A vintage that you will pair with the finest red meats and regional cuisine.

Learn more about Jean-Yves Péron

Jean-Yves Péron is a talented embodiment of the organic, biodynamic, and natural renaissance of the Savoyard vineyard, which is based on varied soils and numerous indigenous grape varieties (Jacquère, Altesse, Mondeuse, etc.). At his Chevaline winery in the Bauges region, he vinifies the grapes from his plots in Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, in the Isère valley.

High-altitude biodynamics

Jean-Yves Péron's work follows the principles of minimal intervention. On narrow, steep surfaces, his mountain vines in micro-plots, worked by hand, receive no synthetic products, Jean-Yves preferring horsetail and nettle manure. All of Jean-Yves Péron's wines are sulfite-free, made from hand-harvested grapes, vinified in whole bunches and foot-trodden in the vat. For all vintages, the free-run and press are blended, then aged on lees for at least one year, in two- or three-wine barrels, amphorae or tuns, before final blending. They must be stored at a temperature below 18°C. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered.

Italian-Savoyard trade

Since 2011, a trading activity has allowed Jean-Yves Péron to buy the harvest from neighboring organic winegrowers and to collaborate with winegrowers in Northern Italy: this is the I Vicini series, which allows him to diversify the terroirs and deepen his winemaking and aging experiences.

Munjebel MC Red 2014

Frank Cornelissen
Munjebel MC, an organic (Eurofeuille), biodynamic, and natural red wine from Sicily, is produced by Frank Cornelissen. It is classified DOP (PDO) Etna Rosso/IGP Terre Siciliane Nerello Mascalese. It comes from the Contrada Monte Colla, a very steep terraced plot, beautifully exposed to the sun and wind, directly opposite Mount Etna. We are pleased to offer this old vintage that showcases this wine at its peak of maturity and depth.

Vinification
The Nerello Mascalese vines, planted in 1946, grow on sandy-clay soil. The harvest is destemmed and lightly crushed, then macerated for sixty days on the skins. The wine is aged for 18 months in vats and 18 months in bottle. No fining, light filtration.

Tasting
Rich and powerful, yet elegant, Munjebel MC is a bit like the hermitage of Etna, and the depth and density of this wine are enhanced by its age. Intense color of a deep, saturated red, notes of red rose and wild red fruits. Body, richness and thickness, aromatic palate supported by a fresh acidity. Pair it with red meats and Mediterranean dishes. Try a black ham from Bigorre or a grilled or roasted wagyu.

Learn more about Frank Cornelissen
A key and universally respected figure in natural, organic and biodynamic wine, Belgian Frank Cornelissen, a winemaker conquered by Sicily, is a classic. This man of constant questioning lives in human and cosmic resonance with his terroir: he has demonstrated that the powerful minerality of a great volcanic soil can be highlighted by the naturalness of his wines.

An ideal terroir for plot-by-plot vinification
In Passopisciaro, Sicily, in the north of the Etna valley, the 19 plots cover 24 hectares of basalt soils spread over numerous localities (contrade) between 600 and 900 meters above sea level on the side of the volcano. It is, says Frank Cornelissen, the "Côte de Nuits of Sicily." Frank Cornelissen's "contrade" are all cultivated biodynamically and vinified separately: he decides on the blends based on the quality of each.

The nobility of Nerello Mascalese
Nerello Mascalese is the dominant variety and alone makes up the greatest vintages. This traditional red grape variety from the northern valley of Etna produces hypermineral wines due to its long growing cycle. Other grape varieties in the azienda: Nerello Capuccio, Minella Bianco, Minella Nera, Alicante Bouschet, Malvasia, Catarratto, Moscadella, Grecanico Dorato, Carricante...

Vin de France Viognier White 2022,

Domaine des Miquettes

This Viognier from Domaine des Miquettes is a beautiful single-varietal cuvée from the Rhône Valley, classified as a Vin de France and awarded the Écocert organic label.

Vinification

Viognier, as its name suggests, is made entirely from the noble Viognier grape variety from the Rhône Valley, its region of origin, where it gives its best. The grapes grew on gneiss, granite, and loess soils. The aromatic richness of this Viognier from Domaine des Miquettes is enhanced by the terracotta vinification process, consisting of a ten-day maceration followed by pressing and aging for eight months in kvevri (a Georgian-style buried terracotta jar).

Tasting

This is a distinguished, fresh, pleasant, and easy-drinking Rhône Viognier. It exudes rare citrus fruits, including bergamot, and is very light on the palate. Its floral, fruity, and mineral notes are very opulent within a magnificent, fresh framework. This superb success from Domaine des Miquettes is one of those providential whites that goes with everything. However, we recommend smoked salmon https://culinaries.fr/producteurs/lionel-durot/ or any other smoked seafood, and of course fresh oysters.

Learn more about Domaine des Miquettes

Domaine des Miquettes, in the Saint-Joseph appellation (Ardèche), is run by Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille, who are passionate about Georgian winemaking techniques. At the heart of this centuries-old viticulture is the kvevri, the buried jar where the entire winemaking process takes place. They also have unburied tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation and maceration, while kvevris are used for aging. No sulfites are added to the wines of Domaine des Miquettes. The astringency of the tannins is polished by the terracotta, which produces a velvety texture, a fruity and supple substance.

The Estate

Paul Estève learned his trade from René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he gradually rebuilt the family estate until it reached 4.3 hectares. The plots, located between 300 and 450 meters above sea level, rest on a granite base with light mica and gneiss soils. The agriculture is organic (Ecocert certification) and biodynamic. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe, and the harvest is manual. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work and winemaking.

Les Vignes du Cheney Blanc 2022

Jean-Yves Péron
Les Vignes du Cheney is a dry white wine from Savoie, organic, biodynamic, and natural, produced by Jean-Yves Péron with the help of his collaborator Marc Payan. Classified as a Vin de France, it is a blend of numerous grape varieties.

Vinification
The harvest for these Vignes du Cheney includes Altesse, Chardonnay, Cinsault, Gewurztraminer, and Mondeuse, growing on limestone and schist soils. The Cinsault is directly pressed, and the other grape varieties undergo three weeks of carbonic maceration. Aging takes place in 300-liter barrels.

Tasting
Les Vignes du Cheney is a cocktail of grape varieties, complex, rich and fruity. Light, easy to drink, low in alcohol, it will go very well with fish, cheese, white meats and poultry.

Learn more about Jean-Yves Péron
Jean-Yves Péron talentedly embodies the organic, biodynamic and natural renaissance of the Savoyard vineyard, which is based on varied soils and numerous indigenous grape varieties (Jacquère, Altesse, Mondeuse, etc.). At his Chevaline winery in the Bauges region, he vinifies grapes from his plots in Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, in the Isère valley.

High-altitude biodynamics
Jean-Yves Péron's work follows the principles of minimal intervention. On narrow, steep slopes, his hand-worked mountain vines in micro-plots receive no synthetic products, Jean-Yves preferring horsetail and nettle manure. All of Jean-Yves Péron's wines are sulfite-free, made from hand-harvested grapes, vinified in whole bunches and foot-trodden in the vat. For all vintages, the free-run and press are blended, then aged on lees for at least one year, in two- or three-wine barrels, amphorae or tuns, before final blending. They must be stored at a temperature below 18°C. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered.

Italo-Savoyard trade
Since 2011, a trading activity has allowed Jean-Yves Péron to buy the harvest from neighboring organic winegrowers and to collaborate with winegrowers from Northern Italy: this is the I Vicini series, which allows him to diversify the terroirs and deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging.

Rubaiyat Red 2009

Barranco Oscuro

Elegantly aged in magnum format for over thirteen years, this is a classic from the Barranco Oscuro estate. It offers a full-bodied, tannic, and dry profile, rich in mature notes of black and red fruits (blackcurrant, raspberry). Leather and earth also dominate, accentuated and enhanced by aging. Smooth, roasted, and nuanced notes of chocolate and spices, and superb balance. Rubaiyat is an allusion and homage to the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, a polymath who wrote a poetic cycle entitled Rubaiyat in the 11th century, glorifying mystical and physical intoxication. The Persian origin of the Syrah grape variety, from which this wine is entirely composed, was not for nothing in this choice of name. Rubaiyat comes from Syrah vines planted in 1996 at an altitude of approximately 1,290 meters and facing south on schist and clay soils. The harvest, manual, carefully sorted and destemmed, macerates in stainless steel vats and ferments with indigenous yeasts. The vinification is naturally controlled by the coolness of autumn nights in the mountains. Malolactic fermentation followed by aging takes place for sixteen months in old barrels. No sulfites are added, the wine is unclarified, and lightly filtered at bottling.

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Between the Sierra Nevada and the sea, in Andalusia, the Sierra Contraviesa boasts the highest vineyard in Europe (1,368 meters) at its summit. Barranco oscuro means "dark valley" in Spanish, but this valley is part of the past; it was the original site of the property, but it was moved at the end of the 19th century, when phylloxera put an end to a period of intense winemaking and mass production. In 1979, the estate was taken over by Manuel Valenzuela, who decided to work it using natural methods and without resorting to modern oenology methods. Initially, he bought grapes, but his goal was to replant vines, which he did between 1982 and the mid-1990s. Currently, the twelve hectares of Cortijo Barranco Oscuro extend over a drop of almost 1,400 meters. On a poor, dry, schistose terroir, two localities concentrate the plots: Cerro Las Monjas at the very top and Hoyo y Cerro de Las Gayumbas lower down, near the winery buildings. Strong thermal contrasts explain the freshness of the wines, produced without the addition of exogenous yeasts and without any inputs in the vineyard or cellar. Although the estate is not certified organic due to the disillusionment Manuel suffered from fraud in this area, his estate is a member of the Spanish Association of Natural Wine Producers. His wines are straightforward and clean, without compromise: they are wines that give joy through the seriousness of the work that went into their production.

Vin de France Cuvée Madloba White 2020

Paul Estève

Madloba blanc is an orange wine that asserts itself from the first intensely floral nose, full of character and depth. The floral nature is confirmed on the palate with an abundance of tea rose, accompanied by a surprising, exotic expression of lychee and mango. With a rather rich and dense body, the freshness acts as a balance, and lovely bitter touches mark the finish. This white Madloba ("thank you" in Georgian) is produced in the Saint-Joseph AOP. It is a blend of 50% Marsanne and 50% Viognier. The vines, almost forty years old, are planted at an altitude of 350 meters, on a hillside plot with granite and black mica soils. The two grape varieties are fermented together for six months in tinajas, unburied terracotta jars, and after pressing the wine returns to the tinaja for six months of aging. This aging method promotes the wine's texture and develops the fruit. Decant one hour before serving. Perfect for oriental, Asian, and exotic cuisines in general.

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Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille are the creators of the Domaine des Miquettes, whose great specificity is the use of Georgian techniques. They are passionate about this Caucasian country, the cradle of wine, where eight thousand year old winemaking techniques are still used. At the heart of this viticulture is the qvevri, the buried jar where all the winemaking takes place: fermentation with skin maceration and aging. They set out to explore this country and returned with the decision to age all their wines in buried jars. They have twenty-six, but distinguish between tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation-maceration and buried "amphorae" for aging. No sulfur is added. For both reds and whites, the terracotta erases astringency and transmutes it into a velvety texture, a fruity and supple material.
The estate, located in Ardèche, is south of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Paul trained with René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he began by taking over Paul's family farm with two ares of vines, then in 2004 the entire estate, which now covers 4.3 hectares. The white grape varieties are located around the house, the red grape varieties are planted on steep hillsides, between 300 and 450 meters above sea level. The plots rest on a granite base with light soils: black mica granite, schist and gneiss. Everything is cultivated organically (Ecocert) with biodynamic practices. The vines are cared for and fortified using plant decoctions and clay. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work. The harvest is entirely manual.

Saint Romain Sous Roche Qvevris Red 2020

Domaine de Chassorney

Plenty of fruit and roundness supported by sumptuous minerality; the blackberry and blackcurrant give free rein, and the palate reveals remarkable density and fullness. The Pinot Noir benefits greatly from the smoothness provided by aging in qvevris (Georgian-style terracotta jars). This Pinot Noir from the Qvevris series comes from a plot with a steep, south-southeast-facing terroir located between 280 and 400 meters above sea level in the Saint-Romain appellation. The soils are primarily marl, limestone, and clay. The grapes macerate in whole bunches.

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Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undistorted by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful viticultural practices, the winemaker used this counter-example to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of purity and elegance without artifice that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked as a wine broker for some time before creating the Domaine de Chassorney with his partner Laure in 1996: initially a few ares of vines in Saint-Romain, Auxey-Duresses and Savigny-lès-Beaune, and currently ten hectares spread across the Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pommard, Volnay, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Bourgogne appellations. In 2006, he created his own wine trading house and buys organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais crus. The practice is not limited to Burgundy since vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. At his home, the soil and vines are worked as naturally as possible: regular horse-drawn ploughing, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to biodynamic principles: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. Reds or whites, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.

El Canto del Mirlo Red 2010

Bodega Barranco Oscuro
Natural wine without added sulphites.

Magnum Entre Cœurs Red 2011

Domaine Leonine

This 100% Grenache red comes from schist terroirs located in Port-Vendres, by the sea, near Collioure. The harvest undergoes a fifteen-day carbonic maceration, in 10 hectoliter vats, without punching down or pumping over. After pressing, aging is nine months in 300 and 400 liter barrels, with racking and bottling by gravity without added sulfur.
Natural wine without added sulfites.

Skin Contact Sous Roche Red 2016

Domaine de Chassorney

This Pinot Noir comes from a plot with a steep, south-southeast facing terroir located between 280 and 400 meters above sea level in the Saint-Romain appellation. The soils are mainly marl, limestone and clay. The grapes, from fifty-year-old vines, macerate in whole bunches. Aging takes place for about a year in barrels. Beautiful structure, well-rounded tannins, and lovely notes of black fruits.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.