Last Chance

Le Grenache du Bois Saint Jaume Rouge 2021

Fond Cyprès
Fresh, delicious, supple, intense, balanced, and with a surprising length on the palate, this beautiful red Grenache in Vin de France is perfect for drinking or keeping. Delicate and velvety, it offers beautifully blended tannins and a magnificent balance with notes of undergrowth and garrigue plants. It has the generous and caressing character of its grape variety. It is a good example of the "forest" wines of Fond Cyprès, marked not only by their grape varieties but also by the wooded and windy environment that refreshed the grapes' growth. After hand-harvesting, destemming the grapes, and fermenting for four weeks in concrete vats, the wine spends ten months aging in old barrels. It comes from a sandy plot of Grenache vines surrounded by a forest and a biodynamic olive grove. It is aged for nine to twelve months in old 228-liter demi-muids, which have the advantage of not oaking the wine but ensuring a comfortable, gentle aging process.

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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 have a clear objective: "to produce southern wines that reflect us, wines with character, attached to our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They want to obtain entirely natural wines, concentrates of terroir. In the old Corbières massif, they took over an old heart of an estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache vines, which had seen neither fertilizer nor pesticides for years: these clean and vibrant soils are ideal conditions for launching into natural wine. Around this historic heart, they first planted Grenache Noir and Syrah, then a plot of white grape varieties: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne. The estate has been Ecocert certified since 2010 and also complies with the Nature & Progrès charter. Vinification is carried out without the addition of sulfites or exogenous yeasts. "We make wines for pleasure," say Laetitia and Rodolphe. For them, natural wine is first evaluated by taste, from the harvest. The vintages closely follow the plots, the musts are fruity, fluid, and complex. Fond Cyprès wines poetically evoke the estate's ecosystem and the vegetation that protects the plots: pine forests, shaded springs, the beauty of the natural environment that brings freshness to the wines and leaves the signature of the soil. Deliciously balanced between mineral imprint, plant environment and fruit expression, Fond Cyprès wines reflect the South: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.

Magnum Susucaru Rosato Rosé 2021,

Franck Cornelissen
The color is intense pink, the nose carries citrus and white flowers, and the palate is fruity, dense, fresh, and delicious, with that delicate bitterness and melancholic bite that is the signature of this wine. Many aficionados are impatiently waiting for each vintage of this emblematic cuvée from the master of Etna, and some couldn't imagine their aperitif without it. Susucaru rosato delights rosé lovers and lesser fans alike, those familiar with natural wines and beginners alike. Can we really call it a rosé? Technically yes, in terms of taste and color, this little marvel is both a rosé and a thirst-quenching red. 25% Inzolia, 25% Malvasia, 25% Nerello Mascalese, 25% Moscadella, and all the vines grow directly on the slopes of Etna. A cuvée that remains true to itself.

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

Les Orgues Rouge 2019,

Frédéric Gounan
Fruit, minerality, straightforwardness, clean and flavorful red fruits: the volcanic and mineral expression of basalt soils through Pinot Noir, unique to Auvergne, is incomparable. Les Orgues is a pure Auvergne Pinot Noir produced biodynamically on clay-limestone soils rich in granite and basalt. The harvest is crushed and vinified in whole bunches. Aging in barrels is thirty months. This wine calls for traditional hearty dishes, stews, soups with Fourme d'Ambert, pountis or sausages in brioche.

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Coming from a family of farmers established in the commune of Saint-Sandoux (Puy-de-Dôme) for at least two centuries, Frédéric Gounan was in his first life a mechanic and prototype creator for the French motorcycle brand Voxan, whose headquarters were in Issoire. He turned away from the industrial world to devote himself to wine with his partner Caroline. He intends to take advantage of the magnificent terroirs of his native village, far from "pissing the vines", as was done in the past: he notes that everything that comes from this land has exceptional taste qualities. He took over plots of Gamay from Auvergne, planted other grape varieties, and ended up producing vintages that are among the tastiest and most sought-after in Auvergne. On this land of the Chaîne des Puys, Pinot Noirs grow on black basalt soils, while Sauvignons and Pinot Gris grow on white clay-limestone soils with basalt pebbles. A fan of organic and biodynamic farming, Frédéric also applies methods that he considers appropriate to the climate and terroir: to facilitate photosynthesis in this harsh and contrasting climate, he practices lyre trellising, which allows the vines' foliage to be aerated and exposed to the sun, guaranteeing ripe fruit at harvest. Always a mechanic at heart, he makes his tools and tinkers with his tractors according to his needs. Its wines are rare and distinguished, highly sought after by connoisseurs: small estate (less than two hectares), small production (by volume, not by spirit).

Syrah Rouge 2019,

Domaine des Miquettes
Domaine des Miquettes creatively and passionately combines the terroir and winemaking traditions of the Rhône with those of Georgia, whose viticulture is a model for Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille, the estate's founders. Located in Ardèche, south of the Saint-Joseph appellation, Paul trained with René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two leading figures in 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, while the red grape varieties are planted on steep slopes, 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 grown organically (Ecocert) using biodynamic practices. The vines are cared for and fortified with plant and clay decoctions. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work. The harvest is entirely manual.
The great specificity of the Domaine des Miquettes remains the use of Georgian techniques, inspired by their passion for 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 discover 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, terracotta erases astringency and transmutes it into a velvety texture, a fruity and supple substance.
A Syrah of noble simplicity. Produced from vines planted in Ardèche, on plots with light soils of black mica granite, schist and gneiss on a granite base, this French wine seduces with a nose of red fruits that continues with a velvety, peppery and raspberry palate.

DH white 2013, Yann Durieux
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Les Bonnes Quilles Blanc 2021

Domaine Bois Moisset
The Bois-Moisset estate presents this new cuvée, the aptly named Les Bonnes Quilles. A rich yet dry white wine, as the Southwest, and particularly the Gaillac region, knows how to make. At once fresh, robust, and pleasant, this white wine, classified as a Vin de France, offers superb aromas on both the nose and the palate. A wine for friends and good food, with a sunny and convivial profile. It is a blend of three white grape varieties, the two main ones—Sauvignon and Muscadelle—of which are common in the Southwest of France. The third, at 10%, is the indigenous Gaillac grape variety Len-de-l’el (far-from-the-eye), so named because of the length of its stalk. 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 the Loin-de-l'Oeil is destemmed and macerated on the skins for eight weeks. The two vats are blended at bottling, with the macerated Loin-de-l'Oeil acting as a spice.

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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.

Pimpant Rouge 2020,

Domaine Capmartin
Sixty percent Syrah, ten percent Grenache, twenty percent Tannat, and a hint of mystery grape variety that provides the spice; Pimpant, in the Côtes-de-Gascogne appellation, lives up to its name and brings with it the joy of living. Made from a blend of several high-quality plots, it grows on north-facing clay-gravel soils and rolled pebbles on red clay. The average age of the vines is ten years. The use of cover crops helps loosen the soil and provides nutritional support, alternating with natural grass cover. The harvest is destemmed and macerated carbonically before being aged for six months on lees in stainless steel vats. No additives or sulfur are added. In creating this wine, Domaine Capmartin wanted to offer us a non-appellation cuvée entirely intended for pleasure, sharing, and conviviality. It is the result of blending several plots and is intended to be accessible, fruity, light, and unpretentious. "The bottle you open as an aperitif when you don't want to worry," says Simon Capmartin. It's a wine you uncork when you want to be very kind to yourself and to others. But drink it within the year, that's the winemaker's advice.

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Guy Capmartin settled in 1985 in the former convent of Maumusson-Laguian, in the Gers, to exploit the magnificent surrounding soils, from which he would soon produce highly acclaimed wines in the Madiran and Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bilh appellations. In 1987, Tradition, his first vintage, was born. By the 2000s, he had decided to work exclusively in organic and biodynamic agriculture, a decision reinforced and entrenched by his son Simon, who took over. The wines were noted and received numerous awards. Certification was obtained in 2013, and the Demeter label is in progress. Taking advantage of his most specific plots on the estate, Simon also began to produce natural vintages, without inputs and according to the principle of minimal interventionism. Labeled Vin de France or Côtes-de-Gascogne, these are the vintages we offer at Culinaries.
The estate's grape varieties are organized around Tannat, the king of Madiran, surrounded by a palette as rich and diverse as the estate's soils: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, a little Syrah and Grenache Noir, plus a few old red vines currently being identified. A plot of tannat, located on a very fine and very supple clay-marl soil with gravel, is pre-phylloxera. For the white, Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng and Petit Courbu, as well as, for the Côtes-de-Gascogne, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Viognier.
The main objective of the Capmartin estate is to make frank, fruity, authentic and honest wines, perfectly reflecting their terroir, which explains the parcel-based nature of the wines under the appellation: one parcel corresponds to one vintage, and vice versa. This also explains the number and variety of vintages.

Canotière Red 2021

Danis dans la vigne

Canotière is an organic and natural Cahors red wine produced by Danis Bessières (Danis dans la vigne) in the Vin de France category. It is part of his "Esprit du lieu" range of single-plot cuvées. The name of this cuvée alludes to the puppies that attack the grape pickers and to the meandering Lot River near the plot.

Vinification

The plot from which Canotière comes, on the banks of the Lot, is planted with Malbec, the emblematic grape variety of Cahors. Danis' single-plot cuvées are vinified by Danis with a certain neutrality, adapted to the grape variety, in order to highlight the vintage and the place. They are often "easier" than other cuvées.

Tasting

Canotière is a beautiful red wine from Cahors that has the particularity of not emphasizing the density of the grape variety. The somewhat delicate conditions of the vintage produced a refreshing, vegetal and minty wine. The olfactory attack evokes a mentholated chewing gum and the palate is very pleasant, fresh, fruity and herbaceous, with a cherry side without excess ripeness.

Learn more about Danis dans la vigne

Under the name Danis dans la vigne, Danis Bessières vinifies organic grapes from the family property, the Domaine de l’Antenet, which was the first organic vineyard in Cahors in the early 1980s.

Organic and natural since 1983

Danis respects the principles established in the vineyard and cellar by his grandfather and then his father: making wines without additives, organic and natural, from the grape varieties of the terroir while respecting the environment. It was in 1983 that his grandfather obtained the organic label Lemaire-Boucher, followed by Nature & Progress followed by AB and Eurofeuille organic labels. Danis Bessières continues this momentum.

Malbec, but not only

Malbec reigns supreme in the Cahors region, but Danis also uses Cabernets, Jurançon Noir, Merlot, and recently created grape varieties, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Colombard as single-varietals. These experiments allow him to moderate the density and opacity of the main grape variety.

Perspectives White 2024

Domaine de la Sorbiere

A Burgundy that opens up new horizons

Perspectives is a rare and luminous cuvée, originating from the Bourgogne AOC, but boasting a unique perspective. The plot, located at the southernmost edge of the appellation, borders Beaujolais. From there, the view encompasses a 360-degree panorama of two great wine regions: Burgundy and Beaujolais. It is this expansive vision, this sense of space and balance, that this wine seeks to convey.

Purity of Chardonnay, ancestral aging

Made from Chardonnay grapes grown without synthetic inputs on schist soils, Perspective benefits from natural vinification using direct pressing, followed by six months of aging in amphorae, which gives it a limpid texture and striking mineral tension. No superfluous oenological intervention: here, only indigenous yeasts orchestrate the fermentation, allowing the terroir to express itself freely.
A vibrant white, full of freshness
On tasting, the wine is clear, bright, and a pale yellow with silvery highlights. The nose opens with delicate notes of honeysuckle, fresh lemon, and a touch of salinity reminiscent of sea spray. On the palate, a wave of freshness, taut and tangy, almost crystalline, accompanies a lovely fruity depth. The finish is clean, long, and mouthwatering.

Suitable for large gatherings as well as for aperitifs

This characterful white wine pairs equally well with shellfish, cooked fish, or mushrooms, as with white meats or soft cheeses. Served chilled, it reveals its full gastronomic potential and can be aged for 5 to 10 years without any problem.

Sans Pression Sparkling White 2024,

Domaine Bois Moisset

In the tradition of Gaillac sparkling wines, Domaine Bois Moisset, certified organic (Eurofeuille), produces a fresh and elegant natural sparkling wine. Sans Pression 2024, made from local Mauzac and Len de l’Œil grape varieties, expresses all the authenticity of the Occitan terroir, with a natural and respectful approach.

A very fine Pet' Nat'

This wine is produced using the ancestral method, with direct pressing of the grapes before spontaneous fermentation. After three weeks of aging in wooden vats, the fermentation takes place naturally, without the addition of yeast or sulfites. The result is a fine, refreshing bubble, offering beautiful aromatic purity and thirst-quenching acidity.

An expressive nose and an invigorating palate

On the nose, Sans Pression reveals lively notes of citrus and fresh apple, the signature of Mauzac and Len de l’Œil. On the palate, the balance is perfect between chiseled acidity and delicate bubbles, bringing lightness and dynamism. The long, airy finish invites conviviality.

Tasting moments

Served chilled, between 8°C and 10°C, this organic natural sparkling wine is the ideal ally for a festive aperitif or a dinner with friends. Its liveliness also makes it an excellent companion for light appetizers, fresh cheeses or seafood. With an aging potential of 5 years, it will retain its brightness and freshness.

i Vicini Cortese White 2021

Jean Yves Peron

This is a dry white wine from Jean-Yves Péron, organic, biodynamic, and natural, vinified in Savoie from organic Cortese grapes harvested in Piedmont. It is a merchant cuvée from the I Vicini series. The grapes come from Asti, in a cool microclimate that allows for relatively late ripening.

Vinification

Cortese is an ancient grape variety often associated with Trebbiano or Garganega. It produces a quality wine, fresh and tangy, with a straw-yellow color with greenish highlights. Here it undergoes two weeks of carbonic maceration and spends a year aging in 34 hectoliter tuns. No fining, no filtration, no addition of sulfites.

Tasting

I Vicini Cortese is a light and fresh wine, very digestible, with an alcohol content between 10 and 11 degrees, making it easy to drink. It has a minerality due to the terroir and notes of citrus, especially lemon zest. A perfect companion for tapas and the most refined starters, shellfish and caviars.

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 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. The grapes are vatted in whole bunches and undergo semi-carbonic maceration. Shortly before pressing, they are foot-trodden in the vat, then transferred to two- or three-wine barrels for twelve months of aging on lees, before blending and resting in the vat. 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 from Northern Italy: this is the I Vicini series, which allows him to diversify the terroirs and deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging.

Syrah Light Red 2016,

Domaine Le temps retrouvé

A high-flying Syrah. Produced from clay-limestone plots in the Banyuls region, the Syrah Light cuvée is distinguished, as its name suggests, by its freshness and a lightness worthy of a romance novel. Slightly peppery notes appear on the nose, and aromas of blackcurrant and black berries appear on the palate.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Toile de Fond (exclusive vintage) Red 2024

Fond Cyprès

The vibrancy of the south, natural version

At the foot of the Corbières mountains, the Fond Cyprès estate produces a 2024 red wine imbued with freedom and energy. This natural wine, certified organic (AB), is born on sun-drenched clay-limestone soils, with total respect for the environment: soil cultivation without synthetic products, hand-harvesting, and vinification using short maceration without added yeasts or oenological additives. Here, the fruit expresses itself in all its purity, without artifice.

The Mediterranean trio – Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah – yields a wonderfully fresh wine, with a slightly spicier profile than the previous vintage. Its clear ruby color heralds a youthful and vibrant wine. On the nose, an immediate bouquet of red fruits (cherry, raspberry) mingles with a herbaceous and peppery touch reminiscent of garrigue paths after the rain. The palate, fluid and lively, seduces with its drinkability: smooth tannins, lovely acidity, and a clean finish of sweet spices. A wine that doesn't seek effect but rather the pure expression of the terroir.

Served at 16-18°C, it pairs equally well with grilled red meat or as an aperitif with friends, featuring fine charcuterie. This vintage requires no decanting and can be enjoyed now, but will gain complexity over the years, with an aging potential of 5 to 10 years.

Bain de Bulles Artemus Ka White 2021,

Fréderic Cossard

Sparkling, flavorful, fresh, dry, but without abandoning the opulent side of its grape variety... In Frédéric Cossard's "Bain de Bulles" series, bringing together excellent sparkling wines from the négociant family, we ask for Artemus Ka. But who exactly is it? The answer is obvious: arte is art, and mus ka is... muscat, the base grape variety of this beautiful natural sparkling wine. For parties, large aperitifs, joyful meals and all kinds of excesses.

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Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed 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 for some time as a wine broker 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, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura, Languedoc, and elsewhere. At his farm, the soil and vines are worked as naturally as possible: regular horse-drawn ploughing, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are tended 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. 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.

Temporis Blanc Champagne,

Eric Collinet
This Temporis cuvée, produced by Éric Collinet, is an organic, biodynamic, and natural extra-brut white champagne (AB, Eurofeuille, and Ecocert certified). Sourced from the Riceys terroir in Côte des Bar, it is made from Pinot Noir with 2% Chardonnay.

The Trace of Limestone
The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines grow on Kimmeridgian clay-limestone soils, which give the wines minerality and tension. The wines are from the 2018 harvest. The cuvée takes its name from the time it took to wait for it... It is in fact from the 2014 harvest and was disgorged in 2017. Dosage: 4.3 g/l.

A champagne for all occasions
The beautiful, pure gold color with gray highlights is accompanied by a beautifully fruity nose: green pear, mirabelle plum, damson plum. The nose then offers notes of ripe wheat with a touch of brioche. The first contact with the bubbles is delicate, silky, and seductive. On the palate, the aromatic profile confirms the olfactory sensations. This chiseled, complete champagne can be paired with all dishes. Don't rack your brains to pair it as long as you stick to light, seafood and refined cuisine: White meats, fish in creamy sauce, cold-smoked scallops, smoked salmon, caviar, risotto. Best enjoyed at around 10-12°C.

Learn more about Éric Collinet champagnes
Limousin, established in Southern Champagne "for the love of the land and the king of wines", Éric Collinet devotes himself to viticulture on this land in Les Riceys, in Côte des Bar, combining it with truffle cultivation (Burgundy truffle, Tuber uncinatum). Whether it is vines or mycorrhizal trees, it is the same love of nature and biodiversity that Éric and his wife Martine lavish on their estate.

Champagne agroforestry
On sloping land, planting trees in the vines helps to anchor them and compensate for water loss during increasingly hot summers. The dominant grape variety is Pinot Noir, a regional tradition, with Chardonnay making up 20%. The entire estate (2.5 hectares of vines) has been managed organically (AB, Eurofeuille, Ecocert) and biodynamically since 2014.

The charm of the Côte des Bar
A remarkable freshness and salinity, a well-known signature of the Kimmeridgian limestone of the Côte des Bar, the "emerging" region of Champagne. The champagnes from Domaine Collinet are unanimously described as lively and fruity. These are tangy but not unrounded wines, with a lively bubble. A perfect accompaniment to all dishes, a great opportunity to have champagne meals without having to worry too much about the pairings.

Cuvée Mourvèdre Red 2022

Fréderic Cossard

Frédéric Cossard's Cuvée M Mourvèdre is an organic and natural red wine made from Mourvèdre from the Mont Ventoux region in the lower Rhône Valley, and vinified in Burgundy. This is an excellent wine for laying down, with presence and personality.

Vinification

One hundred percent organic Mourvèdre from the southern Rhône Valley, harvested by hand, M Mourvèdre is macerated in whole bunches in a prefermentative manner, then fermented for a long time using indigenous yeasts and aged for one year in concrete eggs. No sulfites are added.

Tasting

Nicely structured, M Mourvèdre offers very fresh fruit (blackberry, raspberry) and ripe, fine tannins. Secondary notes of Mediterranean plants. Elegant and dense, yet fluid, this very tasty natural wine will be perfect for all your dinner parties, barbecues, and gourmet celebrations. He likes grilled Red Meats, black truffles, cold meats and cured meats, but you can make a (high-end) all-terrain table wine with it.

Learn more about Frédéric Cossard and the Domaine de Chassorney

Frédéric Cossard and the Domaine de Chassorney gives voice in organic and natural mode to the terroirs and wines of Burgundy and elsewhere, undistorted by agricultural chemistry, according to the style and convictions of this winegrower and merchant. Wherever his grapes come from, his wines bear the Cossard brand, both classic and innovative.

Between viticulture and trade

Frédéric Cossard created the Chassorney estate 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 trading house and buys organic grapes from the greatest climates of Burgundy, but also from Jura, Languedoc and elsewhere.

A solid commitment to nature

At Frédéric Cossard, the work of the soil and the vines is done naturally: plowing by horse, no chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are tended biodynamically, the harvest is manual, carried out at full maturity. Frédéric Cossard's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, always highly anticipated but which sometimes require waiting.

Lune Rayée Red 2021,

Pic Epeiche

The 2021 edition of Lune Rayée from the Pic-Épeiche estate (Haut-Layon, Anjou) is a continuation of the previous vintage, but denser and more intense. This natural cuvée is traditionally produced, 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 2021, from the Pic-Épeiche estate, was produced without any inputs to the vineyard except for a little Bordeaux mixture as needed, and without sulfites added to the vinification. Semicarbonic maceration lasts 16 days, followed by a long fermentation in vats using indigenous yeasts. Aging takes place on lees for eleven months, with passage through a vertical press in between.

Tasting

The color of Lune Rayée 2021 is significantly darker than that of the previous vintage. Extraction has been a little more extensive, which intensifies the minerality and structure of the wine. The color remains brilliant, a beautiful, clear ruby. On the palate, there is always this savory, fruity length (still and always fresh strawberries), a marked structure and a saline finish. Lune Rayée 2021 from the Pic-Épeiche estate is a lively and intense wine, with a red fruit structure. This wine without additives is ready to compete with local cuisine — coq au vin for example — but also with local charcuterie and cured meats , which it will enhance as an aperitif. The best would be a roasted squab . Serve slightly chilled.

Learn more about the Pic-Épeiche estate

Entirely natural, prepared in a traditional and artisanal way, the Pic-Épeiche estate is located in Haut-Layon, in Anjou. It is run by Jean-Baptiste Peltier, who learned the trade from Jérôme Lambert https://culinaries.fr/producteurs/jerome-lambert/ and Patrick Desplats: yet another fine example of a natural, non-interventionist wine estate in this Loire region where there are many.

Vineyard and cellar

Very little intervention, therefore, but a lot of vigilance: "We accompany 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. The macerations are short but the 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.