Red Wines

Auguste Red 2019,

Sous le Végétal

Auguste is the only dry red wine from the Sous le Végétal project. It takes its name from the indigenous Greek avgoustiatis grape variety, from which it is made entirely. It is a light wine that, through its Mediterranean nature, recalls something of the reds of the Jura: a characteristic earthy and mineral note, plenty of character—prune, clove, anise, vanilla, cherry jam, rich tannins, and, on the finish, a salinity due to the mineral-rich soils (particularly schist and limestone) of the island of Samos. The fruity notes remain taut and elegant. Decanting is recommended. The vines grow on the foothills of Mount Karvounis, not far from the village of Pagondas. The wine is a blend of four types of rock on two plots. The Avgoustiatis ('the august') grape variety is a rare variety, the first red grape variety harvested in Greece. It is cultivated organically in conversion to permaculture. The vines, pruned in the 'goblet' style, are harvested by hand on the morning of August 15th. The wine is first obtained by a forty-day maceration of whole bunches in stainless steel vats. Half of the vinification is done in 500-liter Stockinger barrels and the other half in ovoid concrete vats. The wine is completely additive-free, unfiltered, and bottled by gravity. The black bottle ensures the wine ages and the closure is made with a cork sealed with a mixture of paraffin and black beeswax.
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Under the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team of friends gathered around the winemakers Jason Ligas and Patrick Bouju. The successful enterprise marks a renaissance of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the North Aegean Sea, which owes its dense and woody vegetation to various nicknames received in Antiquity, from Dryoussa (“covered with oaks”) to Kyparissia (“covered with cypresses”) and Melamphyllos (“With dark foliage”). 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 and Auguste—are produced on around sixty plots of Samos Muscat à petits grains (and Avgoustiatis for the red vintage), 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 locality is vinified in at least two of the four containers and the aging takes place in black bottles sealed with wax. No added sulfur, no filtration: Samos' winemakers are rediscovering 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 vintages by Patrick Bouju.

Mercurey Les Vignes Blanches Qvevris Red 2020,

Frédéric Cossard

Fresh, wild, and intense, this Mercurey is definitely a pleasure to drink with abandon. Morello cherries, black fruits, cherry, raspberry, and complexity on the nose give way to floral, then mineral and roasted notes. On the palate, there is plenty of sap, fullness, and density, with silky, melted tannins of great finesse, completely devoid of harshness. The finish is long, fruity, and distinguished. Les Vignes Blanches is a Mercurey vineyard where Frédéric Cossard is producing his third vintage. For the occasion, the winemaker vinified and aged it in qvevri (a Georgian-style buried jar), which rounds it out and accentuates its velvety texture and depth. Perfect for entrecôte, filet of beef en croûte, and roast duck.

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

UL Red 2019

Partida Creus

Partida Creus is a winery located in Catalonia, founded by two Piedmontese natives from the Langhe (where wine is well-known), Antonella Gerosa and Massimo Marchiori. They initially pursued careers as architects in Barcelona, but the wine bug bit them, and they soon abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There, they found a wealth of abandoned vineyards planted with a dizzying diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties, which they passionately revived to save these varieties—and their wines—from oblivion. For them, it's not just a matter of heritage rescue, no: it's a matter of taste and nature. Of natural wines, which they will continue to make 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. This is why their estate is as important from a winemaking perspective as it is from a historical perspective - we are talking here about the history of the vine in Catalonia.
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 but always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, breathe life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits exclamations of joy. This new red from Partida Creus is based on 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, which Massimo and Antonella have nurtured in their own way. The wine is highly original: behind the minerality, the (black) fruit, the blueberry, and the 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.

Ull de Llebre Sumoll Red 2019,

Cyclic Beer Farm

Cyclic Beer Farm is a duo of friends from Barcelona, Alberto and Joshua. Based in the Catalan capital, they have two sides to their business: beer (Cyclic Beer) and wine (Cyclic Wine). The beers, inspired by the Belgian model, are available in surprising and colorful ranges where expertly measured yeast cocktails and house brews combine with varied macerations of fruits, vegetables, herbs and grape marc from traditional Catalan varieties, the latter taken after the fermentation of their wines - because the second part is the wine, made exclusively from native Catalan grape varieties. As merchant winemakers, Alberto and Joshua themselves harvest by hand from organic wineries throughout Catalonia and bring the harvest to their winery-brewery workshop in La Sagrera (Barcelona). There they sort the grapes, tread them under foot and vat the must using exclusively indigenous yeasts. Depending on the type of wine, skin maceration takes place on the skins and stems for between one and three days for the whites and between six and fifteen days for the reds. The free-run juice is then transferred without pressing into stainless steel tanks where fermentation continues before bottling. The skins and stems, and sometimes part of the juice, are then used for the maceration of saison beers: an interesting synergy between beer and wine. No sulfites are added during vinification; nothing is added or removed from the wine, which is never filtered. The harvest and other viticultural operations are decided according to the lunar calendar.
At the time we tasted this red wine, it was still searching a little, but at the time of writing, it must have found its place and be resting comfortably on its balanced tannins and fruity complexity. It is a well-balanced wine between body presence and lightness, round and aromatic. It is a blend of Catalan grape varieties Ull de Llebre (70%) and Sumoll (30%) harvested by hand in Torrelavit (Upper Penedès) and Mas Llorenç (Lower Penedès) on limestone and clay soils. The Ull de Llebre vines are young (fifteen years old) and the Sumoll vines are very old (up to one hundred years old). The altitude of the plots is between 230 and 260 meters. The harvest, entirely manual, is sorted, and then ten percent is trodden by foot. A semi-carbonic maceration follows for twenty-seven days, after which the wine completes its fermentation in stainless steel vats.

Esprit Attila Red 2016

La Sorga

This blend is composed of 60% Syrah (from thirty-five-year-old vines), with the remainder consisting of Carignan, Grenache, Merlot, and Alicante Bouschet. The grapes macerate in whole bunches for ninety days in a near-infusion and are aged in concrete vats and amphorae for one year. Its aromas of violet and red fruits will pair well with red meats, especially lamb. Aging potential: twenty years.

Pairs with: Red Meats, Roasted Meats, Grilled Meats

Es d’aqui Trachéo Red 2016

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.

Fleurie Grand-Pré Red 2019,

Domaine Bélicard

Nestled in the heart of Beaujolais, the Fleurie AOP appellation is renowned for its elegant and floral wines. Domaine Bélicard, certified organic (AB), delivers a remarkably fine cuvée, produced from 36-year-old vines planted in granite soils.

A Fleurie of elegance and depth

Vinified using traditional whole-bunch maceration in old wooden vats, this wine benefits from gentle extraction, respecting all the delicacy of Gamay Noir. Its 4-day aging preserves the freshness and pure expression of the terroir.

A floral nose and a full palate

From the first nose, this organic Fleurie reveals deep aromas of candied red fruits, enhanced with floral and spicy notes. On the palate, the balance is perfect between roundness and finesse, with an elegant and persistent finish.

What to enjoy this wine with?

Ideal at 14-16°C, this wine goes wonderfully with grilled fish, salads and barbecues. Its 5-year aging potential will allow for a beautiful aromatic evolution.

Volnay Rouge 2020,

Domaine de Chassorney
The nose reveals beautiful notes of red fruits (strawberry), spices, and candied fruits. On the palate, it reveals warmth and power, with floral aromas and a great minerality on the finish. This warm, straightforward wine from the Volnay appellation, with notes of red and black fruits, is balanced and lively on the palate, with lovely, gently spicy notes. It comes from old Pinot Noir vines growing at the bottom of the slopes, on dense, stony soils of ferruginous red clay and limestone. The plots are steep, facing west-southeast and located between 230 and 280 meters above sea level. The vines are worked on horseback, respecting the soil and the earth. The harvest is manual and is carried out when the grapes are fully ripe. 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 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 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.

1er Jus Red 2023

Fond Cyprès

Fond Cyprès's 1er Jus 2023 is a bold and original expression of the Languedoc-Roussillon terroir. This red wine, made from a blend of Carignan and Grenache Noir, offers a unique and fluid taste experience, halfway between a red wine and a rosé. With a moderate alcohol content of 12.5°, it stands out for its freshness and lightness, perfect for convivial moments.

Terroir and Vinification

The Carignan and Grenache Noir vines grow on clay-limestone soils typical of the region, giving this wine a subtle minerality and a beautiful structure. The vinification is carried out according to a unique method: the whole bunches of Carignan are immersed in a saignée of Grenache in full fermentation, with pressing two days later. This process begins as a rosé vinification and ends in red, giving the 1er Jus Domaine its unique character and light color.

Aged for 6 months in stainless steel vats, this wine is made with indigenous yeasts, guaranteeing a pure expression of the fruit and terroir. The minimal presence of sulfur and light filtration ensure a respectful and natural approach to the wine.

Tasting and Food Pairing

On the nose, the 1er Jus 2023 seduces with fresh and vibrant raspberry aromas. On the palate, it reveals a fluid, almost airy texture, with a fruity and elegant finish. It pairs ideally with a beautiful charcuterie board or as a convivial aperitif, best served chilled between 12 and 14 degrees for an optimal experience. This natural wine can be kept for up to five years, but it also tastes great young.

Respect for the environment

Certified organic (Eurofeuille label), this wine respects sustainable and ecological viticultural practices. Fond Cyprès is committed to producing natural wines without synthetic chemicals, allowing the richness of the terroir and the authenticity of the grape varieties to fully express themselves.

Kikiriki Black Red 2018

Clos Lentiscus

Elegance, purity, and a crisp minerality due to the limestone characterize the productions of Clos Lentiscus. The note of controlled oxidation, when present, does not dominate the tasting, and the wines are never deviant. The cavas are renowned for their exuberance, but those from Clos Lentiscus never have more than two grams of residual sugar per liter. The estate also produces still wines, red, white, and rosé.

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This Cocorico (in Catalan) is a red made from a blend of Tempranillo and Cariñena (Carignan). Aromatic and light, it comes in a one-liter bottle and is not a luxury: this distinguished gurgle, at the table and as an aperitif, will go well with everything. A very good wine for tapas and al fresco dining.

It is in Sitges, Catalonia, in the heart of the Garraf Natural Park, that Manel Avinyo and his brother Joan took over the family estate, renamed Clos Lentiscus by Manel. Even though Barcelona is only a half-hour drive away, the beauty of the landscape is striking and the immersion in nature is total: Mediterranean forests rub shoulders with Catalan scrubland (thyme, rosemary, rockrose, mastic tree which gave its name to the estate, etc.). The Penedès region also has a long winemaking history. Nestled in its gentle hills is Clos Lentiscus, in the Penedés appellation, on twenty hectares of sandy and clay-limestone soils facing due south at an altitude of 225 meters. According to historical documents, the family of Manel and Joan Avinyo has been established there since at least the 14th century. For a long time, the grapes were sold to local cooperatives, but since the two brothers took over the estate, organic and biodynamic farming has replaced conventional practices, the entire harvest goes into the house vintages, and organic and biodynamic practices have allowed this beautiful property to reconnect with its former prestige: in the 19th century, its wines were sold in France and as far away as the Americas. Manel quickly earned a nickname: The Bubbleman, a tribute to his talent for making cavas, the sparkling white wines characteristic of the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, from native varieties that only Catalonia has the secret to: sumoll, ull de llebre, xarel·lo, malvasia from Sitges, cartoixà vermell, cariñena (carignan), accompanied by tempranillo and muscat from Alexandria. The vines are old, sometimes centuries old. No synthetic additives are used in the vineyard, and operations such as planting, pruning, de-budding, and harvesting are dictated by the lunar phases. Pollination is facilitated by the presence of beehives; sheep contribute to fertilization and control of the plant cover. Ringo, the white horse, is responsible for working the soil.

Volnay Red 2018

Frederic Cossard

The Volnay AOC is perched on the heights of the Côte de Beaune. This wine comes from 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. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. Aging is approximately one year in barrels. Nose of black cherry and candied fruit.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Régnié la haute ronze Red 2017

Nicolas Chemarin

La Haute Ronze is one of two plots cultivated by Nicolas in the Régnié appellation; it is considered of very high quality, with deep clay soils that produce full-bodied wines. This 100% Gamay is obtained through semi-carbonic maceration and aged for approximately twenty months (half in barrels, half in stainless steel vats). It offers notes of leather, earth, and Mediterranean herbs (oregano, rosemary), through its red fruits.

A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Beaujolais Lancié Red 2019,

Domaine Bélicard

In the heart of the Beaujolais Villages AOP, Domaine Bélicard creates an authentic and delicious cuvée with its Beaujolais Lancié 2019. Coming from a vineyard rooted in granite soils, this wine is a true ode to the Gamay Noir grape variety, enhanced by traditional carbonic maceration vinification. With its 53-year-old vines, this cuvée perfectly illustrates the finesse and freshness characteristic of the best Beaujolais Villages.

A Gamay to taste!

Vinified using carbonic maceration, a typical Beaujolais process that enhances the fruit and supple tannins, this wine is then aged for 9 months in wooden vats, giving it both roundness and liveliness. Its controlled aging highlights all the freshness and delicacy of the terroir, without masking the aromatic purity of the Gamay.

A floral nose and a delicious palate

Upon opening, the Beaujolais Lancié 2019 reveals an expressive nose, dominated by floral notes and crisp red fruits (cherry, redcurrant). On the palate, the balance is perfect between freshness and deliciousness, with fine tannins that provide a silky texture and a juicy, thirst-quenching finish.

How to enjoy this bottle?

Served slightly chilled at 14-16°C, this wine for sharing is perfect as an aperitif, but also with summer barbecues, a charcuterie board or simple, convivial dishes. With an aging potential of 5 years, it will evolve towards even more complex aromas.

Concerto Red 2021

Jean-Pierre Robinot

Concerto is an organic and natural red wine from the terroirs north of the Loire (Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir). It bears the distinctive mark of Pineau d'Aunis, the grape variety from which it is made, as well as the inimitable touch of its creator, Jean-Pierre Robinot.

In the vineyard and in the winery

Through Concerto, master winemaker Jean-Pierre Robinot showcases Pineau d'Aunis grown on limestone soils. The harvest is carried out by hand and vinified in whole bunches with three weeks of maceration, which gives the wine body. Aged for a year in old barrels.

Tasting

All the typical characteristics of Pineau d'Aunis: spices, cranberry, pomegranate, and a touch of raspberry. Limestone and mineral notes, a touch of undergrowth, a touch of yeast and butter, a pure and light color. A touch of menthol and black pepper on the palate. Drink with a good roast beef or lamb, a delicately roasted pigeon, charcuterie, cured meats, and even uninhibited fish such as smoked mackerel or any other smoked seafood.

Learn more about Jean-Pierre Robinot

Anyone interested in natural wine in France has crossed paths with Jean-Pierre Robinot and has never forgotten this smiling, bouncing figure. Although it has not yet been proven that all wines resemble their winemaker (a study to be undertaken), the organic and natural wines produced by Jean-Pierre, warm, friendly and luminous, are in the image of their creator. After running the wine bar L’Ange Vin for nearly fifteen years, on rue Richard-Lenoir in Paris, Jean-Pierre returned to his native Chahaignes, a small village in the south of Sarthe. His dream is to acquire his vineyard and make natural wines, without added sulfites.

Great terroirs of the Loir and tuffeau cellars

Jean-Pierre therefore reclaims hillside wasteland, on great terroirs, as well as troglodyte cellars dug into the tuffeau. 2002 will be his first vintage. At the same time, under the brand L’Opéra des vins, he vinifies organic grapes purchased from local winemakers. A member of the S.A.I.N.S. natural viticulture association, Jean-Pierre Robinot practices strict organic viticulture practices, without chemical weeding or the addition of sulfites. The soil is worked and amended with natural composts. All harvests, carried out at maturity on healthy grapes, are done by hand. The location and climate favor noble rot.

Chiroubles Red 2020,

Les En Hauts

Beaujolais as devil, Chiroubles as madness, this 100% Beaujolais Gamay from the Chiroubles appellation expresses great freshness and red and black fruits. Supple, indulgent, round, and fruity, with lovely acidity and a good deal of pleasant drinkability, this beautiful wine is the result of the combined work of winemakers Damien Coquelet and Frédéric Cossard. This wine is the result of semi-carbonic maceration of whole bunches, and is aged for ten months in concrete eggs.

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Les En-Hauts is not strictly speaking a wine estate but a project of vintages produced in partnership between Damien Coquelet and Frédéric Cossard. These two great figures of Burgundy viticulture—yes, Beaujolais is in Burgundy—had every reason to join forces to produce colorful and flavorful vintages together.
Frédéric Cossard is a biodynamic and natural star of Burgundy winemaking, who gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed by agricultural chemicals. His vintages are pure and elegant without artifice and are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. His practice is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in other regions. His vines are tended 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. Damien Coquelet, for his part, is the worthy successor of the great organic winemakers to whom we owe the advent of nature in the Beaujolais region: he is the son-in-law of Georges Descombes, and Jean Foillard was his mentor, who continued the pioneering work of Jules Chauvet and Marcel Lapierre. Owning nine hectares in Morgon on granite-sandy soils, he cultivates two and a half hectares plus a few leased vines: in all, four hectares on the legendary Côte du Py. A specialist in Morgons qui morgonnant and Chiroubles qui chiroublent, he embodies the true nature of Beaujolais.

Volnay Qvevris Red 2020,

Domaine de Chassorney

The nose reveals beautiful notes of red fruits (strawberry), spices, and candied fruits. On the palate, it reveals warmth and power, with floral aromas and a great minerality on the finish. This warm, straightforward wine from the Volnay appellation, with notes of red and black fruits, is balanced and lively on the palate, with lovely, gently spicy notes. It comes from old Pinot Noir vines growing at the bottom of the slopes, on dense, stony soils of ferruginous red clay and limestone. The plots are steep, facing west-southeast and located between 230 and 280 meters above sea level. The vines are worked on horseback, respecting the soil and the earth. The harvest is manual and is carried out when the grapes are fully ripe. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. Aging in qvevri (buried Georgian-style terracotta jars) further develops the wine's velvety texture and depth.

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 for a while 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 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 the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular ploughing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. 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.

Crucella Red 2020,

La Vinicola di Antonio Gismondi

Crucella is known for its undergrowth, mineral, and earthy nose, a lively and acidic attack on the palate, red fruits, cherry on the retro-olfaction, and tannins less present than the deep color would suggest. Certainly a good wine for laying down that will blossom with time. The only red from the estate, it is a beautiful blend of Merlot (33%), Sangiovese (34%), and the ancient local grape variety Freisa (33%), which imparts a slight hint of musky red fruit, but the overall wine is well balanced. The harvest macerates for five or six days in stainless steel vats, then the wine is aged for seven to ten months in the same type of vat.

Find out more
Antonio Gismondi's azienda is located in Cerreto Sanita, in the Benevento region of Campania. A microclimate gives this area an almost continental feel: humid winds from the Tyrrhenian Sea collide with the first ramparts of the Apennine mountain range, causing condensation in the air and lowering temperatures, which are significantly cooler and more humid than on the coast. If we add a temperature inversion phenomenon between day and night, which is common in the Apennine climate, the freshness of the wines from the Antonio Gismondi estate is nothing mysterious in this southern Italy, which is nevertheless known for its very hot climate. The estate is family-run: for generations, the Gismondi family has cultivated vines and made wine using the most traditional and natural methods, to which biodynamic techniques are added. For a long time, of the fifteen tons of grapes produced each year, one ton was reserved for on-site winemaking for family consumption, with the rest going to the local wine cooperative. It was their meeting with Massimo Marchiori and Antonella of Partida Creus that led Antonio and his wife Anabel to start producing natural wines at home from the entire harvest. The two-hectare vineyard is located between 350 and 380 meters above sea level, on clay and stony soils, with two-thirds facing south. The grape varieties are Merlot, Freisa and Sangiovese for the reds, and Falanghina and Malvasia di Candia for the whites.x

All In Wine 2018

Es d'aqui Jean Louis Pinto
A blend of two vintages and five grape varieties, four reds and one white – Carignan, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, and Muscat. Each grape variety is vinified separately, aged in old barrels, and blended before bottling. A beautiful, elegant, and spirited red, with a lovely bouquet of light flowers and red and black berries.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Le Zudefruit Red 2021

Jérome Lambert

Delicious, delectable, a real pleasure, this Zudefruit from Jérôme Lambert, an organic and natural winemaker based in the Loire Valley, in the Layon region. A beautiful dark red color, with aromas of red fruits on the nose; on the palate, it is very supple, lively, and deep, with herbaceous notes and a real delicacy with hints of cherry and undergrowth. With a beautiful balance between fruity notes and earthy, spicy, peppery notes, Zudefruit is a natural wine from the Loire Valley, produced from a plot of Grolleau cultivated by Jérôme Lambert on the light, sandy, schistose soils found in southern Anjou. The harvest, carried out by hand, ferments in whole bunches for two weeks before pressing, then rests for nine months in fiberglass vats. To further explore the red wines of the Loire Valley, you can also look at the domaines La Grapperie or the Domaine Pic-Épeiche.

Learn more about Jérôme Lambert

On his four-hectare estate, entirely organic and planted with Chenin, Grolleau, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, Jérôme Lambert is as much a winemaker as he is a farmer: he raises chickens, pigs, sheep and takes this mixed crop-livestock activity very seriously, along with the production of typical Anjou charcuterie. His Loire Eden, in fact, is located in the south of Anjou, in Rablay-sur-Layon. The son of a winemaker, as a child, he already enjoyed picking grapes, crushing them, and letting them ferment. In 2003, he got his hands dirty, helping with the pruning of the vines at Philippe Cesbron's and practicing with a few grapes donated by local winemakers. The following year, his adventure truly began with twenty ares of vines, but while his estate grew year by year, it would only reach one hectare after fifteen years.

A journey towards nature

In 2003, Jérôme discovered that adding sulfites was detrimental to wines: he never added more and was satisfied with the result, without making too much of a fuss about it. It was only a little later that he learned about the existence of natural wines and understood that he was not alone. All his vintages since then have been natural, without added sulfites, and are nonetheless straightforward, drinkable and flawless. For him, even the wood of the barrels is an additive; this shows the attention he pays to the naturalness and truth of the vine.

Beaune Les Chardonnereux Qvevris Red 2020,

Frédéric Cossard

This is a magnificent red wine from Beaune with dark harmonies: blueberry, black fruits, black cherry, alongside aromas of red rose petals and fresh violets. It is a calm and elegant wine, endowed with elegant richness and admirable fruit concentration, in which the slight astringency of well-evolved tannins blends gracefully. It comes from a plot of land that has been cultivated organically for three years and faces south. This Chardonnereux plot is known for ensuring early ripening of the grapes. To highlight the minerality of this red Beaune, Frédéric Cossard decided to ferment and age it in qvevri, a Georgian-style buried jar. Aging in qvevri lasts twelve months, after a month and a half of fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The passage in qvevri is preceded by a three-month passage in stainless steel vats.

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 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, 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.