Red meat

Ichigo Ichie Red 2022,

Domaine des Miquettes

Ichigo Ichie is an organic and natural red-rosé wine (a "blouge" we would say) from the Rhône Valley (Ardèche, Saint-Joseph terroir) certified organic by Écocert. It is produced by Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille of Domaine des Miquettes, and the name of the cuvée pays tribute to one of their Japanese collaborators who recently passed away. The expression ichigo ichie means "a unique moment in life."

Vinification

Made without additives or added sulfites, unfiltered, Ichigo Ichie is a blend of all the grape varieties grown on the estate: Gamay, Marsanne, Roussanne, Syrah and Viognier, on granite and loess soils. This organic and natural wine from the Rhône Valley is aged for one year in vats.

Tasting

Ichigo Ichie can be consumed as a light red or a full-bodied rosé; its exotic notes are very seductive. It is recommended to drink it chilled. This additive-free wine will accompany all products from the land and the sea. Other "blouges", if you appreciate this type of rosé which leans towards red (or the other way around), can be discovered on our site: Susucaru Rosato from Frank Cornelissen, a classic from Etna, or L’Arroseur by Vinilibre.

Learn more about Domaine des Miquettes

Domaine des Miquettes, in the Saint-Joseph appellation (Ardèche), is run by Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille, who are passionate about Georgian winemaking techniques. At the heart of this centuries-old viticulture is the kvevri, the buried jar where the entire winemaking process takes place. They also have unburied tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation and maceration, while kvevris are used for aging. No sulfites are added to the wines of Domaine des Miquettes. The astringency of the tannins is polished by the terracotta, which produces a velvety texture, a fruity and supple substance.

The Estate

Paul Estève learned his trade from René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he gradually rebuilt the family estate until it reached 4.3 hectares. The plots, located between 300 and 450 meters above sea level, rest on a granite base with light mica and gneiss soils. The agriculture is organic (Ecocert certification) and biodynamic. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe, and the harvest is manual. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work and winemaking.

Rubaiyat Red 2009

Barranco Oscuro

Elegantly aged in magnum format for over thirteen years, this is a classic from the Barranco Oscuro estate. It offers a full-bodied, tannic, and dry profile, rich in mature notes of black and red fruits (blackcurrant, raspberry). Leather and earth also dominate, accentuated and enhanced by aging. Smooth, roasted, and nuanced notes of chocolate and spices, and superb balance. Rubaiyat is an allusion and homage to the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, a polymath who wrote a poetic cycle entitled Rubaiyat in the 11th century, glorifying mystical and physical intoxication. The Persian origin of the Syrah grape variety, from which this wine is entirely composed, was not for nothing in this choice of name. Rubaiyat comes from Syrah vines planted in 1996 at an altitude of approximately 1,290 meters and facing south on schist and clay soils. The harvest, manual, carefully sorted and destemmed, macerates in stainless steel vats and ferments with indigenous yeasts. The vinification is naturally controlled by the coolness of autumn nights in the mountains. Malolactic fermentation followed by aging takes place for sixteen months in old barrels. No sulfites are added, the wine is unclarified, and lightly filtered at bottling.

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Between the Sierra Nevada and the sea, in Andalusia, the Sierra Contraviesa boasts the highest vineyard in Europe (1,368 meters) at its summit. Barranco oscuro means "dark valley" in Spanish, but this valley is part of the past; it was the original site of the property, but it was moved at the end of the 19th century, when phylloxera put an end to a period of intense winemaking and mass production. In 1979, the estate was taken over by Manuel Valenzuela, who decided to work it using natural methods and without resorting to modern oenology methods. Initially, he bought grapes, but his goal was to replant vines, which he did between 1982 and the mid-1990s. Currently, the twelve hectares of Cortijo Barranco Oscuro extend over a drop of almost 1,400 meters. On a poor, dry, schistose terroir, two localities concentrate the plots: Cerro Las Monjas at the very top and Hoyo y Cerro de Las Gayumbas lower down, near the winery buildings. Strong thermal contrasts explain the freshness of the wines, produced without the addition of exogenous yeasts and without any inputs in the vineyard or cellar. Although the estate is not certified organic due to the disillusionment Manuel suffered from fraud in this area, his estate is a member of the Spanish Association of Natural Wine Producers. His wines are straightforward and clean, without compromise: they are wines that give joy through the seriousness of the work that went into their production.

Saint Romain Sous Roche Qvevris Red 2020

Domaine de Chassorney

Plenty of fruit and roundness supported by sumptuous minerality; the blackberry and blackcurrant give free rein, and the palate reveals remarkable density and fullness. The Pinot Noir benefits greatly from the smoothness provided by aging in qvevris (Georgian-style terracotta jars). This Pinot Noir from the Qvevris series comes from a plot with a steep, south-southeast-facing terroir located between 280 and 400 meters above sea level in the Saint-Romain appellation. The soils are primarily marl, limestone, and clay. The grapes macerate in whole bunches.

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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 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.

Es d’aqui Trachéo Red 2019

Jean-Louis Pinto

A superb wine, refined and fresh, beautifully fruity. A nose of raspberry, rose, licorice, and Languedoc garrigue. On the palate, very well-integrated tannins. Beautiful energy, sunshine, and plenty of structure. This is a pure Grenache, made from grapes grown in the schist soils of Cabrerolles, in the Faugères region. It has a aging potential of six or seven years, but can be enjoyed now. The harvest macerates for twenty-three days in whole bunches and the wine is aged in resin vats.

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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, see link). 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 have an alcohol content of 14%." » 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 location, 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.

Skin Contact Sous Roche Red 2016

Domaine de Chassorney

This Pinot Noir comes from a plot with a steep, south-southeast facing terroir located between 280 and 400 meters above sea level in the Saint-Romain appellation. The soils are mainly marl, limestone and clay. The grapes, from fifty-year-old vines, macerate in whole bunches. Aging takes place for about a year in barrels. Beautiful structure, well-rounded tannins, and lovely notes of black fruits.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Magnum Tracheo 2016

Es d'aqui Jean Louis Pinto
This pure Grenache comes from the schist soils of Faugères. It is a superb wine, refined and fresh, beautifully fruity. It has aging potential for six or seven years, but can be enjoyed now. Nose of raspberry, rose, licorice, and Languedoc garrigue. On the palate, very well-integrated tannins. Beautiful energy, sunshine, and plenty of structure.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.