Gift Ideas for Rookies

Senzaniente Montepulciano Red 2021

Azienda Agricola Marina Palusci

Terroir, plot size and grape varieties

Grown in the clay-limestone soils of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, this 100% Montepulciano reveals all the lusciousness and suppleness of this great Abruzzo grape variety. Cultivated on sun-drenched slopes, it draws from its terroir a beautiful balance of fruit and finesse, offering an approachable yet well-structured red wine, true to its origins.

Cultivation methods

The Senzaniente Montepulciano 2021 is a free-spirited wine, made without any additives or added sulfites. The Marina Palusci estate cultivates its vines in complete harmony with nature, using artisanal methods that respect all living things. Here, everything is done by hand, with patience and exacting standards. The winemaking follows the same philosophy: natural fermentation, no intervention, just the fruit and time.

Tasting & pairings

From the first whiff, the wine opens with a beautiful intensity of red and black fruits: juicy cherry, blackberry, and a few candied notes reminiscent of the Abruzzo sun. Touches of sweet spices—black pepper and subtle cinnamon—add depth. On the palate, the texture is supple and light, with melted tannins and a flavorful, almost caressing finish. This is a naturally elegant red wine, perfectly balanced, ideal as an aperitif, with a charcuterie board, sautéed mushrooms, or roast meat. It also pairs beautifully with fine Italian cuisine, without ever overpowering the dish. Best enjoyed slightly chilled to fully appreciate its fruity freshness.

The Wine Witch White 2024,

Les Grandes Serres

In the heart of Vaucluse, between Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues and Visan, the Grandes Serres vineyard thrives on deep clay-limestone soils bordered by garrigue. The Wine Witch 2024, a subtle blend of Clairette, Marsanne, and Vermentino, is a generous white, both powerful and balanced, faithful to its terroir.

A bold and natural vinification

The uniqueness of this cuvée lies in a 24-hour maceration of the Vermentino grapes before pressing, providing structure and depth. Spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel vats preserves the purity of the fruit, while partial aging in barrels (10% of the Marsanne) enriches the texture. Like all the house wines, The Wine Witch is unfiltered, with a light addition of sulfites to stabilize the whole.

A charming nose and a full palate

The nose opens with notes of ripe, even exotic fruits, accompanied by slightly buttery nuances. On the palate, the attack is supple and round, revealing a remarkable amplitude, carried by a rich and balanced structure. The finish is long, with a beautiful aromatic persistence.

What to enjoy with this bottle?

Served around 10-12°C, this racy white wine goes wonderfully with roasted white meats, grilled fish or even hard cheeses. With its aging potential of 5 years, it will evolve towards even more complex aromas.

Falgueyras Red 2018,

Domaine Bois Moisset

Vigne Vieille du Falgueyras is a fruity and indulgent red wine, rich in notes of red fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry, morello cherry) and beautifully peppery. Its profile is enhanced by sweet spices, prune on the nose, black olive, as well as more mineral accents (smoke, natural incense). It has character, oak without exaggeration, and a very beautiful body. Typical of the Gaillac terroirs, this is a red wine made 100% from old Syrah vines aged thirty and forty years, planted on boulbènes (gravelly, loamy sand) on the second terrace of the Tarn. The destemmed harvest macerates in cement vats with two punching down of the marc. The fermentation temperature did not exceed 21°C. Aging continues for nine months before bottling without filtration and, of course, without the addition of sulfites.

Find out more
The name Gaillac, the region where the Bois-Moisset estate is located, owned by Sylvie Ledran and Philippe Maffre, has been associated with wines since Antiquity; it is the oldest vineyard in France, with two thousand years of history and an impressive collection of ancient indigenous grape varieties. It is also a region of dazzling beauty, nicknamed "French Tuscany" because of its gentle hills planted with groves and its almost Florentine luminosity. Many estates, including that of Bois-Moisset, showcase this uniquely rich winemaking heritage. Along with an estate planted with vines, it is an organic mixed farm that directly sells its production of lentils, sunflower oil, cereal flours, and grape juice. A herd of old local breed cows also thrives there, and guest rooms are available in the summer. It is in this small rural paradise that natural wines typical of their origin and terroir are born, on fifteen hectares of boulbènes, gravelly and sandy-loam soils carried by the Tarn for thousands of years. The grape varieties are dominated by Syrah and Duras, but the ampelographic richness of Gaillacois (braucol, prunelart, loin-de-l'œil, etc.) is also evident in the vintages of the Bois-Moisset estate, which consist particularly of red wines with crisp fruitiness, concentrated but with smooth and delicate tannins.

Muscana White 2022

Domaine Einhart

Muscana is an organic (Ecocert and AB labels) and natural dry white wine from Alsace from Domaine Einhart. Classified as AOC Alsace, this beautifully complex dry white is Domaine Einhart's homage to the Muscat grape variety.

Vinification

Muscana is a 100% Alsace Muscat, hand-harvested when overripe. The vines are approximately twenty-five years old and grow on the splendid oolitic limestone (muschelkalk) terroirs in the Fleckenstein, Westerberg, and Meyen localities. The harvest is destemmed, maceration in vats lasts one week, and fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged in stainless steel vats on fine lees and is not filtered at bottling.

Tasting

Muscana offers a beautiful orange-amber color with superb brightness. The first nose offers rich, slightly smoky aromas typical of overripe Muscat berries. A second, very fine nose brings a hint of citrus fruit that encourages tasting. On the palate, the attack is straightforward and ample, accompanied by a melted acidity expressed through notes of candied quince. The finish is invigorating, with melted tannins linked to the maceration. We recommend decanting Muscana to help it develop its splendid aromas and serving it with choice dishes: fresh or smoked fish, vegetables including asparagus, white meats and foie gras.

Learn more about Domaine Einhart

In the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, Domaine Einhart is a ten-hectare family estate whose vines grow on 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.

Lune Rayée Red 2020,

Pic Epeiche

Lune Rayée, vintage 2020, is a natural red wine from the Pic-Épeiche estate (Haut-Layon, Anjou), produced traditionally and entirely by hand by Jean-Baptiste Peltier. It is made from Cabernet Franc (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) planted in the same plot on clay-limestone soil.

Vinification

Lune Rayée was made without any additives in the vineyard, except for a little Bordeaux mixture as needed, and without sulfites added during vinification. Semicarbonic maceration (13 days) is followed by a long fermentation in vats using indigenous yeasts. Aging, at Domaine Pic-Épeiche, is done on lees for eleven months, with passage through a vertical press in between.

Tasting

The color of Lune Rayée 2020 is bright, clear, limpid, a beautiful transparent coral red. The palate is intensely sapid, fruity, and one would speak of gurgling if it weren't for a minerality that gives structure and a remarkably saline finish, as well as the touch of bitterness typical of Cabernet. Lune Rayée 2020 from Domaine Pic-Épeiche is easy to drink yet intense, full of red fruits—fresh strawberry—, an energizing sensation of fresh fruit and a beautiful length. It is a wine without additives, deceptively simple, that will be able to measure up to the finest cuisine - such as a rabbit stew of first quality - as well as local charcuterie and salted meats. Seafood rillettes will suit it like a glove. Best enjoyed chilled.

Learn more about Domaine Pic-Épeiche

Entirely natural, produced in a traditional, artisanal manner, Domaine Pic-Épeiche is located in Haut-Layon, in Anjou. It is run by Jean-Baptiste Peltier, who learned the trade from Jérôme Lambert and Patrick Desplats: another fine example of a natural, non-interventionist wine estate in this Loire region where there are many.

In the vineyard and in the cellar

No intervention, but a lot of vigilance: "We work with the grapes," says Jean-Baptiste about his natural wines. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin and Grolleau, all from old vines, cultivated and vinified without additives. Macerations are short but aging is long, almost a year in vats, entirely on lees.

The style

All the freshness and liveliness of the clay-limestone soils are intact in the wines of the Pic-Épeiche estate, which offer the full typicity of the Anjou terroirs worked naturally. Red and white wines are fruity and flavorful, offering a lively and nuanced expression of the local grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and Chenin.

Grisette Beer 2022,

Cyclic Beer Farm
Low in alcohol, light, refreshing, and not very full-bodied, Grisette is a session beer, the little cousin of Cyclic Beer Farm's Saison. It offers notes of citrus and tropical fruits balanced by traditional hopping that gives it a moderate bitterness. It's designed to be drunk chilled, but its brewing with the house's brett cocktail ensures it ages comfortably. Perfect for quenching thirst when the sun is shining. Grisette is 3.7% ABV.

To find out more
Cyclic Beer Farm is a duo of Barcelona friends, Alberto and Joshua. Based in the Catalan capital, they have two sides to their business: beer (Cyclic Beer) and wine (Cyclic Wine). The beers, inspired by the Belgian model, come in surprising and colorful ranges where expertly measured yeast cocktails and house brews combine with varied macerations of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and grape marc from traditional Catalan varieties, the latter taken after the fermentation of their wines — because the second side is the wine, made exclusively from native Catalan grape varieties. Packaged in 75 cl bottles so that everyone can satisfy their thirst, the beers play between classicism and flights of inspiration, in a contrasting and creative way, Catalan style, without forgetting to dare the beer with wine, of course. On classic bases and a Belgian fermentation model, the two brewers-winemakers Joshua and Alberto play with ingredients, aromas, macerations, between cereals, fruits, vegetables or grape skins of Catalan grape varieties, to achieve flavors that are reminiscent of the Obni (unidentified drinkable object). Whether they assert themselves on balance or on a certain managed dissonance, these beers will never leave you indifferent and will reveal their full potential during the summer heat, served well chilled (like their creators).

Witty Fool Beer 2022,

Cyclic Beer Farm
A German-style wheat-based wheat beer (Witbier), but more tart and fruity than the classic model. Refreshing, it's extremely comforting and an aperitif in the summer heat. And good in any other season... Its flavoring includes Indian coriander seeds and the juice and zest of oranges harvested at the family estate in Alt Empordà (Catalonia). Witty Fool has an ABV of 5.5%.

Find out more
Cyclic Beer Farm is a duo of Barcelona friends, Alberto and Joshua. Based in the Catalan capital, they have two sides to their business: beer (Cyclic Beer) and wine (Cyclic Wine). The beers, inspired by the Belgian model, come in surprising and colorful ranges where expertly measured yeast cocktails and house brews combine with varied macerations of fruits, vegetables, herbs and grape marc from traditional Catalan varieties, the latter taken after the fermentation of their wines - because the second side is the wine, made exclusively from native Catalan grape varieties. Packaged in 75 cl bottles so that everyone can have something to satisfy their thirst, the beers play between classicism and flights of inspiration, in a contrasting and creative way, Catalan style, without forgetting to dare to make beer with wine, of course. Based on classic principles and a Belgian fermentation model, the two brewers-winemakers Joshua and Alberto play with ingredients, aromas, and macerations, between cereals, fruits, vegetables, and grape skins from Catalan grape varieties, to achieve flavors reminiscent of the Obni (unidentified drinkable object). Whether they assert themselves through balance or a certain controlled dissonance, these beers will never leave you indifferent and will reveal their full potential during the summer heat, served well chilled (like their creators).

Jamaica Beer 2022,

Cyclic Beer Farm
Funkin' for Jamaica, sang Tom Browne (search it on YouTube if you don't know it, you won't regret the click). If possible, accompany this listening with a refreshing glass of this deliciously sweet, floral, and fruity vermillion beer. This 2022 vintage boasts a particularly orange-lemon aroma and a more pronounced acidity: a true fountain of youth for spring, summer, and the lingering summer. The composition of this beer includes, in addition to the hibiscus flowers that give this fantastic red-orange color, the zest and juice of organic oranges harvested on the family farm in Alt Empordà (Catalonia). Jamaica is 7% ABV.

To find out more
Cyclic Beer Farm is a duo of Barcelona friends, Alberto and Joshua. Based in the Catalan capital, they have two sides to their business: beer (Cyclic Beer) and wine (Cyclic Wine). The beers, inspired by the Belgian model, come in surprising and colorful ranges where expertly measured yeast cocktails and house brews combine with varied macerations of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and grape marc from traditional Catalan varieties, the latter taken after the fermentation of their wines—because the second side is the wine, made exclusively from native Catalan grape varieties. Packaged in 75 cl bottles so that everyone can satisfy their thirst, the beers play between classicism and flights of inspiration, in a contrasting and creative way, Catalan style, without forgetting to dare the beer with wine, of course. On classic bases and a Belgian fermentation model, the two brewers-winemakers Joshua and Alberto play with ingredients, aromas, macerations, between cereals, fruits, vegetables or grape skins of Catalan grape varieties, to achieve flavors that are reminiscent of the Obni (unidentified drinkable object). Whether they assert themselves on balance or on a certain managed dissonance, these beers will never leave you indifferent and will reveal their full potential during the summer heat, served well chilled (like their creators).

Pomelo del Huerto Beer 2022,

Cyclic Beer Farm
A great addition to Cyclic Beer Farm's flavored beer repertoire, Pomelo del Huerto is a tangy beer made from the peel and juice of organic grapefruit from the brewers' family estate in Alt Empordà, Catalonia. The brew also includes coriander seeds, sea salt, and a light dry hopping with the Simcoe variety. This vintage is particularly complex and interesting. Pomelo del Huerto has an ABV of 4.2%.

Find out more
Cyclic Beer Farm is a duo of Barcelona-based friends, Alberto and Joshua. Based in the Catalan capital, they have two sides to their business: beer (Cyclic Beer) and wine (Cyclic Wine). The beers, inspired by the Belgian model, are available in surprising and colorful ranges where expertly measured yeast cocktails and house brews combine with varied macerations of fruits, vegetables, herbs and grape marc from traditional Catalan varieties, the latter taken after the fermentation of their wines - because the second part is the wine, made exclusively from native Catalan grape varieties. Packaged in 75 cl bottles so that everyone has something to satisfy their thirst, the beers play between classicism and flights of inspiration, in a contrasting and creative way, Catalan style, without forgetting to dare the wine beer, of course. Based on classic principles and a Belgian fermentation model, the two brewers-winemakers Joshua and Alberto play with ingredients, aromas, and macerations, between cereals, fruits, vegetables, and grape skins from Catalan grape varieties, to achieve flavors reminiscent of the Obni (unidentified drinkable object). Whether they assert themselves through balance or a certain controlled dissonance, these beers will never leave you indifferent and will reveal their full potential during the summer heat, served well chilled (like their creators).

SP Subirat Parent Blanc 2020,

Partida Creus
This 100% Subirat Parent wine is crisp and aromatic, with a nose of ripe white fruits, melon, and wildflowers. Agile on the palate, fresh and straightforward, lemony and slightly saline, it offers a long finish tinged with a delicate bitterness typical of the estate. Subirat Parent, one of the oldest Catalan grape varieties and a close relative of Malvasia, remains rare even in its country of origin. The clay-limestone soil enhances its freshness and integrity. The harvest is pressed after a three-day skin maceration. The must is settled and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats. Three months of rest in vats on fine lees before bottling.

Find out more
Partida Creus is an important estate, both from a winemaking and 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-known – 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. On their part, it’s not just a matter of saving heritage, 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-gravelly, poor and poorly irrigated lands, where the vines suffer to give their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic, entirely manual and natural viticulture 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, ceciat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel.lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel.lo: it is a true conservatory of the 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 cries of satisfaction.

Le Blanc des Garennes Blanc 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 make southern wines that reflect us, wines with character, rooted in our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They want to create entirely natural wines, concentrated expressions of 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 expression of fruit, the wines of Fond Cyprès reflect the South: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.
Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Viognier growing on the same plot and harvested together at different ripenesses: a southern blend that produces a truly southern white, original, balanced, fresh, structured by a light maceration, fermented and aged in barrels. A beautiful texture, notes of citrus and exotic fruits. It can be kept for around ten years, if given time: all pairings suit it.
Natural wine without added sulfites.

La Syrah de la Pinède 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 us, wines with character, rooted in our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They want to create entirely natural wines, concentrated expressions of 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 expression of fruit, the wines of Fond Cyprès reflect the South: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.
Coming from a plot of young vines exposed to the north and bordered by pines and cypresses, the Syrah harvest used to make this wine is destemmed, gently extracted, and aged for one year in old barrels. Dense, ample and generous, this Syrah is ready to drink but can still wait. It carries within it the freshness and shade of its forest environment and a certain gravity that is not rare in Corbières wines based on this type of blend. It is a true wine of the South, born of the sun and faithful reflection of the earth.
Natural wine without added sulfites.

Hommage à Robert Rouge - 2019,

Le Raisin Et L'Ange
This red is composed of 50% Gamay, 30% Merlot, and 20% Syrah. The harvest underwent two weeks of semicarbonic maceration, and the wine was neither filtered nor clarified before bottling. No sulfites were added, of course. It offers plenty of fruit, lusciousness, and lightness. At the time of writing, in 2021, it requires a little decanting to express all its tenderness and freshness.

Vieille Vigne Rouge 2016

Domaine Bois Moisset
100% old Syrah vines, aged between thirty and forty years, planted on boulbènes on the second terrace of the Tarn. The destemmed harvest macerated for one month in cement vats, with two punchings of the marc. The temperature did not exceed 21°C. Aging continued for nine months before bottling without filtration. The wine is fruity and delicious, rich in notes of red fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry, morello cherry).

SM Blanc 2016,

La Sorga
The initials stand for "Sauvignon-Marsanne," referring to the blend from which this merchant wine is made. The grapes come from the Hérault Valley. Whole bunches of Sauvignon Blanc macerate in Marsanne must by direct pressing for fifty-five days before aging for eleven months in vats. Its notes of dried apricot, fennel, and bergamot will pair perfectly with goat cheese or blue-veined cheeses (Roquefort, Bleu des Causses). Aging potential: ten years.

La Phacomochère Rouge 2015

La Sorga
Syrah and Cinsault, aged on schist soils in Vieussan, are blended directly after the harvest and macerated whole bunches for ninety days. Aging takes place in old barrels for ten months. Its floral and slightly spicy aromas will pair well with roasted meat, such as lamb with herbs. This wine has a aging potential of twenty years.

Saint Romain Sous Roche Red 2021

Domaine de Chassorney

The nose of this Saint-Romain from the Sous Roche climate is already reminiscent of high-altitude Pinot Noir with its freshness and liveliness. On the palate, we discover a superb structure, well-rounded tannins, and lovely notes of red and black fruits. Wonderful length on the palate, generous fruit sensation, and beautiful depth. This Saint-Romain "Sous Roche" is a pure Pinot Noir from a plot whose steep terroir, facing south-southeast, is located between 280 and 400 meters above sea level in the Saint-Romain appellation. The soils are primarily marl, limestone, and clay. The grapes, grown on fifty-year-old vines, macerate in whole bunches. Aging lasts about a year in barrels. A few years of aging will develop its spicy notes and ripen the fruit, but you can already enjoy it.

Mensonge à Papa Red 2020,

Belly Wine Experiment

Here is a light, fresh, supple, and fruity red that proudly bears the banner of Gamay from two regions: Auvergne and Beaujolais. It is the result of a blend of equal parts of these two origins of the same grape variety, neither entirely identical nor entirely different. An ode to Gamay, in a way. These Gamays from Auvergne and Beaujolais are first slowly pressed, then their must is added to whole bunches for a fifteen-day carbonic maceration. Aging takes place in fiberglass vats. Classified as a Vin de France and with an alcohol content of 13.5%, it will be wonderful as an aperitif or with a meal, or just to have a good time.

To find out more
Founded and run by Claire Sage and Aimé Duveau, located in Chanteuges (Haute-Loire), Belly Wine Experiment is as much an experience as a winemaking business. The creative duo has it in spades: Claire is the sister of Adrien Sage, a fan of underwater wine aging but above all an importer of Catalan wines. Hence the presence of Catalan grape varieties in Belly Wine Experiment's blends, alongside Burgundy, Auvergne or Jura grape varieties, readily in the same bottle. Aimé is the son of Manu Duveau, a winemaker-poet from Auvergne, a former stonemason and a great winemaker of local Gamays at his Domaine de l'Égrappille. The uniqueness of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia being able to rub shoulders, for example, with Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme with the utmost naturalness. The wines are made using semi-carbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical inputs or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The house is also known for its very high-quality, vinous perries.

Alberto López Calvo - Vino Tinto (Red) 2009

Bodegas Coruña del Conde
Alberto López Calvo, the estate's historic Bordeaux-style cuvées are made with Tempranillo (75%), followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and Merlot (5%). These are beautiful wines with an intense garnet red color, elegant, complex, deep, and silky, with well-integrated tannins.

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Musk White 2012

Bodega Barranco Oscuro

This single-varietal Muscat wine comes from a plot planted at an altitude of 1,300 meters on schist and clay soils. The wine is aged for ten months in old barrels.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.