Last Chance

Cailloux Rouge 2020,

Patrick Bouju
Cailloux lives up to its name: it's a wild, smoky, long, and persistent red wine, marked by intensely mineral notes: pebbles, metal. However, the fruit is present and juicy. The overall impression is dense and concentrated; the wine can be drunk now but will still age for a few years. This cuvée is made from old Pinot Noir vines on basalt, marl-limestone, and sandy soils. Three-quarters of the harvest is destemmed, leaving the rest in whole bunches; the whole grapes macerate for one month in barrels. Serving temperature: 14-16°C. Open twenty minutes before tasting or decant.

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Near Billom, the Limagne clermontoise rises towards the east to form a hilly area with a mild climate, dominated by volcanic hills. This is the Auvergne Tuscany, so named because of its resemblance to the Italian province. This land of mixed subsistence farming was once covered with vines and was the preferred domain of Gamay d'Auvergne, a robust ancient strain, the origin of dense, deep and fruity wines. This is where Patrick Bouju cultivates and vinifies, on these high-quality volcanic soils and mainly on old vines. The soils vary between basalt, limestone, clay-limestone and pozzolan. Patrick collects and cares for the best terroirs of Puy-de-Dôme, often abandoned, and gives them new life. He also preserves native grape varieties, of which he cultivates a good fifty, and also works as a wine merchant using purchased organic grapes. The current renaissance of the Auvergne vineyard (which was once the third largest in France) owes a lot to Patrick. The fact that he likes to lend a hand to his winegrower friends in France and elsewhere only confirms his image as a model, a leader. His partnerships are famous: with Action Bronson for the A la Natural series, with Jason Ligas in Greece for Sous le Végétal… Patrick practices long macerations, and the wines rest for up to six months after bottling. Very sensitive to sulfites in wines, Patrick has found that his own wines do very well without them. He has also observed that if the grapes are healthy and concentrated, the balance is achieved on its own, regardless of the successive phases a vintage goes through. His noble, chiseled, distinguished, never bland wines are immediately recognizable in the glass. They are straight, clean, precise, often marked by floral notes and a spicy minerality. They also constitute a formidable anthology of the terroirs and ancient vines of Basse-Auvergne and its volcanic soils.

BN Blanco Natural Blanc 2020,

Partida Creus
This tangy, exotic, and aromatic white is made from 90% Macabeu and 10% Cartoixá Vermell. It evokes an avalanche of ripe yellow fruits—apricots in particular—orange blossom, and musky spices, balanced by delicate acidity and light tannins. Perfect as an aperitif or at the start of a meal, it has only 10% alcohol.

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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-versed—first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug tickled 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 number 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. For them, it's not just a matter of saving their heritage, 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, 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. There is also Moscatel, Grenache, Merlot and Cabernet (among others). Few wineries can boast of 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 varietals are common among them, alongside very rich 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 indicate 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.

SK Blanc 2019, Partida Creus
The Catalan winery Partida Creus is the creation of two Piedmontese natives from the Langhe (where wine is known), Antonella Gerosa and Massimo Marchiori, who first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug bit them, and soon they abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There they found a quantity 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. For them, it's not just a matter of heritage rescue, 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. This is why their estate is as important on a wine level as on a historical level – here we are talking about the history of the vine in Catalonia.
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. There are also Moscatel, Grenache, Merlot, and Cabernet (among others). 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 varietals 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 indicate 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 exclamations of joy. This splendid Alexandrian Muscat wine is vinified dry by Partida Creus. This is a white wine with a hint of orange, deliciously fresh, fragrant, and aromatic. The nose receives a hint of marzipan, and the palate confirms this sensation by adding complex notes: lychee, pear, flowering meadow, plenty of freshness and crunch. A long, satiny finish. It pairs very well with raw, grilled, or sauced fish, spicy dishes such as fish or poultry curries, and Middle Eastern, Indian, and Sichuan cuisines.

CX Cartoixa Blanc 2019,

Partida Creus
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. For them, it's not just a matter of heritage rescue: 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. This is why their estate is as important on a wine level as on a historical level – here we are talking about the history of the vine in Catalonia.
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 exclamations of joy.
This rarity is a still dry white wine made from Cartoixà Vermell (another identity of Xarel·lo Rosado, a traditional rosé grape variety) that explodes with freshness and extremely rich aromatic notes: white peach, rhubarb, strawberry and even papaya. A slight appetizing bitterness rewards this absolutely delicious wine that will perform equally well on its own and with food.

Fleur tropicale White 2018

Les Valseuses

Inspiration: a deeply soothing and voluptuous song by Francis Bebey. This whole-bunch macerated Jura Chardonnay evokes the same peace: sit back, glass in hand, and contemplate the beauty of the world.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

i Vicini Cortese Blanc 2019,

Jean-Yves Peron
For a long time, Savoyard wine suffered from a somewhat flimsy image, not taken seriously enough. Yet, what treasures its varied soils and numerous ancient grape varieties produce! Jean-Yves Péron embodies the renaissance of this beautiful vineyard. Living in Chevaline, near Lake Annecy, he skillfully combines committed viticulture and merchant winemaking, both with a focus on nature. His Mondeuse reds are magnificent, as are his whites made from ancient local grape varieties—Jacquère, Altesse, Bergeron, and Persan—no less so. He lives in Chevaline, but his current vineyard, three hectares biodynamic since the beginning, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little further downstream in the Isère valley.
Initially destined for a career in biochemistry, Jean-Yves quickly fell in love with the vine and trained as an oenologist in Bordeaux. He learned his trade as a winemaker with Thierry Allemand in Cornas, then with Bruno Schueller in Alsace, before spending some time in New Zealand and the United States. His trading activity, which began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winegrowers near his home, but also in Northern Italy: for him, it is a new dimension given to his work as a winemaker, allowing him to multiply the terroirs and to deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging. Jean-Yves Péron's winemaking follows the principles of minimal intervention. On narrow and steep surfaces, his mountain vines receive no synthetic products, Jean-Yves preferring horsetail and nettle manure. The surrounding vegetation is very rich: it protects the vines and helps to strengthen them. The soils are grassed, mown and reworked with a pickaxe and winch. The harvest is entirely manual. Once vatted in whole bunches, the grapes, both red and white, undergo a semi-carbonic maceration which allows the extraction of fresh fruit aromas. This maceration time varies between five days and nine weeks depending on the vintage. The day before or two days before pressing, Jean-Yves performs foot-treading directly in the vat. After this fermentation, the musts are sent to barrels for aging on lees for twelve months in five hundred liter barrels of two or three wines (to limit the oaky sensation), followed by blending and resting in vats. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered.
In 2017, Jean-Yves Péron decided to expand his range by collecting organic grapes in the heart of the Italian Piedmont. The result has been several vintages, including this 100% Cortese white, an ancient grape variety often associated with Trebbiano or Garganega. Cortese produces a quality wine, fresh and tangy, with a straw yellow color with greenish highlights. This vintage was harvested for the first time in 2019, in Asti, in a cool microclimate that allows for fairly late ripening and, particularly this year, harvests in early October. It is a light and fresh wine, very digestible, with an alcohol content between 10 and 11 degrees, making it very easy to drink. It has a minerality due to the terroir and notes of citrus, especially lemon zest.

La Petite Robe Blanc 2021

Jean Yves Peron
A dry, organic, biodynamic, and natural macerated white wine, La Petite Robe is produced in Savoie by Jean-Yves Péron. This is a 100% Jacquère white wine whose vines grow on clay-limestone soil, in the place called Les Marches, at the foot of Mont Granier.

Vinification
La Petite Robe comes from roughly the same terroir as that of Œillets, but it is harvested earlier. Carbonic maceration lasts fifteen days. The wine is aged for one year in 15-hectoliter tuns and barrels. Neither fined, nor filtered, nor sulfited.

Tasting
Wonderfully sweet and crisp, this is yet another great success from Jean-Yves Péron. There are actually two Petites Robes: the wine will be very different depending on whether it is in magnum or bottle. Jean-Yves likes to talk about this as an exercise in style. Here, in 75 cl, the Jacquère gives its opulent, gourmand, fruity, fleshy side, with volume on the palate. The Petite Robe offers notes of charcoal, white fruits, a beautiful balance and great intensity, combined with a note of controlled oxidation. This wine is ideal with raw or cooked seafood: the choice is wide, between smoked fish, tarama and seafood rillettes (Salmon de France).

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

High-altitude biodynamics
Jean-Yves Péron's work follows the principles of minimal intervention. On narrow and steep surfaces, his mountain vines in micro-plots, worked by hand, do not receive any 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 sent to barrels of two or three wines for aging for twelve months 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.

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

Saint Romain Combe Bazin Blanc 2019,

Domaine de Chassorney
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 unadulterated purity and elegance that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked as a wine broker for some time 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 trading house and buys organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais crus. The practice is not limited to Burgundy since vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. At his 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. Reds or whites, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and coveted wines, which sometimes require waiting.
This Chardonnay comes from a steep plot facing east between 280 and 400 meters above sea level. The soils are mainly marl, limestone and clay. After a skin maceration, the aging is about a year in barrels. This climate is known for producing mineral, lively, sapid and persistent wines, with the added bonus of Burgundian smoothness.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Danslezetoiles 2018, Es d'aqui Jean Louis Pinto
This blend of Braucol, Carignan, and Muscat grown on clay-limestone soils was vinified in amphorae. Notes of candied black fruits and leather are added to the fruity and herbaceous notes, to the delight of natural wine adventurers. Lots of aromatic presence, character, and originality.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Accompaniment: Organic Cul Noir pork sausage

Volnay 1er Cru Carelle Sous la Chapelle Red 2020

Domaine de Chassorney

Full of roundness, with a magnificent, refined, and airy bouquet, this superb premier cru Pinot Noir red wine comes from a sloping, west-facing plot at an altitude of approximately 280 meters, on marl-limestone soils. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. Aging is approximately one year in barrels. The name of the plot refers to the old chapel that can still be seen today on the side of the road leading to Monthélie, at the bottom of the village. The term "carelle" refers to the shape of the plot, from the Latin quadrus, "square".

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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 as a wine broker for some time before creating the Domaine de Chassorney with his partner Laure in 1996: initially a few ares of vines in Saint-Romain, Auxey-Duresses and Savigny-lès-Beaune, and currently ten hectares spread across the Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pommard, Volnay, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Bourgogne appellations. In 2006, he created his own wine trading house and buys organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais crus. The practice is not limited to Burgundy since vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. At his place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular ploughing 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 coveted wines, which sometimes require waiting.

Volnay 1er Cru Les Lurets - Red 2019,

Domaine de Chassorney
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 some time 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 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 exercise is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. 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. Reds or whites, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.
The Lurets plot, in AOC Volnay, produced this Pinot Noir. Its steep terroir, facing west-southeast, is located between 230 and 280 meters above sea level. The soils are primarily composed of pink limestone supported by white schist pebbles. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. Aging is approximately one year in barrels. This wine is as fleshy as you like, bursting with red and black fruits. It is elegant, subtle, complex, and harmonious.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Volnay 1er Cru Carelle Sous la Chapelle Rouge 2019

Domaine de Chassorney
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 as a wine broker for some time 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 trading house and buys organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais crus. The practice is not limited to Burgundy since vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. At his 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. Reds or whites, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting. This Pinot Noir, classified as a premier cru, comes from a steep, west-facing plot at an altitude of approximately 280 meters, on marl-limestone soils. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. Aging is approximately one year in barrels. The name of the plot refers to the old chapel that can still be seen today on the edge of the road leading to Monthélie, in the lower part of the village. "Carelle" refers to the shape of the plot, from the Latin quadrus, "square".
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Magnum Bigotes Bourgogne Blanc 2018, Frederic Cossard
The Bigotes white is made from a small plot of Chardonnay in the Bourgogne regional appellation. It is, in a way, the white counterpart of the Bedeau red. The aromatic attack is distinctly lemony and continues with yellow fruits. On the palate, tension, fullness, indulgence, a little fat and a lot of persistence. For a generic, it soars at a good height.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Pairs with: Grilled fish, Oysters and Shellfish

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.

To find out more
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.