Last Chance

Vers la Maison Rouge 2019,

Jean-Yves Péron


Light color, beautiful aromatic richness with slight muscatel notes, tannic mouthfeel nicely rounded by barrel aging of several wines (which rounds out the tannins without oaking the wine). Vers la Maison rouge 2019 (the name comes from the main plot) retains the characteristics of the cuvée—a beautiful, lively, and energetic red wine, with great minerality, a clear and limpid appearance, almost rosé, offering notes of redcurrant and small red fruits on the palate—but due to its production, it has a more solid structure. Indeed, this is a special vintage of Vers la Maison rouge, a Mondeuse red wine vinified on skins in carbonic maceration but this time produced according to the principle of "repasse": after blending, a refermentation (or several successive refermentations) is carried out on grape marcs from various grape varieties. This operation produces reds with characteristics of macerated white wine (orange wine), particularly in terms of structure and structure. Here, the 2019 vintage, to avoid a volatile that risked appearing in this vintage, was put to referment on Mondeuse marcs, then Jacquère, and finally Muscat. This produces a clear, structured wine, closer to the desired color. To further melt the tannins, after refermentation on the marc, the wine is returned to barrels for aging for eight to ten months, which explains why this 2019 is being marketed in 2020. No filtration, fining, or addition of sulfites.

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Jean-Yves Péron embodies the natural renaissance of the beautiful Savoyard vineyard, which has long suffered from a somewhat flimsy image, not taken seriously enough. Yet, what treasures its varied soils and numerous ancient grape varieties produce!
Near Conflans, in Albertville (Savoie), Jean-Yves Péron skillfully combines committed viticulture and merchant winemaking, both under the banner of nature and high-altitude organic vines. Initially destined for a career in biochemistry, he quickly became drawn to 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. Jean-Yves' current vineyard, one and a half hectares biodynamic since the beginning, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little further down in the Isère Valley. Made up of micro-plots of vines, it is staggered between 350 m and 550 m above sea level and is worked entirely by hand. His trading activity, which he began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winemakers close to his home (such as Raphaël Marin and Adrien Dacquin). Also, the construction of a new winery in 2017 allows him to increase production and collaborate with winemakers from Northern Italy: Paolo Angelino in Casale Monferrato (Turin), Giorgio Barbero in Asti. This is a new dimension given to his work as a winemaker, allowing him to diversify the terroirs and 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.

Es d'aqui Nino Rouge 2019

Jean Louis Pinto
The attack is rustic and earthy, the finish fruity and complex. On the palate, this wine, which may seem austere in its early years, eventually develops a vegetal side, notes of candied fruit, and beautiful tannins. It is a 100% Braucol from the Gaillac region! The harvest comes from Permian clay-limestone and gravel soils located on the Grésigne dome. It macerates for two weeks in whole bunches in sandstone jars.

To find out more
A child of Ariège, Jean-Louis Pinto chose to stay in the country and make wines that resemble their terroir, hence the name Es d’Aqui (“It’s, it’s from here”) that he gave to his winemaking business, located in Moulin-Neuf, a town near Aude, between Mirepoix and Limoux. A region where vines once abounded, until the major mildew attacks at the beginning of the 20th century. Jean-Louis buys grapes grown organically by other winegrowers, his friends, in whom he has complete confidence. He doesn’t just buy the product, he monitors the fruit set, the ripening, and makes regular visits until August, in order to know the grapes before harvesting them. He vinifies it at home using natural methods, practicing long macerations with whole bunches. A three-week maceration is common for him, as are very gentle pressings in a vertical press. He says he has "a lot of vines in common" with his friend Anthony Tortul (La Sorga). His collection area extends throughout the Languedoc, particularly in the Hérault, around Adissan, Faugères and Saint-Chinian, as well as in the Aude (Limoux) and Tarn (Gaillac), two terroirs that are dear to him. It turns out that the typical Languedoc soils – schist, basalt, pebbles, clay-siliceous – particularly appeal to him for the freshness they give to the wines. "I make wines from the South," he says. I especially look for terroirs that give freshness, even if the wines are 14 degrees. " The grape varieties are, of course, typically Languedoc: Grenache, Carignan, Mauzac, Cinsault, Braucol, Duras and Sauvignon. The most powerful reds are made in five terracotta jars, which help him control the extraction and give his wines, he says, "a very crystalline side." The soil, the place, as we understand it, are of the utmost importance to him: once again, the name of his estate Es d'Aqui was not chosen by chance.

Volnay 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 as a wine merchant, 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 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 regions. At his place, the work of the soil and 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 AOC Volnay is perched on the heights of the Côte de Beaune. This wine comes from the Lurets plot, a steep terroir, facing west-southeast and located between 230 and 280 meters above sea level. The soils are mainly limestone, stony, ferruginous and reddish, and nourish magnificent vines of around fifty years old. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. The aging is about a year in barrels. The nose of black cherry delights, followed by candied fruits and peppery and sweet spices. On the palate, this wine is fresh, elegant, always full of Cossard-style fruit and silky tannins.
Natural wine without added sulfites.

Gevrey Chambertin les Genevrières Qvevris Rouge 2020,

Frédéric Cossard
Black fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry, peony, dark red rose… This Gevrey-Chambertin comes from vines growing in the beautiful Genevrières vineyard, which rests on a limestone base. Vinification in qvevri (buried jars) begins with two weeks of whole-bunch maceration, followed by gentle pressing to preserve the fruit. The terracotta gives even more velvety texture, sensuality, and complexity to a wine that already offered so much.

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Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undistorted by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful wine-growing practices, the winemaker used this counter-example to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of purity and elegance without artifice which are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked for a 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 merchant house 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 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. 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.

Puligny Montrachet Blanc 2019,

Fréderic Cossard
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 coveted wines, which sometimes need to be waited for.
Puligny-Montrachet is one of the most prestigious appellations of Burgundy; some wine lovers consider it the quintessential white. A marvelous fusion of richness and dryness, it has great aging potential. With age, its aromas lean more and more towards earthy, mineral, with smoky accents and a magnificent affinity with truffle. In the meantime, it's difficult to list its pairings, as this unique wine has the gift of harmonizing with everything that is good. Still young, reserve it for fine poultry and white meats.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Cuvée Mourvèdre Rouge 2021

Fréderic 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 one year in concrete eggs. A good wine for laying down.

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Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and wines of Burgundy, undistorted by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful wine-growing 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 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 trading house and bought 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.

Munjebel FM Rouge 2015, Frank Cornelissen
The Feudo di Mezzo plot, from which this Munjebel red comes, is very large. It is divided into two parts: the sottana, the lower part, and the soprana, or Porcaria, which is the upper part. Although relatively lower than the estate's other plots, it produces wines of remarkable elegance. The soil is quite deep, which can cause maturation problems in wet years, but the plot benefits from good ventilation, which compensates for this disadvantage. This wine is all Burgundian elegance and roundness, even in hot years: it is characterized by its finesse and adapts to the most varied dishes.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
The right product pairing: Oven-roasted Coucou de Rennes

Fond 1er Jus Rouge 2020,

Fond Cyprès
This Languedoc estate is built on solid foundations: its two winemakers, Rodolphe and Laetitia, are also descendants of winemakers. Even before planting their first vine, they already had a clear objective: "to produce southern wines that reflect our style, wines with character, rooted in our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They want to create entirely natural wines, concentrated expressions of terroir. In the heart of the ancient Corbières massif, they are taking over an old estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache grapes, which have seen neither fertilizer nor pesticides for years: these clean, vibrant soils are ideal conditions for launching into natural winemaking. Around this historic heart, they first planted Grenache Noir and Syrah, then a plot of white grape varieties: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne. The estate has been Ecocert certified since 2010 and also complies with the Nature & Progrès charter. The vinification is done without the addition of sulfites or exogenous yeasts. "We make wines for pleasure," say Laetitia and Rodolphe. For them, natural wine is first assessed by taste, from the harvest. The vintages closely follow the plots, the musts are fruity, fluid, and complex. The wines of Fond Cyprès poetically evoke the estate's ecosystem and the vegetation that protects the plots: the pine forests, the shady springs, the beauty of the natural environment that brings freshness to the wines and leaves the soil's signature. Deliciously balanced between mineral imprint, vegetal environment and fruit expression, the wines of Fond Cyprès reflect the South: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.
Premier Jus is a blend of Carignan and Grenache grown on marl-limestone soils. The two harvests are processed separately: the Carignan is macerated for two days in whole bunches, then added to the Grenache must in direct pressing and during fermentation. Everything is pressed directly. A six-month aging in barrels precedes bottling without the addition of sulfites. This wine is the very image of a gurgling pleasure: a juicy bomb that oscillates between light red and dark rosé. Fresh, fruity, delicious, addictive, it awakens the spirit dulled by the summer heat.
Natural wine without added sulfites.

L'Inattendue Geranium Liqueur,

Sentema Distillery

A delicately sweet rose geranium spirit
L'Inattendue, a unique creation from Sentema Distillery, is a refined liqueur made with rose geranium grown in Provence. This plant, infused in organic beer brandy, gives this spirit intense aromas of rose and lychee. The natural sweetness is provided by a concentrated grape must, for a perfect balance between aromatic richness and delicacy.

This spirit can be enjoyed neat, on ice or in a cocktail, and offers a true sensory journey, where each sip surprises with its complexity and elegance.

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The Sentema Distillery offers exceptional spirits, created on an eau-de-vie of organic wines from Provence, distilled by hand on copper pot stills, made entirely with French plants and fruits, for unique recipes with frank and natural flavors.

Les Cristallines William Pear Brandy

Domaine Brana

The Brana house, in the Basque country, is a staple of fruit brandies. Throughout the great Southwest of France and beyond, as far away as Paris and beyond, its name is immediately recognized as a classic of quality brandy. Established in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port for over a century, the house was originally dedicated to the wine and spirits trade. In 1974, Étienne and Adrienne Brana founded the distillery and planted a William pear orchard: the famous "Poire Brana" would soon be born. Later, their children, Martine and Jean, took over the business and developed the precious family know-how. While Martine, at the distillery, continued to innovate with fruits, spices, and plants, her brother Jean took care of the vines planted in 1984, in AOP Irouléguy. In addition to the wines, these terraced vines on the hillside are the source of the marc that makes the house brandy. "A Brana pear, please!" Many of us have heard this phrase on the terraces of our cafés or in the best bars. For many, the name Brana has become synonymous with pear brandy. To make it, pears from the Brana orchard, picked at the peak of ripeness, are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. The resulting pear wine is then kept away from air so as not to undergo any alteration before its distillation, carried out in red copper pot stills. This traditional slow process allows for strict control of the process to ensure the quality and finesse of the eau-de-vie. Similarly, aging is carried out in stainless steel vats to preserve the freshness of the fruit and to avoid any woody notes. Bottling takes place when the eau-de-vie reaches its optimal point of maturity. It is a nectar that is immediately recognizable on the nose by its crystalline finesse, its elegance, its aromatic power expressing the quintessence of the pear. One has the impression, from the attack, of biting into the fruit. The finish, smooth, fine and long, continues to send the pear signal with force. Perfect conclusion to a good meal. Consume well chilled, between 5 and 6 °C.

Bows Vodka Single HOP Aroc, Bows

BOWS Distillery
Notes of tropical fruits, cereals, and flowers (from Evil?) for a smooth, indulgent, rounded, and slightly spicy vodka. Slow distillation gives it its purity and freshness. Delicate notes of wheat emerge, ending with a long, herbaceous finish. Enjoy iced with caviar or, in a more Occitan style, with bottarga.

Les Poupettes Rouge 2021,

Clos des B
Beautiful aromas of fresh fruit: raspberry, cherry... A round and luscious palate, but the overall impression remains quite mineral. Plenty of freshness and an incredible clear and bright color. Under this mouth-watering name, here is a magnificent gurgling, a true gift from the terroir of Grimaud, in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Les Poupettes is a light, easy-drinking wine, perfectly suited to spring and summer. It is a cuvée that demonstrates the commitment to reducing deliberate extraction as much as possible. Produced in the Vin de France category, Les Poupettes is a 100% Grenache red resulting from a twenty-day carbonic maceration in a closed stainless steel vat, followed by destemming. No sulfites are added, either during vinification or bottling. Malolactic fermentation is complete.

To find out more
Clos des B (initials of the two owners, Gwendolyn Berger and Jean-Jacques Branger) is located in Grimaud, in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. They are therefore the proud producers of the very first natural cuvées from this geographical area. Those who know that this region is home to some interesting viticulture will avoid thinking of the celebrity seaside resort and poolside rosé: before the two Bs bought these three hectares of vines, all these wines went to the cooperative cellar of the Vignerons de Saint-Tropez. Driven by a "thirst for vines," as they put it, Gwendolyn and Jean-Jacques overcame administrative difficulties, restored the vineyard, and soon produced reds, rosés, and even a blanc de noirs. Their grape varieties are typical of the region: Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, growing on schist sands crisscrossed by quartz veins. The property benefits from a microclimate that protects the vines from humidity, disease, and frost. The viticulture and winemaking approach resolutely embraces organic (the estate has been in conversion since 2020), biodynamics, and natural methods. The wines are made without added sulfites, fining, or filtration. The wines of Clos des B are a true reflection of their terroir and climate: fresh, fruity, and very pleasant to drink.

Ivre de Vivre White 2021,

Domaine de l'Octavin

Ivre de vivre is made from a complex blend: 50% directly pressed Vermentino and 50% Roussanne and Marsanne macerated for ten days in whole bunches. The blend is made after fermentation and pressing of the Roussanne and Marsanne. The grapes come from Claude Ughetto's SCEA L'Authentique estate (Carpentras) and are vinified at Alice Bouvot's estate in Arbois. This wine includes a portion of skin maceration, which gives it a supple and pleasant texture. It presents tropical (green mango, ripe mango, lychee, mandarin), honeyed, citrus (orange and lemon), but also mineral notes: chalk, pebble, dry earth after the rain.

To find out more
“You don’t need anything,” says Alice Bouvot, winemaker at Domaine de l’Octavin, “just a grape that feels good in its skin.” Everything is said in favor of natural wine, it’s a perfect description. Created in 2005, Domaine d’Alice is located in Arbois, in this wine-growing Jura often described as the most organic vineyard in France. The habit of making – among other things – oxidative wines is a good preparation for natural wine, this type of wine does not allow any chemical additives and especially no sulfites. It’s a secret of this magnificent region. Originally spread over two hectares, the estate, managed entirely biodynamically (Demeter) since 2010, has expanded through the gradual acquisition of plots and now covers seven hectares.
An accomplished musician and passionate music lover, Alice intends to apply her musical sensitivity to the wines she makes. She draws a parallel between the technical perfection of conventional wines, which risks excluding feeling, while "a musician who does not know music theory and plays with his guts creates emotion." For her, living wine is like this: instinctive, improvised, emotional. Introduced to natural wine by Stéphane Planche, sommelier at chef Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois, she will faithfully follow this path. The sometimes whimsical titles of her vintages are inspired sometimes by musical art (Dorabella, Zerline), sometimes by the numerous plots of land that make up her vineyard (En Curon, Les Corvées, En Poussot, etc.), and do not disdain a pun from time to time. Likewise, the labels adorned with happy and salacious little gnomes are a signature of the estate. As for the grape varieties, they are the classics of the Jura - Poulsard, Trousseau, Pinot Noir for the reds, and Chardonnay, Savagnin for the whites. Alongside her Arbois wines, Alice has created a business of "on the vine" grapes (Ecocert certified) with her winegrower friends from the region. Natural, committed, joyful and highly drinkable, the wines of Alice Bouvot are all the more coveted as the vintages, produced in plot-by-plot mode, appear, disappear and reappear depending on the vintage and inspiration.

Art Brut - Sparkling White 2012

Bodega Barranco Oscuro
This natural sparkling wine is made from Vigiriega, a rustic, ancient grape variety native to the Canary Islands and Andalusia. The juice is vinified using the traditional method with two successive fermentations, the second being initiated by the addition of late harvest must from the same grape variety. A total of twelve months of slow fermentation, after which disgorgement is carried out without any additives. A superb wine for fried and grilled fish, and as an aperitif.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

SéRuM Rouge 2019,

Aurélien Lefort
Ready for the most advanced experiments, Aurélien Lefort has produced a small quantity of a sweet Gamay red (100% Auvergne Gamay) using a late harvest. The vines are over a hundred years old, planted in 1904 on red clay soils rich in quartz and granite sand (Lamouret location). The harvest takes place in November, with an alcohol content between 18 and 21%. Vinification is traditional: destemming, three months of maceration in vats, and three years of aging in barrels. Bottling was carried out at the end of October 2021.

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Established since 2011 in Madriat, near Boudes, in the southern part of Puy-de-Dôme, Aurélien Lefort is an artist (graduate of Fine Arts) passionate about wine and nature. After training with Michel Auger (Loire) and Patrick Bouju, he decided on Auvergne and took over the lease of abandoned vineyards. The Boudes region is an ancient wine-growing region, an exceptional volcanic terroir, warm and vibrant, exploited for nearly two thousand years. Aurélien's approach is to encourage the rebirth of this magnificent vineyard. He does so on small areas of stunning pedological diversity: basalt, granite, calcareous red clay, sandy and gravelly clay on quartz flows, and, at the foot of the hill, white marl clay. On this substrate, the Auvergne trilogy (gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay) takes my lion's share. In Aurélien's hands, the singular talent of Auvergne gamay, an ancient grape variety as dense and powerful as it is spicy, which finds a particular expression on these volcanic soils. His plots are grassed but mowed to control humidity, and the vine stocks are worked with a pickaxe to avoid suffocating the root system. The harvest, always manual, can last up to three weeks due to the meticulous sorting of the berries. It is at this price that Aurélien Lefort creates his rare and sought-after vintages, resulting from macerations that tend to be long (up to three months). Mostly red, sometimes sparkling, sometimes also mellow (late harvest reds), they always leave a lasting, even unforgettable, sensation.

Vin du conservatoire White 2024

La Tribu Alonso

Terroir, plot size and grape varieties

Nestled in the unexpected corners of Beaujolais, far from the clichés of ubiquitous Gamay, the 2024 Vin du Conservatoire unveils a little-known and profoundly vibrant facet of this generous land. Crafted by the Tribu Alonso, a collective of winemakers passionate about biodiversity and freedom, this still white wine draws its originality from an atypical plot where Grenache Blanc and Macabeu coexist in perfect harmony. But the magic also comes from a unique, symbiotic planting: Muscat Chardonnay, Floreal, Villard Blanc, and Alain Bouquet intertwine in a vegetal ballet that is both free and precise. Here, each grape variety plays its part in rhythm with the seasons, for a collective expression of the terroir, far from the beaten path.

Cultivation methods

The Tribu Alonso cultivates much more than grapes: it cultivates a philosophy. A philosophy of unconditional respect for all living things, without artifice or labels, but with a keen awareness of the winemaker's role as guardian of a fragile balance. No synthetic treatments, constant observation of the vines, and minimal intervention in the cellar: this is the credo of this committed tribe. Winemaking follows the same guiding principle, where the human hand guides rather than corrects. The result? A wine without makeup, naturally fermented, that expresses the richness of its ecosystem in every glass.

Tasting & pairings

From the first whiff, the 2024 Vin du Conservatoire captivates with its floral finesse: delicate violet, spring white blossoms, and a light whisper of ripe apricot that caresses the senses. On the palate, the tension is palpable, with a vibrant acidity that structures the wine without making it stiff. The texture is supple, almost caressing, carried by a subtly saline and lingering finish. One finds there that sensation of purity, like spring water flowing through living soil.

At the table, this characterful white wine is wonderful as an aperitif, where its freshness awakens the taste buds. It then reveals itself to be a perfect match for smoked fish, trout gravlax, or white meats with herbs, highlighting their aromas without ever overpowering them.

A rare, free and vibrant wine, which tells its own story of Beaujolais.