Mineral

UL Ull de llebre Red 2020

Partida Creus
This wine is highly original: behind the minerality, (black) fruit, blueberry, and freshness, we notice very fine tannins and aromatic herbs. A serious wine, a little grave, but did you know that serious wines make you joyful? Its length on the palate is astonishing. Decanting is highly recommended so that this wine can play its own unique music, down to the finest notes. A recent creation, this red from Partida Creus is made from the ancient and indigenous grape variety called ull de llebre, which, you guessed it, means "hare's eye." What you might not guess is that this is the Catalan name for Tempranillo. It's actually an old local version of this very Iberian grape variety, which Massimo and Antonella have nurtured in their own way.

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Partida Creus is an important estate, both in terms of wine and history—we're talking about the history of the vine in Catalonia. Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, originally from Piedmont—and even from the Langhe region, where wine is well-known—first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug bit them, and they soon abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There they find a quantity of abandoned vineyards planted with a dizzying diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties that they passionately revive to save these varieties – and their wines – from oblivion. For them, it is not just a matter of heritage rescue, no: it is a matter of taste and nature. Of natural wines, which they will never stop making from now on on these sandy, poor, clay-limestone or clay-gravel soils, poor and poorly irrigated, where the vines suffer to give their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic viticulture, entirely manual and natural in order to give new life to these wines. Vinyater, sumoll, garrut, monastrell, ull de perdiu, ull de llebre, sumoll, queixal de llop, cariñena, trepat, subirat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel.lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel.lo: Partida Creus is a veritable conservatory of native Catalan grape varieties. It also grows moscatel, grenache, merlot and cabernet (among others). Few wineries can boast growing so many different grape varieties. The wines reflect this diversity, with the winemakers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety: single-variety wines are common among them, alongside extensive blends, all in the styles dear to Catalonia: still wine, "ancestral" sparkling wine, and even vermouth. The bottles themselves are works of art: bare glass, simply marked with two large stenciled initials that denote the vintage. The wines, fresh, vibrant, lush yet always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, exude life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits cries of satisfaction.

Saint Romain Sous Roche Red 2021

Domaine de Chassorney

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

Saint Romain Combe Bazin Qvevris White 2021

Domaine de Chassorney

A white Saint-Romain from a great climate is already a lot, but the same wine, vinified and aged in a qvevri (Georgian-style terracotta jar), acquires even more velvety, delicate, and honeyed notes. The nose is floral and beautifully mineral. White flowers, yellow fruits (Mirabelle plum, peach), and a hint of toasted brioche. On the palate, this white Saint-Romain, made from Chardonnays grown in the Combe Bazin locality, is intense, long, and flavorful; it bears the imprint of its beautiful terroir. This is a pure Chardonnay from a steep, east-facing plot between 280 and 400 meters above sea level. The soils are mainly marl, limestone, and clay. After skin maceration, the wine is aged in qvevri, which further accentuates its smoothness and finesse. The Combe Bazin climate is known for producing mineral, lively, sapid, and persistent wines, with the added bonus of Burgundian smoothness. If you give this wine a few years, it will develop a rich, honeyed, mellow, and distinguished note, but it is good to drink immediately.

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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 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 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.

Pet Nat White 2021

Domaine Einhart

We are proud to present the natural sparkling wine from Domaine Einhart, a true bouquet of Alsace grape varieties, floral and cheerful, yet based on a solid framework due to skin maceration: this gives a resolutely vinous, complex, and profound character to a type of wine (Pet Nat) better known for its light, fruity, and airy notes. This makes it a rather paradoxical vintage, a firmly planted orange wine, but with added bubbles—light and joyful bubbles that do nothing to diminish the paradox. This is a festive wine, yet very mineral, very earthy, which has many strings to its bow and is not reserved for festivities: it demands to be savored on its own and especially at the table. At 12.5% ABV, it is composed of Sylvaner, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris, entirely from the estate, harvested by hand. The vines, averaging thirty years old, grow on the muschelkalk soils of the Weingarten and Oberer Altenberg sites. Vinification begins with destemming, followed by a four-day maceration with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged in bottles, on slats, for ten months before disgorging. Serve chilled.

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Located in the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, horizontally above Strasbourg, the Einhart estate is a ten-hectare family property whose vines are found on the hillsides rising between the Alsace plain and the Vosges mountains. The soil is clay-limestone and rich in fossils (muschelkalk, i.e. shell limestone and oolitic limestone, and lettenkohle or dolomitic limestone). Since 1990, Nicolas Einhart has been at the helm, now assisted by his son Théo. True to his commitments to the TIFLO association, of which he is a co-founder, Nicolas devotes his winemaking work to protecting the land and biodiversity, making wine without additives, refusing harmful phytosanitary products, and maintaining ecological refuge areas. His estate has been certified organic since 2011. Like Jean-Marc Dreyer, he is firmly focused on skin maceration and produces white maceration wines (orange wines) in addition to a Pinot Noir red. Entirely manual harvests, destemming of the grapes, light punching down and delicate pressing are characteristic of the estate, as well as the separate vinification of each terroir, aging on lees and the absence of filtration before bottling. The wines are pure grape, lively, powerful, invigorating, and transcribe the minerality of the very beautiful terroirs of the Vosges foothills.

Magnum Saint Romain Sous le Chateau clos du cerisier White 2018,

Domaine de Chassorney

This Chardonnay comes from a steep plot located between 280 and 400 meters above sea level. The soils are mainly marl, limestone, and clay. After direct pressing, aging is approximately one year in barrels.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Samos Blanc 1958, Samos Cooperative

Sous le végétal

Here's a gem, a real gem. The Samos Cooperative is one of the oldest wine cooperatives in Greece, supplying all of Europe with sweet Muscat for several centuries. It has preserved this masterpiece, this sweet white made from Muscat Petit Grain harvested and vinified on the island, for sixty-five solid years, which is why it takes on the appearance of a red. This is because it is very old and its color has evolved over time, from amber gold to dark mahogany. Normal. Sumptuously aged and patinated, caressed by time, it is endowed with an uncommon aromatic power. This great cuvée for laying down has all the virtues of a very old sweet wine: vibrant, sweet and saline, superbly fresh, with a beautiful aromatic structure and great length. This meditation wine, which reveals all the authenticity of the island's mineral and volcanic terroir, is a perfect example of what time can do to a great muscat. It was on the occasion of the Sous le Végétal project that this nugget without additives, added sulfites or any other additives was offered to us by the Samos Cooperative. It was this same wine, if you refer to the history of the project, that inspired Jason Ligas with the idea.

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Beneath the vegetation lies the mineral: such is the meaning of this concept of natural cuvées created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team of friends gathered around winemakers Jason Ligas and Patrick Bouju. The successful venture marks a renaissance of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the North Aegean Sea, which owes its dense, wooded vegetation to various nicknames received in Antiquity, from Dryoussa ("covered with oaks") to Kyparissia ("covered with cypresses"), by way of Melamphyllos ("Dark-leaved"). This natural wealth covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks and notably basalts, limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast irons… The idea was born from Jason’s meeting with the Samos Wine Cooperative. Patrick Bouju soon joined the project. The five vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia, Alexandre and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos Muscat à petits grains (as well as Avgoustiatis for the red vintage and Asyrtiko for Alexandre), between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. Each plot is vinified separately. For vinification, four types of containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats and 500-liter barrels. Each lieu-dit is vinified in at least two of the four containers and the aging takes place in black bottles sealed with wax. No sulfur is added, no filtration: the winemakers of Samos rediscover wine as it was made in their childhood. This is one of the wonders of natural wine: it allows, through the most innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the A la Natural cuvées signed Patrick Bouju, without forgetting the 1958 vintage Muscat of Samos which inspired the project to the winemakers.

Adonis Rouge 2020

La Grapperie
After fifteen months of barrel aging, Adonis takes on a beautiful garnet color, giving way to a complex nose of red fruits: strawberry, cherry, and more. On the palate, it offers a beautiful structure between pepper and raspberry. Spicy and peppery, with a lovely sweet, yeasty note on the attack that adds to its deliciousness. Made from 100% Pineau d'Aunis, a fiery and light grape variety, one of the oldest in the Loire Valley, Adonis comes from old vines planted in the Coteaux du Loir appellation, on soils predominantly composed of clay and flint. The harvest is hand-picked and transported by horse. After destemming and light crushing, it is fermented with indigenous yeasts. Drink as an aperitif to warm up, or serve on the table for varied and refined pairings.

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In the Coteaux du Loir appellation, La Grapperie is the name of the estate of Renaud Guettier, who can be described as a master of Chenin, but also of Pineau d'Aunis, which is one of the oldest grape varieties in the Loire Valley. His principle, he confides, is "to produce complex, rich wines with good aging potential and imbued with the minerality of their terroir." The vines are located on hillsides, between 60 and 120 meters above sea level, protected from the north winds by the Bercé forest. Depending on the altitude, the terroirs are dominated by clay (at the bottom of the slope), flint (mid-slope), or sand (on the higher ground). The 60-hectare vineyard comprises around fifteen plots. The grape varieties are the two traditionally authorized varieties in the appellation: Chenin for the whites and Pineau d'Aunis for 90% of the reds, the remainder consisting of a few ares of Côt, Gamay, and Grolleau. The average age of the vines is seventy years, including almost two hectares of century-old vines and one and a half hectares of vines aged sixty to eighty years. Convinced of the enormous potential that these old vines can bring to his vintages, Renaud is meticulous in restoring the vineyard. The entire estate is cultivated organically. The soils are worked and all viticultural interventions are manual, including the harvests, carried out at full maturity, which is reflected in the fullness and smoothness of the wines. For the reds, the Pineaux d'Aunis are partially destemmed (depending on the plot) and the macerations are quite long, three to four weeks, with punching down, to promote aging potential. The wines are aged in barrels for between twelve and twenty-four months, then racked, blended and bottled without filtration. For the whites, the Chenins are pressed directly at low pressure and then poured into barrels by gravity. Fermentation takes place in barrels, on indigenous yeasts, with complete malolactic fermentation, for at least eighteen months and sometimes up to thirty-six months.

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

Bodegas Coruña del Conde

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

Saint Romain Combe Bazin Qvevris Blanc 2020,

Domaine de Chassorney

An exceptional Chardonnay, aged in Georgian jars

The Saint-Romain Combe Bazin Qvevris Blanc 2020 from Domaine de Chassorney is an exceptional cuvée that combines Burgundian elegance with the ancestral Georgian tradition of ageing in qvevris. This pure Chardonnay, from a steep, east-facing plot, draws its minerality and complexity from a soil composed of marl, clay, and limestone. At an altitude varying between 280 and 400 meters, this terroir gives the grapes vibrant tension and superb freshness.

Upon opening, the luminous golden color announces a wine of character. The nose reveals a beautiful aromatic palette, combining candied citrus, juicy pear, fresh almond and notes of flint, typical of great white Burgundy. The skin maceration, followed by ageing in qvevris, brings additional depth, enriching the texture with honeyed, spicy and slightly tannic nuances. On the palate, the balance is masterful: a beautiful mineral tension supports a full-bodied and structured wine, whose saline and persistent finish leaves an unforgettable impression.

A natural and unfiltered wine, this unique cuvée deserves to be decanted to reveal its full complexity. Served between 10 and 12°C, it pairs magnificently with pan-fried scallops, roasted lobster, truffle risotto, or creamed poultry. A rare, deep, and vibrant wine that will evolve gracefully over 5 to 10 years.

BN Blanco Natural White 2022,

Partida Creus

A fresh and vibrant Macabeu from the clay-limestone terroir of Catalonia
BN Blanco Natural 2022 is a pure and luminous interpretation of the Macabeu grape variety, produced in the sunny Bonastre region of Catalonia. This natural white wine, vinified using direct pressing and aged for 8 months in stainless steel vats, captures the essence of the clay-limestone terroir while revealing a fresh and thirst-quenching personality. With only 10% alcohol, it is part of the line of light, easy-drinking wines full of character.

Tasting: a brilliant freshness
BN Blanco Natural seduces with its aromatic delicacy. On the nose, it reveals notes of juicy pear, white flowers and a touch of minerality. On the palate, freshness dominates, supported by a well-balanced acidity and a silky texture. The subtly saline finish reflects the maritime character of its terroir. This wine is a true call to conviviality and simple pleasures.

An ideal wine for gourmet moments
This light white goes perfectly with grilled fish, seafood or delicate dishes made with fresh vegetables. It also goes wonderfully with summer salads, fresh cheeses or dishes with Mediterranean influences. Versatile, it can be enjoyed as an aperitif or with a meal.

Served chilled, between 10 and 12°C, this wine does not require decanting and can be enjoyed immediately. It also offers a good aging potential of 5 years, allowing its aromas to gain complexity over time.

Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Charmottes Red 2020,

Frédéric Cossard

This Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Charmottes 2020, by Frédéric Cossard, is a vibrant and natural expression of this prestigious appellation from the Côte de Nuits. Produced using unpretentious vinification, it reveals exceptional aromatic depth, combining floral finesse and fruity intensity.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC, an exceptional terroir

Renowned for its structured and expressive wines, the Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC offers powerful and distinguished reds with long aging potential. The Charmottes plot, located on deep clay-limestone soils, gives this wine a beautiful concentration and a satiny feel. In the old Burgundian dialect, "charmottes" or "charmes" refers to formerly fallow lands, now enhanced by the meticulous work of Frédéric Cossard.

A natural and elegant Pinot Noir

This 2020 vintage, produced through a whole-bunch maceration, expresses a captivating floral nose, blending peony and violet, before giving way to an explosion of fruit black like blackberry and blackcurrant. On the palate, the body is silky and supple, with tannins of rare elegance and a lingering finish marked by a subtle minerality.

A wine of character, to enjoy now or to keep

With its balanced structure and its aging potential of 5 to 10 years, this Nuits-Saint-Georges can be enjoyed young, for the purity of its fruit, or after a few years, for a more complex and refined expression. Serve between 16 and 18°C, it will perfectly accompany a grilled prime rib, duck breast with red fruits or game in sauce. A great Burgundy wine, in a natural and masterful interpretation.

La barrique du chat botté Red 2017

Lindenlaub

Bright, savory, fresh, and deep, this wine goes down fast. This Cuvée du Chat is a still red wine made from Alsace Pinot Noir, cultivated and vinified by Christophe Lindenlaub. The grapes are hand-harvested from the Sempel and Thomen plots, facing south on the Stierkopf terroir. These plots contain the oldest Pinot Noir vines on the Lindenlaub estate. The clay-limestone soil on a sandstone substrate refines and accentuates the wine's clarity, giving it a straightforward personality and plenty of character. The grapes spend two weeks in maceration tanks to extract their color, then age in stainless steel tanks. This vintage comes from the Lindenlaub estate via the Parisian-Burgundian wine merchant Le Chat botté & Co, which selects beautiful bottles each year for its “La Barrique du Chat botté” series, illustrated with a collector’s label.

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Christophe Lindenlaub succeeds his father Jacques at the head of their twelve-hectare wine estate, cultivated by their family for almost three centuries. Viticulture there dates back two centuries, the activity previously being mixed. The Lindenlaub estate is located in the village of Dorlisheim, near Molsheim and Mutzig, on splendid clay-limestone terroirs on sandstone bedrock. All the classic Alsatian grape varieties are cultivated, and all types of Alsace wines are produced, from still red or white wines to oxidative wines, pet' nat', sweet late harvest wines, crémant, and maceration wines. Christophe's commitment to making wines as close to nature as possible, with complete respect for the terroir, gradually led him to convert the estate—certified organic since 2012—to natural viticulture and vinification. A testament to this goal is the Ensö range, six natural single-varietal cuvées, under the sign of the Chinese ink circle specific to Zen mysticism. This series, Christophe explains, was born from a quest for personal fulfillment and the desire to impart an extra touch of soul to his wines.

Les Poupettes Red 2022,

Clos des B

A remarkably bright color and an equally brilliant aromatic palette! Produced in the Vin de France category and under the Écocert organic label, Les Poupettes is an organic and natural red made from 100% Grenache with no added sulfites, sourced from the Grimaud terroir in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. It is the result of a three-week carbonic maceration of the destemmed harvest in a closed stainless steel vat. No sulfites are added, either during vinification or bottling. Les Poupettes offers beautiful aromas of fresh fruit on the nose: raspberry, cherry, but also plenty of minerality due to the schist sands. The finesse of Grenache with a touch of flint that fits well into the overall picture. A round and delicious palate, plenty of freshness and an incredible rich and brilliant grenadine color.

Why “Les Poupettes”?

Under this pretty name, dedicated to the six granddaughters of Jean-Jacques Granger, nicknamed “the poupettes,” here is a magnificent glouglou, a true gift from the schist terroir of Grimaud, in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Les Poupettes is a light, pleasant, easy-drinking wine, a cuvée that demonstrates the decision to reduce deliberate extraction as much as possible. You can pair it with a good piece of roast pork, for example a fillet or a rack of Black Pork of Bigorre/Collectif Padouen.

Learn more about Clos des B

Clos des B (initials of the two owners) is an organic and natural wine estate located in Grimaud, in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Gwendolyn Berger and Jean-Jacques Branger are the happy producers of the very first natural cuvées from this geographical area. 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 say, 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 is under the Écocert label, applied for in 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, beautiful natural wines from the terroir of Provence.

AA Anonimo Ancestral Rosé 2018

Partida Creus
The olfactory and flavor notes of this Anonimo Ancestral evoke undergrowth, grass, and yeast, along with red fruit. This wine is a sparkling rosé with a creamy texture and fine bubbles, offering a magnificent mineral sensation on the palate, superb texture, and remarkable freshness that requires a very low serving temperature (8-10°C) in a Bordeaux or tulip glass. Obtained using the bottle refermentation method and aged for twelve months on fine lees, it is not filtered or sulfite-added. It is the result of a blend of several traditional Catalan grape varieties that differ depending on the color: for example, Xarel lo, Macabeu, Parellada, Moscatel, and Ull de Llebre. The blend and its proportions are subject to variation depending on the vintage. It pairs well with Mediterranean dishes, particularly those containing garlic, for example, snails Burgundy style, a Romesco sauce, cod aioli, etc. Anonimo Ancestral is a friend of all grilled dishes, including fish and seafood (octopus, squid, etc.).

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Partida Creus is an important estate, both in terms of wine and history – we are talking here about the history of the vine in Catalonia. Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, originally from Piedmont—and even from the Langhe region, where wine is well-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.

Magnum Cœur Brisé (Culinaries exclusivity) Rosé 2022

Aurélien Lefort

Le Litre Arbitre White 2020,

Château Lafitte

Le Litre Arbitre, a dry white wine with a strong aroma of white fruit and lemon, is deliciously mineral and lively, perfect for all occasions and also a joy to drink on its own. It's so perfect for gatherings with good friends that Château Lafitte decided to pour it directly into a one-liter bottle. The beverage is obtained by directly pressing different grape varieties from a very old, planted plot whose birth date is unknown. The blend includes the classic Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng grapes from the Jurançon terroir. The harvest is done among friends, the viticulture and winemaking (100% biodynamic) are done without the slightest addition of chemicals or sulfites. Fruity as desired, designed for the most intense conviviality, and not even a pinhead of added sulfites. This wine will keep for a very long time if given the chance.

To find out more

Château Lafitte is located in Béarn, on the noble terroir of Jurançon, the origin of superb sweet wines and dry wines that have nothing to envy. Since the 14th century, Monein, the commune where the estate is located, has been nestled in an exceptional natural, rich and hilly environment. In the 16th century, vines already occupied a significant part of the property, and they have persisted to this day. Philippe and Brigitte Arraou, the current owners, have undertaken to revive viticulture on the site, assisted since 2012 by their son Antoine, a winemaker as passionate as his parents. Château Lafitte is now managed biodynamically and with agroforestry: five hectares of marl-limestone soils typical of the appellation, on a hilly terrain that can become very cold in winter. The king grape varieties of Jurançon, Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, represent the majority of the grape varieties. Also typical of Jurançon and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques in general, viticulture en hautains, that is to say raised and trained very high, is practiced. As it was in many primitive vineyards, some of which are still active (Portugal, Spain, Georgia, etc.). On this beautiful estate, winemaking experiments are legion: aging in terracotta jars for dry wines, solera for sweet wines in untopped barrels, photovoltaic roofs for the cellar, rainwater harvesting, gravity-fed vinification. Château Lafitte produces sweet Jurançons as well as still dry wines and a very successful natural sparkling wine, Funambule.

Cerro las Monjas 1368 Red 2004,

Bodega Barranco Oscuro
Natural wine without added sulphites.

La Belle Egarée White 2022

La Grapperie

La Belle Égarée is an organic (Ecocert) and natural dry white wine from the Coteaux du Loir, made from Chenin Blanc, without any additives or inputs. It is produced by Renaud Guettier of La Grapperie in the Vin de France category.

Vinification

La Belle Égarée comes from a blend of old and young vines growing on clay-siliceous soils over limestone. The harvest is carried out by hand and is directly pressed, and the must ferments in barrels using indigenous yeasts. Fermentation is followed by one year of aging. No sulfites added at bottling.

Tasting

A superb white Chenin, fruity and mineral, La Belle Égarée is stunningly complex; it is a wine of pure poetry, a fairy tale, focused on roundness and maturity more than acidity. A floral nose of jasmine, hawthorn, and acacia, a palate all mirabelle plum, ripe apple, and white pineapple, with mineral touches of smoke and incense. And a well-managed oxidative touch, in addition to a little something bewitching that is quite difficult to explain. A chiseled, truly exceptional wine, to be reserved for the finest meals or drunk on its own. Pair it with the finest cuisine, that of special occasions. For example, caviar, bottarga, large smoked salmon, oysters. It will go very well with a bellota Iberian ham!

Learn more about Renaud Guettier and La Grapperie

In the Coteaux du Loir appellation, La Grapperie is the name of the estate of Renaud Guettier, who can be described as a master of Chenin, but also of Pineau d'Aunis, which is one of the oldest grape varieties in the Loire Valley.

The estate

Renaud's 60 hectares of hillside vines are protected from the north winds by the Bercé forest. Depending on the altitude, the terroirs are predominantly clay, flint, or sand. The grape varieties are the two traditionally authorized varieties in the appellation: Chenin for the whites and Pineau d'Aunis for 90% of the reds, the rest consisting of a few ares of Côt, Gamay, and Grolleau. Some vines are more than a hundred years old.

In the vineyard and the winery

The entire estate is organically cultivated. The soils are worked and all viticultural interventions are manual, including the harvest, carried out at full maturity, which is reflected in the fullness and smoothness of the wines. For the reds, the Pineaux d'Aunis are partially destemmed (depending on the plot) and the macerations are quite long, three to four weeks, with punching down, to promote aging potential. The wines are aged in barrels for between twelve and twenty-four months, then racked, blended, and bottled without filtration. For the whites, the Chenins are pressed directly at low pressure and then put into barrels with complete malolactic fermentation, for at least eighteen months, including malolactic fermentation, and sometimes up to thirty-six months.

Magnum Saint Romain Sous la Velle Red 2020,

Domaine de Chassorney

A bright and intense ruby color, a nose of small red fruits with a dominant cherry, this is a remarkable Saint-Romain from the Sous la Velle plot. The palate is lively, fleshy, and fruity, marked by some notes of sweet and peppery spices. The tannins are vigorous, yet fine and silky. The Saint-Romain appellation is located at altitude, on steep terrain. It is ideal for producing lively, lively, mineral, and very flavorful wines. Entirely Pinot Noir, this wine comes from a plot whose sloping terroir, facing south-southeast, is located between 280 and 400 meters above sea level. The soils are mainly marl, limestone, and clay. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. Aging is approximately one year in barrels.

To find out more
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 home, the soil and vines are worked as naturally as possible: regular horse-drawn ploughing, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for 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. 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.

Le Desordre Blanc White 2013

Domaine La Sorga

The vines for this Chardonnay from the upper Limoux valley grow on puddingstone soil. The grapes are pressed directly and then aged without topping up in old barrels for twenty-four months. Its mineral and briny notes, laden with spices and lemon, will complement fish in sauce. Aging potential: ten years.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Pairs with: Cooked fish