Last Chance

Pinot Noir 2020,

Domaine Einhart
A velvety, ripe red, 100% Pinot Noir, with an intense, fragrant, and gently fruity aroma. The deep, purplish color evokes black cherry. The initial nose is enhanced by aromas of black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry) with a hint of freshness blended into a light vanilla woodiness. The second nose is more open, with aromas of blood orange, bitter almond, and kirsch. On the palate, the berries are still present, supported by present but well-melted tannins, and lead to a velvety finish resting on a lovely freshness. Plenty of persistence and length. The Pinot Noirs from which it is made, aged around thirty years, grow on the muschelkalk (shell limestone) terroirs of Dittelsberg-Albermohn and are harvested by hand, then destemmed. Maceration, using indigenous yeasts, takes between ten and twelve days. Aging for one year on fine lees, in demi-muids, precedes bottling without filtration. From the vine to the cellar, this wine was made without any additives. Decanting is recommended so that it can fully express its finesse and grace.

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

Garnatxa Wine Beer 2020, Cyclic Beer Farm

Cyclic Beer Farm
Packaged in 75 cl bottles so 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 on balance or on a certain controlled dissonance, these beers will never leave you indifferent and will reveal their full potential in the summer heat, served well chilled. Garnatxa (6.7% alcohol) is part of the Cyclic Beer Farm 2020 Wine Ales series, which also includes Carignan, Xarel·10 and Trepat. They are fermented with the skins of local grape varieties. All the grapes are organic and harvested by hand before being pressed or macerated for winemaking. The resulting marc (skins and stems) is then added to already fermented and aged beers, selected for each type of grape variety. A maceration of one to six months follows to allow the residual sugar to complete its fermentation and the character of the grape variety to be communicated to the beer through infusion. Before bottling, brewers decide whether or not to add beer to achieve the desired flavors, based on acidity, the natural taste of the grape variety, tannins, complexity, and drinkability.
Brewers choose beers from three bases: their saison, their sour base (fermented from their lactic acid bacteria blend and their indigenous yeast blend), and their “funky” base (indigenous yeast and a cocktail of brettanomyces yeasts). After blending and bottling, the beers referment and mature for varying lengths of time.
Here, the garnatxa (Grenache) and carinyena (Carignan) grape varieties give this beer a lovely pink color and fruity and tannic accents, enhanced with a touch of wildness from the funky fermentation base.

Himmel auf Erden Blanc 2018

Christian Tschida
Heaven on Earth: this is the name of this dry white wine made from destemmed and crushed Weissburgunder, Scheurebe, and a touch of Muscat grapes, with a brief skin maceration. Aged for a year in large barrels, bottled unfiltered and unsulfured. The title of a work by Austrian artist Alfred Hrdlicka, known for his iconoclastic style, inspired the name of the cuvée. Crisp, sweet, and romantic without lacking complexity, this wine offers great aromatic precision and superb texture. A masterpiece for a romantic dinner, pikeperch with beurre blanc or grilled turbot.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

I'm Natural Don't Panic #10 From Patio White 2018

Bodegas Coruña del Conde

Julien López's I'm Natural, Don't Panic range consists of macerated wines. This dry white is based 100% on the Airén grape variety, which is very common in Spain, particularly in Castile-León. Julien created this limited edition using grapes from a friend, Samuel Cano, from Patio. Fresh and tangy, slightly cloudy (unfiltered), with beautiful notes of linden and white flowers. No additives in the vineyard or cellar. Pair with grilled fish and white meats.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Le Roi Maceration White 2019

Domaine de l'Octavin

Why the king? Because it's Riesling, the king of grape varieties, grown biodynamically in Alsace (Philippe Brand estate) on clay-limestone soils. Even better: it's a Riesling macerated for fifteen days in whole bunches to capture all the power of the grape. For fine dinners, refined dishes, and delicate gastronomy. And to drink on its own, as an aperitif or after dinner, to appreciate its thousand aristocratic nuances.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Punch Coco 20° - 100cl

Distillerie Longueteau

This coconut punch is a marvel, encapsulating the quintessence of the coconut trees that line the shores of Guadeloupe. This punch is made with the utmost respect for Guadeloupean traditions. Each nut is carefully selected, cracked, grated, and then blended with a decoction of Longueteau 50° rum infused with natural vanilla. The whole thing macerates for several weeks. The profile of this punch is very slightly sweet, marked by fresh coconut and subtle notes of fresh, toasted almonds.

Learn more
The Longueteau distillery, located in Capesterre-Belle-Eau (Guadeloupe), is the oldest distillery on the island still in operation. It has the distinction of being entirely self-sufficient in sugar cane production, which it uses to obtain its magnificent terroir agricultural rums. Agricultural rum, we should point out, is made from pure sugar cane juice, unlike many other Caribbean rums, which are produced from cane molasses. It is a specialty of the French West Indies. The estate is currently in the hands of François Longueteau, a distiller since 1979. Production is, as it was originally, artisanal and traditional, but the sugar cane terroirs are developed using plot-by-plot methods - this is the great originality of Longueteau, the first distillery on the island to have adopted this approach. Two varieties of sugar cane, blue cane and red cane, are cultivated, as well as fruits from the Guadeloupean terroir. Longueteau rums and the resulting preparations (punches, shrubbs, etc.) are fine, aromatic, deep and fragrant.

Bistrologie Blanc 2023

Jean-Pierre Robinot

Poet of free Chenin

Jean-Pierre Robinot embodies a singular vision of natural wine: that of a committed artisan, attentive to his terroir, time, and living things. In his Loire cellar, he vinifies without inputs or commercial yeasts, favoring long aging in barrels to allow the juices to express themselves with precision. His wines are at once sincere, vibrant, and moving.

Bistrologie, the energy of fruit in limestone

From vines grown on clay-limestone soils, this 100% Chenin blanc cuvée offers a frank and gourmet expression of the grape variety. After direct pressing, the wine is aged for one year in barrels that have already contained several wines. This neutral container allows slow oxygenation without woody influence, for a pure and crystalline result.

Candied fruits, minerality, and tension

The nose evokes ripe apricot, quince, white flowers, and a hint of dry honey. On the palate, the attack is fresh and tense, then the wine rounds out with a lovely volume carried by candied white fruits. The balance between the liveliness and the natural richness of the Chenin is expertly managed. The mineral, slightly saline finish extends the pleasure with elegance.

Food pairings & serving: both festive and gastronomic

Bistrologie can be enjoyed as an aperitif or with meals, alongside delicate fish, white meats, or even vegetarian dishes with sweet and savory notes. Serve between 10 and 12°C, without decanting. This natural cuvée can be drunk today, but will also age gracefully for over 10 years.

Volnay 1er Cru Les Roncerets Rouge 2018,

Frederic Cossard
This robust, great wine for laying down, which can be aged for some time before drinking and will age magnificently, comes from vines around forty years old. On the nose, strawberry, candied fruit, and spices. Aged for twelve months, the majority of the wine is in barrels, a third of which are new oak.

A natural wine with no added sulfites.

French Single Malt Whisky Coperies

Vintage Spirit Garage

Coperies is a 100% French single malt whisky from a single distillery, the venerable Merlet & Fils distillery, in Charente-Maritime. It bears the mark of its region even in its name: "copieries" is a very old word meaning "harvest" in old Charente. This appellation refers to the French identity of this beverage—all the ingredients of which are French—but also, beyond that, to its specifically Charente roots. The barley from which it is made is grown, malted, and brewed in France before being distilled and aged at the Merlet & Fils distillery. Son.
Its development is the fruit of centuries-old expertise, used for the production of the most prestigious wine spirits and applied here to cereals. The first step is double-pass distillation, in Charentais copper stills, which produces round and elegant malt spirits. The aging takes place in French oak barrels, maintaining a balance between new and old barrels in order to modulate the contribution of wood and toasting: this produces subtle spicy notes and silky tannins. The whisky is surprising, remarkable for the sweetness and roundness of its accents. It is floral, fruity, and of unparalleled finesse. The nose first reveals a very discreet vanilla and a light touch of caramel. On the palate, it is the smooth and fluid texture that surprises, all in suppleness: no alcoholic burn hinders the sweet, aromatic, and delicately spiced notes of this whisky. The purity of single malt is very apparent. It will be wonderful neat, with an ice cube that will bring out its tenderness, and can also lend itself to the preparation of cocktails. It is, we specify, an excellent way to enter the world of whisky for those who are not used to this beverage: it will not be aggressive and will provide them with a gentle initiation.

Planteur's Punch 16° - 100cl

Distillerie Longueteau

In the hands of Longueteau, the classic planter's punch recipe is bound to be skillfully revisited. Everything is made from local ingredients: in the gardens of the Longueteau estate, not far from the blue and red sugarcane fields, a tropical fruit orchard provides the raw material for punches, liqueurs, and other recipes. Each fruit—guava, grenadine, orange, passion fruit, pineapple—is carefully picked and selected to macerate for several weeks, with cinnamon sticks, in Longueteau 50° agricultural rum. Longueteau puts its expertise of more than twenty years into the creation and production of this homemade punch. The profile of this punch is round, fruity, sunny and delicious.

To find out more
The Longueteau distillery, located in Capesterre-Belle-Eau (Guadeloupe), is the oldest distillery on the island still in operation. It has the distinction of being entirely self-sufficient in sugar cane production, which it uses to obtain its magnificent terroir agricultural rums. Agricultural rum, we should point out, is made from pure sugar cane juice, unlike many other Caribbean rums, which are produced from cane molasses. It is a specialty of the French Antilles. The estate is currently in the hands of François Longueteau, a distiller since 1979. Production is, as it was originally, artisanal and traditional, but the sugarcane terroirs are developed using plot-by-plot methods—this is Longueteau's unique feature, the first distillery on the island to adopt this approach. Two varieties of sugarcane, blue cane and red cane, are cultivated, as well as fruits from the Guadeloupe region. Longueteau rums and the resulting preparations (punches, shrubberies, etc.) are fine, aromatic, deep, and fragrant.

Matinada Beer 2022,

Cyclic Beer Farm
Matinada is a dark sour (a dark, dense brown beer) heavily infused with coffee and orange. The coffee is a Colombian chambaku distributed by Nømad Coffee, and the flavoring is complemented by the zest and juice of organic oranges harvested at the family estate in Alt Empordà (Catalonia), as well as Madagascar vanilla pods, a touch of sea salt, and a touch of Palisade Hops. This vintage exhibits pronounced dryness and acidity, with very intense coffee aromas. Matinada is 5.6% 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).

SP Subirat Parent White 2021

Partida Creus

SP Subirat Parent, classified as Vino de Mesa (table wine), is, as its name suggests, made 100% from the native Catalan grape variety Subirat Parent. It 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. It rests for three months in vats on fine lees before bottling.

Find out more

Partida Creus is an important estate, both from a winemaking and historical perspective – we are talking here 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 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, bobal, cartoixà vermell and 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 but always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, breathe life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits cries of satisfaction.

Les Bonnes Quilles White 2022,

Domaine Bois Moisset

Les Bonnes Quilles is an organic and natural white wine from the Gaillac terroir, produced by the Bois-Moisset estate. This new vintage, Les Bonnes Quilles, is aptly named. This white maceration wine, classified as Vin de France, is a marvel of balance and will seduce you with its personality.

Vinification

Les Bonnes Quilles blanc is a blend of three white grape varieties: Sauvignon and Muscadelle (the majority) and Len-de-l’el (Loin-de-l’œil), a Gaillac grape variety named for the length of its stalk, at 10%. The vines grow on the clay-limestone molasse soils of the first slopes of Gaillac and the grapes are harvested by hand. The Sauvignon and Muscadelle are directly pressed and rest in vats, while Loin-de-l’œil, destemmed, macerates for eight weeks on the skins. The two vats are blended for bottling.

Tasting

Les Bonnes Quilles, the aptly named. An engaging white wine, opulent yet dry, where the macerated far-of-the-eye plays the role of spice. At once fresh, robust and pleasant, Les Bonnes Quilles is superbly aromatic on the nose and in the mouth. A wine for friends and good food, with a sunny and convivial profile. It will accept solid pairings, nothing scares it: roasted white meats, fine poultry, grilled fish or fish in sauce, or country cuisine (cassoulet, stews, carbonades, etc.).

Learn more about the Bois-Moisset estate

In the heart of the oldest vineyard in France — that of Gaillac, in the Tarn — Sylvie Ledran, Philippe Maffre and their son Hippolyte watch over their Bois-Moisset estate, a wine-growing property associated with a mixed crop-livestock activity, all in organic farming. Gaillac is famous for its many ancient indigenous grape varieties, and its wine-growing heritage is uniquely rich.

Cows and Vines

The Bois-Moisset estate is also home to a herd of old local breed cows, and guest rooms are available during the summer months. 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.

Indigenous Grape Varieties

The grape varieties are dominated by Syrah and Duras, but the wines of the Bois-Moisset estate reflect the ampelographic richness of the Gaillac region (braucol, prunelart, loin-de-l’œil, mauzac, braucol, ondenc, etc.). The red wines are crisply fruity, concentrated but with smooth and delicate tannins, the whites have character and the pet’nat’s are particularly tasty.

Magnum Cœur Brisé (Culinaries exclusivity) Rosé 2022

Aurélien Lefort

Cuvée Mourvèdre Rouge 2020,

Frédéric Cossard
From the southern Rhône Valley, this beautifully structured red wine offers very fresh fruit and ripe, fine tannins. Elegant and dense, yet fluid, it is a 100% Mourvèdre vinified in whole bunches and aged for a year in concrete eggs. A good wine for laying down.

Find out more
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 counterexample 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 for a while as a wine broker before creating the Chassorney estate 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 merchant company and purchased 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 vintages. The practice is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura, Languedoc and elsewhere. At his place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular plowing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: 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. Red or white, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.

Magma Red 2016

Frank Cornelissen

Frank Cornelissen's grand cru is, as expected, a wine for aging. It reveals the remarkable depth of the Nerello Mascalese grape variety, grown on the Barbabecchi plot, planted with ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines, over a hundred years old, at an altitude of 910 meters on the slopes of Mount Etna. Skin maceration takes place for sixty days on destemmed and lightly crushed grapes. No fining, no sulfites, and light filtration before bottling. With a very dense texture, this red is more mineral than fruity (the fruit notes are candied: blackberry, prune, all roundness and melted tannins). Its depth and power are balanced by great freshness. Possibility of traces of volatile acidity, quickly vanished with decanting.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Pairs with an exceptional product, the black pork ham of Bigorre

Rye whiskey, The Helsinki Distilling Co.

Vintage Spirit Garage

You don't need to live in Kentucky to make a good rye whiskey: the three makers of the Helsinki Distilling Company—two Finns, one Irish—do it very well. Rye is, in Finnish tradition, a symbol of power and vitality; it was therefore only natural that they pay homage to it. This three-year-aged whiskey (47.5%, 70% Finnish rye, 30% Finnish barley) is a pure masterpiece, straightforward and controlled, with a nose of toasted rye, honey, and dark chocolate. Rich and deep on the palate, it offers notes of caramel, licorice, and spices, with a hint of coffee. A big favorite of the Culinaries team.

MUZ Rouge 2021

Partida Creus
Here's a great organic and natural vermouth from Partida Creus, an Iberian classic from Baix-Penedés (Catalonia). Made without additives or sulfites, MUZ Ver-Mut is a fortified sweet wine with plant maceration. Vermouth in the Spanish sense is not a mixology ingredient but a table wine made to accompany tapas and the finest dishes.

Vinification
To achieve this alchemic work that is MUZ Catalan vermouth, Partida Creus brings together a barrel of red wine, another of young wine and a third of dry white wine, all with the addition of a secret blend of macerated aromatic herbs. The rest? That's also a secret.

Tasting
MUZ vermouth from Partida Creus is a fruity, smooth and original treat, to share with friends. Black berries, blackcurrant, blackberry, a fine bitterness and a slight sweet sensation. Packaged in a one-liter bottle, MUZ will pair with all imaginable tapas, zakouskis, mezes and other kemias. We will also like it with Iberian charcuterie or smoked sardines.

Learn more about Partida Creus
Partida Creus is an organic, biodynamic and natural estate in southern Catalonia (Bonastre, Baix-Penedés) cultivated by Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, formerly architects in Barcelona. By recovering abandoned vines, they saved a stunning diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties from oblivion. On these sandy, clay-limestone or clay-gravelly soils, they produce natural wines without added sulphites.

A Catalan ampelothèque
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 (among others): it is a true conservatory of native Catalan grape varieties that Partida Creus takes care of in natural mode. The wines reflect this diversity, with the winegrowers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety. The wines, fresh, vibrant, lush, and straightforward, breathe life.

The Partida Creus look
Single varietals are common at Partida Creus, alongside blends, all in the styles dear to Catalonia: still wine, sparkling wine (cava), or even vermouth. The bottles are instantly recognizable: plain glass or covered with ivory labels, the vintage being indicated by two large stenciled initials.

SK Muscat d'Alexandrie Blanc 2020,

Partida Creus


Deliciously fragrant, fresh, and incredibly aromatic, SK Muscat d'Alexandrie is a sumptuous dry white wine with a hint of orange, a color due to well-controlled maceration. The lack of filtration gives it a slightly cloudy appearance. The nose opens frankly with a whiff of marzipan, a sensation confirmed in the mouth with complex notes: apricot, honeysuckle, pear, lychee, white guava, mango, passion fruit, flowering meadow, abundant freshness and crispness, all balanced by a slight herbaceous touch reminiscent of cucumber and fresh white peach, and an earthy side reminiscent of fresh walnut. In short, SK Muscat d'Alexandrie offers all the aromas of a grape variety that generally promises much, and even more. A long, satiny finish. The grapes are fermented using indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats, and aged for nine months in the same type of container. This wine will go very well with raw, grilled, or sauced fish, spicy dishes such as fish or poultry curries, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Sichuan cuisine, but we'll stop the list of pairings there given the adaptability of this exceptional wine.

Find out more
Partida Creus is an important estate, both from a winemaking and historical perspective—we're talking here 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 tickles them, and soon they abandon 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, which they passionately revive to save these varieties – and their wines – from oblivion. For them, it's not just a matter of heritage rescue, no: it's a matter of taste and nature. 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 produce their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic viticulture, entirely manual and natural 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.

Arôme Maiden Rouge 2018,

La Sorga
Antony Tortul loves old vineyards: he devotes his life to finding and vinifying them. Just as there are landless shepherds, he can be defined as a landless winegrower, in other words, a wine merchant whose scope 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 viticultural technician and oenologist in various vineyards in the south of France, he founded La Sorga in 2008. His enthusiasm leads him on a path filled with love at first sight, and each of these loves is a vineyard. The result is a stunning mosaic of natural, lively, and spirited wines, reinvented each year with around thirty cuvées per vintage. Few winemakers can boast such a wide variety of grape varieties: the entire south of France is represented, with muscats, grenaches, picpoul, mauzac, carignan, cinsault, marsanne, alicante, braucol, duras, viognier, len-de-l’el, and all the rest.
It comes from the clay-limestone terroirs of Montels, in the Gaillac appellation area, and is composed of seventy percent syrah and thirty percent sauvignon blanc. Vinification is carried out by blending whole bunches, manually destemmed berries, and a little press wine. Maceration takes place in vats for sixty days, followed by ten months of aging in sandstone jars and then a year in bottles. The nose is smoky, floral, with violets, and the palate is full of tension, with a fresh herbaceous note where we find the flowers announced by the nose. The finish is very tangy, deep and dense.
Natural wine without added sulfites.