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The genesis of wine is often traced back to the seventh millennium BCE, in the Caucasus, where wine was aged in qvevris (or kvrevris), large jars of 3500 liters buried in the ground. Traditionally, wine has always been what we now consider organic, but the term "organic wine" appeared at the end of the 20th century, in reaction to the hyper-industrialization of wine. Indeed, it was in a context of wine globalization after the Second World War that wine production began to flood the global market with wines full of additives and synthetic chemicals to achieve higher yields and more standardized production, known as conventional wine. Organic wine is therefore a logical response to conventional wine; it aims to be more environmentally friendly and adheres to strict specifications governing wine production.
Organic wine is therefore a wine (red wine, white wine, rosé wine, orange wine, sparkling wine) made from organic farming. Organic wine first met the European specifications of 1991, which governed the principles of organic farming only in the vineyard. It was not until 2012 that new European specifications were published, this time stipulating organic farming regulations also in the cellar.
As mentioned above, wine from organic farming has theoretically always existed, but it is only since 2012 that it has been regulated and controlled by strict specifications in both the vineyard and the cellar. To summarize its obligations, organic wine must be made from certified organic grapes, as well as the sugar, must, or alcohol used during chaptalization and mutage. Also, its specifications prohibit certain winemaking practices such as de-alcoholization, electrodialysis, or thermovinification. The European Union also mandates a sulfite level 50 milligrams per liter lower than conventional wines, i.e., a maximum of 100 milligrams per liter for organic red wines and a maximum of 150 milligrams per liter for organic white wines.
The organic sector is booming, representing nearly 10% of global vineyard area in 2021 with growth of +3.2% compared to 2020 and +78% in 10 years. France is a leader in this field, hosting nearly a third of the world's organic vineyards, followed by its Italian and Spanish neighbors. But organic farming is not only beneficial for the environment; it is also a driver of social well-being. According to a study by Riccardo Vecchio, the organic wine industry creates 50% more jobs than the conventional wine industry, offering more stable jobs with a third of certified farms employing one or more permanent employees, compared to one in five for uncertified farms.
What are the different organic labels recognized in France?
It is INAO that delegates organic farming control and certification activities to independent and approved certification bodies, including Agrocert, Bureau Veritas Certification France, Certipaq bio, Certis, Certisud, Ecocert, Qualisud, Bureau Alpes Contrôles. Every year, certified vineyards are audited by one of these bodies, and in case of irregularity, a unique catalog of measures is applied. A label project to identify farms in the conversion phase (over one or more years) is also under study.
However, for some winemakers, the AB label is too flexible and allows for farming that claims to be organic but has some industrial deviations, notably with the support of large retailers who are trying to seize these new market opportunities. Therefore, two new labels have emerged: Nature & Progrès and Bio Cohérence have stricter specifications, including a ban on sales through mass distribution channels, a measure whose implementation aims to promote short supply chains.
It should be noted that there are many other labels categorizing organic wines that have stricter specifications. Demeter and Biodyvin regulate biodynamic wines or wines from biodynamic winemaking, an esoteric viticulture that considers the vine as a living ecosystem with more rigorous legislation on operations carried out in the cellar. Stricter than biodynamics (or biodynamic wine), the Vin Méthode Nature label proposes a charter for natural wine with an emphasis on low addition of sulfites in the wine and the use of indigenous yeasts. Terra Vitis and Haute Valeur Environnementale are two labels that promote sustainable development, through the preservation of biodiversity, phytosanitary strategies, and fertilization and irrigation management.
Finally, it should also be remembered that many winemakers refuse to be categorized under any label because it would mean denying the principle of the agricultural counter-model: emancipating oneself from standardized norms, not fitting into boxes. This can be seen as a way for the winemaker to assert themselves as unique and with a strong identity.
How is consuming organic wine better for the environment?
One of the great strengths of organic winemakers is their ability to bring life back to the soil and the surrounding flora and fauna. In France, viticulture accounts for 20% of agricultural pesticide use, compared to only 3% of agricultural land. Organic viticulture therefore emerges as an ecological hope: little to no use of phytosanitary products, recourse to organic fertilizers and compost, a reduction of up to one-third of CO2 emissions compared to conventional wine. With better respect for the vine, there is on the one hand a rebirth of the soil, which slows down erosion and promotes subterranean flora and fauna, and on the other hand, a rebirth of pollinators (bees, butterflies...) thanks to an increasing presence of life between the vines (hedges, wild plants, shrubs...).
Organic viticulture also allows for better water management, notably with less water stress (more organic matter in the soil allows for better water retention) and especially less artificial irrigation (the resilience of the vine is preferred). Each cuvée, each vintage, each bottle, in short, each wine from organic farming is therefore directly influenced by climatic hazards, which makes it possible to produce a wine (red wine, white wine, rosé wine, orange wine, sparkling wine) with its own distinct and marked personality.
How is consuming organic wine better for health?
No one can deny that alcohol, and therefore wine, is dangerous for health and should be consumed in moderation. Nevertheless, where conventional wine may contain pesticide residues, additives, and chemicals, organic wine reduces the presence of these harmful substances. It is also full of living bacteria and yeasts that can have benefits for the microbiota, including improved blood vessel function, improved protection of brain cells against cognitive damage, reduced risk of certain types of cancer (especially breast cancer), and better digestion thanks to the production of digestive enzymes stimulated by wine.
Another undeniable health benefit of organic wine is the reduction of sulfites, preservatives widely used in conventional wine to stabilize it. For an equivalent amount consumed, an organic wine will cause fewer headaches the next day than a conventional wine!
What are the advantages of organic farming for winemakers?
When we talk about organic wine, we often think about the health of our planet or our body, but we think much less about the health of our winemakers. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to observe cases of cancer or respiratory problems among winegrowers, due to synthetic chemicals used such as pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or fertilizers. Conversely, organic wine aims to drastically reduce these substances, so organic viticulture is beneficial for those who work the vines daily.
Although organic farming requires more physical and organizational effort, it exposes winemakers to significantly fewer toxic products. The use of alternative methods is also beneficial from a psychological point of view, as some producers state that the quality of the organic wine produced offers and brings a deep meaning to their profession, and according to a virtuous circle, this helps maintain a respectful, attentive, and intuitive relationship with their wine work.
But organic farming is also synonymous with short supply chains and therefore support for local economies with a win-win situation for all: the consumer has full traceability of the bottles consumed, and the producer has an income that better reflects the reality of their work. A virtuous system is thus created where the winemaker has more financial resources, allowing them to experiment with new things (new grape varieties, for example) and thus increase consumer satisfaction.
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1075 products
1075 products
Magnum Munjebel White 2020,
The white version of the Munjebel cuvée combines beautiful concentration, freshness, and oriental aromas: orange blossom, jasmine, and dried apricot. Produced on mid-altitude plots from equal parts Grecanico Dorato and Carricante, in the Calderara, Borriglione, Crasà, and Picciolo plots, this white wine is extremely mature. The vines are over forty years old; the grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed, and macerated for about four days. No fining, no sulfiting, and lightly filtered before bottling. This wine will pair with an almost infinite variety of dishes, meat and fish, oysters and shellfish, and all Asian cuisines.
To find out more
A great must-have 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 highlighted by the naturalness of his wines. The brilliance, the directness and the exquisite fruitiness of his vintages earn him the admiration even of those reluctant to go "natural". They are good initiation 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 polyculture: olive trees, almond trees, vegetable gardens... (Frank also produces olive oil). The age of the vines ranges from forty years to over one hundred years. The plots, nineteen in number, on 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 made 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 fine 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…
Frédéric Cossard - Domaine de Chassorney
Magnum Saint Romain sous le Chateau Clos du Cerisier White 2019
24900
€249,00
Unit price perFrédéric Cossard - Domaine de Chassorney
Magnum Saint Romain sous le Chateau Clos du Cerisier White 2019
24900
€249,00
Unit price perMagnum Saint Romain sous le Chateau Clos du Cerisier White 2019,
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 Domaine de Chassorney with his partner Laure in 1996: initially a few ares of vines in Saint-Romain, Auxey-Duresses and Savigny-lès-Beaune, and currently ten hectares spread across the Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pommard, Volnay, Bourgogne-Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune and Bourgogne appellations. In 2006, he created his own wine trading house and buys organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais crus. The practice is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc regions. At his place, the soil and vines are worked as naturally as possible: regular horse-drawn plowing, 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. 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. 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. This wine is only available in magnum format; it is elegant, mineral, and powerful. The nose reveals a magnificent bouquet of white flowers, and the finish is accentuated by notes of yellow fruits.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Guy Sweet Wine 2011
Antony Tortul loves old vineyards: he devotes his life to finding and vinifying them. Just as there are landless shepherds, he can be defined as a landless winegrower, in other words, a wine merchant whose area of activity extends throughout Languedoc and, eastward, as far as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in search of the best terroirs. Born in Foix, with six years of experience as a wine technician and oenologist in various vineyards in the south of France, he created La Sorga in 2008. His enthusiasm leads him on a path filled with favorites, and each of these favorites is a vineyard. The result is a dizzying mosaic of natural, lively, and spirited wines, which reinvents itself each year with around thirty cuvées per vintage. Few winemakers can list such a variety of grape varieties on their list: the whole of southern France is there with muscats, grenaches, picpoul, mauzac, carignan, cinsault, marsanne, alicante, braucol, duras, viognier, len-de-l’el, and tutti quanti.
The Guy cuvée is obtained from a blend of two southern grape varieties growing on the hard Urgonian limestone of Puéchabon (Hérault): vermentino (called rolle in France), at eighty percent, from twenty-five-year-old vines, and viognier, twenty percent, from twenty-five-year-old vines. These two grape varieties macerate together in whole bunches for two weeks. Then, only the heart of the press is selected before aging in old barrels, without topping up, for more than nine years. A wine with a strong personality and finely oxidative notes, presenting a nose of bergamot, candied melon, and fresh walnut. The palate is ample, devoid of any residual sugar or woody sensation, powerful and of great complexity. The finish is lively. This wine holds up very well to air (more than six months) and offers a rock-solid structure.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Le Coste Red 2010
Le Coste Rosso is a blend of Grechetto and Sangiovese grown in the basalt terroirs of Azienda Le Coste. With lovely acidity, fresh and pure, it's an excellent table wine for all occasions, just as the Italians know how to make it: 100% pleasure. Intensely indulgent.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.
Jean-Pierre Robinot - Les Vignes de l’Ange Vin
Magnum Les années folles Sparkling White 2010
16000
€160,00
Unit price perJean-Pierre Robinot - Les Vignes de l’Ange Vin
Magnum Les années folles Sparkling White 2010
16000
€160,00
Unit price perMagnum Les années folles Sparkling White 2010
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Carignan Red 2014,
Made from 130-year-old Carignan vines growing in a complex blend of clay, silica, mica-rich schist, quartz, and gneiss, this wine undergoes extended aging.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.
My Sweet Navine White 2013
A small bottle but a great wine! A sweet white made from 100% Chenin, My Sweet Navine is produced from late harvests on the schist plot where the estate's other Chenins are also grown. A delicate amber color, with notes of citrus and candied fruit on the nose. On the palate, there is a surprising freshness despite the residual sugar: this is explained by the lack of sorting, as the grapes are at varying stages of ripeness. We thus benefit from green berries, ripe berries, and varying degrees of noble rot. and a light sparkle which gives way to a beautiful length, always with notes of candied fruit.
Natural wine without added sulfites.
Alberto López Calvo - Vino Tinto (Red) 2011
Bodegas Coruña del Conde
Alberto López Calvo, the estate's historic Bordeaux-style vintages are made from Tempranillo (75%), followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and Merlot (5%). These are beautiful, age-worthy wines with an intense garnet red color, elegant, complex, deep, and silky, with well-integrated tannins.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Le Rocher red 2017
Le Rocher is made from Beaujolais Gamay grapes grown in the Combe Fleurette area, at an altitude of 550 meters and on an average 40% slope, facing south, on a plot of blue granite with very shallow soil. The 25-year-old vines rest on a rocky outcrop. The harvest is left to vat for 40 days in whole bunches with regular turning. After pressing, the young wine is aged on fine lees in Burgundy oak barrels. Bottling is done in the waning moon, without fining or filtration. This infinitely silky and delicious red, very mineral and very straight, will accompany meats in sauce, noble fish and even chocolate desserts.
Tasting temperature: between 14 and 16 °C.
Natural wine without added sulfites.
Es d'aqui Nino Red 2016
A 100% Braucol from the Gaillac region! 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. The attack is rustic and earthy, the finish fruity and complex.
Jean-Pierre Robinot - Les Vignes de l’Ange Vin
Fetembulles 2011 natural sparkling white
7000
€70,00
Unit price perJean-Pierre Robinot - Les Vignes de l’Ange Vin
Fetembulles 2011 natural sparkling white
7000
€70,00
Unit price perFetembulles 2011 (natural sparkling white)
A delicately sparkling Chenin Blanc produced on the slopes of the Loir. A lively attack, fine bubbles that allow notes of sourdough, butter, brioche, walnuts, and marzipan to melt in the mouth, flirting nicely with a flinty minerality and some citrus notes. A natural sparkling wine that would almost be a champagne party!
Es d’aqui CFCR Red 2011
A blend of Cabernet Franc and Carignan, fiery, powerful, and deep, balanced by a touch of freshness. Lovely notes of black olive.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Vino Rosso Poggio Pastene Red 2014
Corvagialla
The vines for this single-variety Sangiovese are planted at an altitude of 450 meters on a west-facing plot with volcanic soils. The harvest is destemmed and macerated for approximately three weeks, with daily pumping over or punching down as needed. Aging is twenty-four months in chestnut barrels. The wine is bottled for six months before being released.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.
Calvados Calvados "Exception 1984" ,
Domaine de la Flaguerie
The 1984 Calvados Exception is a rare vintage, aged for several decades in oak barrels. Made from carefully selected apples, it embodies the excellence of Norman expertise with unparalleled complexity. Its rich aromas of dried fruit, caramel, and elegant oak make it an exceptional spirit, ideal for pairing with desserts and mature cheeses.
Coince ta bulle Sparkling White 2023,
Château Frédignac A fine and invigorating bubble A grassy nose and a thirst-quenching palate The ideal aperitif companion
With its playful name and delicate bubbles, "Coince ta bulle" is a natural sparkling wine that invites lightness and conviviality. Produced from the vines of Château Frédignac, this sparkling white wine showcases Sémillon, the emblematic Bordeaux grape variety, grown on limestone soils. Vinified using direct pressing and aged for 6 months in stainless steel vats, it offers a lively, digestible, and decidedly refreshing profile. Certified Nature & Progress and Eurofeuille, this wine expresses viticulture that respects the living and a minimalist approach in the cellar.
Produced using the ancestral method, this Pet’ Nat’ retains all the spontaneity of the fruit and a natural effervescence. Disgorged at the end of winter, it develops a striking freshness, supported by a low alcohol content (10%), ideal for moments of pleasure without heaviness.
On the first nose, “Coince ta bulle” reveals a subtle bouquet, with grassy and fresh notes, reminiscent of spring mornings in the heart of the vineyards. On the palate, the bubble is fine and lively, highlighting a beautiful acidity that prolongs the sensation of freshness. The whole is crisp, thirst-quenching, with a nice mineral tension brought by the limestone terroir.
Served between 10 and 12°C, this Pet’ Nat’ is the perfect companion for spontaneous aperitifs, summer evenings and festive moments. With its liveliness and digestible profile, it whets the appetite and pairs wonderfully with tapas, seafood or a simple piece of fresh cheese.
A natural, light and irresistibly refreshing sparkling wine, for bubbling in complete freedom!
Gewurztraminer Origin White 2022,
Jean-Marc Dreyer's Gewurztraminer Origin is an organic (AB label), biodynamic, and natural dry white wine from Alsace, made with maceration (orange wine), with no added sulfites. Jean-Marc Dreyer's Origin range consists of single-varietal cuvées based on six Alsatian grape varieties (Sylvaner, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Muscat), macerated on the skins with a touch of controlled oxidation, which gives a multidimensional nature to the Gewurztraminer grape variety, thus proving that it has never had its last word.
Vinification
The organically and biodynamically grown Gewurztraminer is harvested by hand and macerated for seven days in whole bunches. After pressing and fermentation, the wine is aged for ten to eleven months in the Alsatian style, in foudres and demi-muids, without topping up. Biodynamic method, fermentation by indigenous yeasts, unfiltered, unclarified, no sulfites added in the vineyard or in the cellar.
Tasting
Fragrant, powerful, sumptuous, disconcerting, addictive, structured in layers and of a surprising complexity, Gewurztraminer Origin is the gewurztraminer that you no longer expected, with an overpowering aromatic, without the sugar commonly associated with this grape variety. All the sugars have been eaten, what remains is an extraordinary richness of aromas, naked and unvarnished. Notes of mango, lychee, ylang-ylang, the bouquet of flowers and exotic fruits is there, sublimated by a dry and straight frame. This wine screams for foie gras, with or without truffle, but it can be drunk with everything from seafood to land.
Learn more about Jean-Marc Dreyer
Jean-Marc Dreyer, a biodynamic and natural Alsace winemaker (AB organic certification label), succeeds several generations of his family at the Dreyer & Fils estate, established in 1830 between Obernai and Molsheim. Upon taking over the estate, he immediately opted for biodynamics. In 2009, upon returning from a pilgrimage to Compostela, he decided to never again add sulfur to any wine. Having made this decision, he affirmed his style around skin maceration, accentuated and chiseled, bringing out the soul of the Alsatian grape varieties. Jean-Marc also works with direct pressing and often with single varietals. He also produces Pinot Noir reds of surprising depth.
Maceration and Direct Press
Jean-Marc Dreyer's wines are characterized by whole-bunch maceration (but you should also taste his direct-press whites). "Maceration in Alsace," he says, "is an ancestral tradition! In the past, we worked by hand and let the grapes macerate before sending the marc to the press." Gentle oxidation is also a particular characteristic of his wines, generally vinified without topping up. Jean-Marc is best known for his “Origin” series, a finely macerated expression of Alsace grape varieties, but we invite you to discover his other wines.
Magma Red 2020
Magma is Frank Cornelissen's classic red grand cru. Produced organically (Eurofeuille label) and biodynamically, and classified as DOP (AOP) Sicilia-IGP Terre Siciliane Nerello Mascalese, it is a wine for laying down, produced only in great vintages, when phenolic maturity is reached. It comes from old, ungrafted Nerello Mascalese vines, planted in 1910 on the Barbabecchi contrada, at an altitude of 910 m, renowned for capturing the first rays of the sun in the cool of the morning.
Vinification
This natural, organic, and biodynamic wine is obtained by sixty days of skin maceration of destemmed and lightly crushed grapes. No fining, no addition of sulfites. Light filtration before bottling.
Tasting
Magma restores the remarkable depth of Nerello Mascalese. Rich and elegant, with a dense texture, it has character, personality, and great finesse. More mineral than fruity, it offers notes of secondary fruits (blackberry, prune) and melted tannins. This great wine requires great dishes: we recommend stewed beef or coq au vin. So think about a can of Isabelle Leydier Delavallade or Fermiers du Bord de Sèvre.
Learn more about Frank Cornelissen
A key and universally respected figure in natural, organic and biodynamic wine, the Belgian Frank Cornelissen, a winemaker conquered by Sicily, is a classic. This man of constant questioning lives in human and cosmic resonance with his terroir: he has demonstrated that the powerful minerality of a great volcanic soil could be highlighted by the naturalness of his wines.
An ideal terroir for plot-by-plot vinification
In Passopisciaro, Sicily, in the north of the Etna valley, the 19 plots cover 24 hectares of basalt soils spread over numerous localities (contrade) between 600 and 900 meters above sea level on the side of the volcano. It is, says Frank Cornelissen, the "Night Coast of Sicily". Frank Cornelissen's contrade are all cultivated biodynamically and vinified separately: he decides on the blends based on the quality of each.
The nobility of Nerello Mascalese
Nerello Mascalese is the dominant variety and alone makes up the greatest vintages. This traditional red grape variety from the northern Etna valley produces hypermineral wines due to its long growing cycle. Other grape varieties in the azienda: Nerello Capuccio, Minella Bianco, Minella Nera, Alicante Bouschet, Malvasia, Catarratto, Moscadella, Grecanico Dorato, Carricante…
Fond Cyprès - Rodolphe Ourliac et Laetitia Gianesini
1st Red Juice Fund 2022
1300
€13,00
Unit price perFond Cyprès - Rodolphe Ourliac et Laetitia Gianesini
1st Red Juice Fund 2022
1300
€13,00
Unit price perFond 1er Jus Rouge 2022
Fond Cyprès
Halfway between red and rosé—because its vinification involves both—the very drinkable Premier Jus is the very image of a delightful gurgling: a juicy bomb that oscillates between light red and dark rosé. Fresh, fruity, delicious, addictive, it awakens the mind dulled by the summer heat. It is the result of a blend of Carignan and Grenache purchased from a certified organic winemaker. The vines grow on marl-limestone soils. The harvests of the two grape varieties are processed separately: the Carignan is macerated for two days in whole bunches in a Grenache must in full fermentation, obtained by bleeding. Two days after the blending of the two varieties, everything is pressed directly. Thus, the beginning of vinification is for rosé and the end of vinification is for red. A six-month aging in stainless steel vats precedes bottling with an infinitesimal addition of sulfite to stabilize this fiery nectar.
To find out more
This Corbières estate is built on solid foundations: its two winemakers, Rodolphe and Laetitia, are also descendants of winemakers. Even before planting their first vine, they already have a clear objective: "to produce southern wines that reflect us, wines with character attached to our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They want to obtain entirely natural wines, concentrates of terroir. In the heart of the old Corbières massif, they took over an old estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache vines, which had not seen any fertilizer or pesticides for years: these clean and vibrant soils were ideal conditions for launching into natural wine. Around this historic heart, they first planted Grenache Noir and Syrah, then a plot of white grape varieties: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne. The estate has been Ecocert certified since 2010 and also complies with the Nature & Progrès charter. Vinification is carried out without the addition of sulfites or exogenous yeasts. "We make wines for pleasure," say Laetitia and Rodolphe. For them, natural wine is first assessed by taste, from the harvest. The vintages closely follow the plots, the musts are fruity, fluid, and complex. Fond Cyprès wines poetically evoke the estate's ecosystem and the vegetation that protects the plots: pine forests, shaded springs, the beauty of the natural environment that brings freshness to the wines and leaves the signature of the soil. Deliciously balanced between mineral imprint, plant environment and fruit expression, Fond Cyprès wines reflect the South: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.
Auxerrois Origin Blanc 2021
Jean-Marc Dreyer
Auxerrois, also known as Pinot Blanc, is a typically Alsatian grape variety that forms the basis of this Auxerrois Origin from Jean-Marc Dreyer. Floral, fresh, and seductive, it is both atypical and indulgent, well-defined by the maceration process, which gives it a distinguished texture. Its alcohol content is quite generous (14% alcohol). Whole-bunch maceration gives this dense and dry wine, with its delicious salinity, amber tones, floral notes, and sensations of perfect purity. Acorn-fed Ibérico ham would melt with joy alongside it. Jean-Marc Dreyer's Origin range is dedicated to single-varietal wines made using skin-contact maceration based on the six white grape varieties of Alsace: Sylvaner, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Muscat. This wine is produced using the biodynamic method, fermented using indigenous yeasts, and is unfiltered and unclarified.
Find out more
"Maceration in Alsace is an ancestral tradition!" says Jean-Marc Dreyer, adding that direct pressing in this region is a modern invention, linked to the advent of electricity. In the past, people worked by hand and let the grapes macerate before sending the marc to the press." Whole-bunch maceration is Jean-Marc Dreyer's signature and represents 85% of the estate's production, with the remainder consisting of direct-pressed whites, aged without coal. Jean-Marc succeeds several generations of his family at the Dreyer & Fils estate, established in 1830 between Obernai and Molsheim. Upon taking over the estate, he immediately opted for biodynamics, but he hesitated for a while between several methods: at the beginning, his wines were more oaky, aged in new barrels with stirring. Then, a sweet period: all his wines contained residual sugar. In 2008, he tried vinifying without any sulfur and found his direction: the following winter, upon returning from the pilgrimage to Compostela, he decided to no longer add sulfites to his wines. Having made this decision, he asserted his style around skin maceration, quite extensive, chiseled, always surprising on Alsatian grape varieties, whose structure it brings out without sacrificing delicacy. Jean-Marc works in single-varietal or blended vintages and also produces Pinot Noir reds of surprising depth.
