Seafood

Coteau Libre White 2015

Domaine Le temps retrouvé

Two Grenaches for the pleasure of one, and not just any: Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris from vines planted on terraces on clay-siliceous soils. Aged for four years in barrels, Coteau Libre is one of those wines whose texture is evident on the nose. On the palate, it has a beautiful density and a very respectable length.

A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Les Dorrées White 2020

La Grapperie

Les Dorrées (the name of the plot) is a dry white wine from the Coteaux du Loir, organic and natural (Ecocert), classified Vin de France. Its creator, Renaud Guettier of La Grapperie, made it entirely from Chenin. Depending on the vintage, it may or may not offer slightly overripe notes.

Vinification

Les Dorrées comes from the oldest Chenin Blanc vines on the estate (117 years old), planted on soils dominated by clay and flint over a limestone substrate. Hand-picked, organic and additive-free work in the vineyard and cellar, and aged for 24 months to refine and polish the wine.

Tasting

Les Dorrées is an exceptional white wine that bears the signature of La Grapperie Chenins: pure and enchanting, offering slightly oxidative, smoky, and mineral notes on the nose, and white fruits, quince, walnuts, and almonds on the palate with a saline finish of impressive length. It is a white wine with body and density, capable of supporting all taste pairings. We see it pairing well with a beautiful roast poultry, a rack of oven-roasted pork, or grilled lamb. It will also pair well with seafood: smoked salmon, oysters and shellfish, or goat cheese and rillettes from the Loire Valley.

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 vines, on the hillside, 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 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 cultivated organically. 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 Pineau d'Aunis is 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 then put into barrels with complete malolactic fermentation, for at least eighteen months, malolactic included, and sometimes up to thirty-six months.

A vibrant and bold macerated wine, where aromas unfold with intensity. Orange 2024-2025 reveals the full creativity of the estate.

Learn more

Made from macerated white grapes, this orange wine is vinified naturally, without additives, allowing the full richness of the fruit and skins to express itself.

The color is intense, with amber reflections. The nose reveals notes of candied citrus, spices, and tea. On the palate, the structure is pronounced, with fine tannins and a beautiful length.

A wine with character, ideal with spicy dishes or inventive cuisine.

With Tête D’a Fish Blanc 2024, La Tribu Alonso boldly explores the potential of hybrid grape varieties, blending Floréal, Villard, and Alain Bouquet into a cuvée that is as original as it is precise. True to its artisanal approach, the estate delivers a sincere natural wine here, made from vines cultivated without synthetic products and vinified without additives, in total respect for all living things.

This collection of hybrid grape varieties, still too often overlooked, allows for a different interpretation of the terroir and opens up new gustatory perspectives. After fermentation with indigenous yeasts, the wine benefits from 12 months of aging on lees, bringing texture, complexity, and beautiful aromatic depth.

In the glass, the color reveals itself in a pale hue with slightly hazy reflections, a sign of an unfiltered wine. The nose expresses itself with finesse, revealing aromas of white flowers, fresh pear, and a delicate herbaceous touch that evokes nature in its purest form.

On the palate, the attack is lively and precise, driven by a beautiful tension. The profile is resolutely fruity, with a supple yet dynamic body that stretches into a fresh and saline finish. The aging on lees rounds out the whole, offering a subtle balance between energy and deliciousness.

Tête D’a Fish Blanc 2024 naturally finds its place at the table. It perfectly accompanies seafood, grilled fish or fish in light sauces, as well as fresh or aged cheeses. Its tension and freshness also make it an excellent aperitif companion.

With this cuvée, La Tribu Alonso confirms its taste for experimentation and its ability to reveal vibrant, accessible, and deeply rooted natural wines of their time.

Made from 100% Obeideh, this wine comes from vines over 60 years old located in Zahlé, at an altitude of 1,150 meters, on white clay soils with an eastern exposure.
Organically farmed, it is vinified with 7 months of skin maceration in stainless steel tanks, then aged 12 months on lees. This vinification results in a wine of character, with a full and structured texture, combining depth, aromatic complexity, and beautiful high-altitude freshness. A very limited production of 2,000 bottles.

Riesling Blanc 2022

Domaine Einhart
Riesling from Domaine Einhart is, as its name suggests, a dry white wine made from 100% Riesling from the Alsace region, organic (Ecocert) and natural, classified as a Vin de France. Riesling, the lord of Eastern European grape varieties, finds here an expression worthy of its nobility.

Vinification
The twenty-five-year-old Riesling vines from Domaine Einhart grow on the muschelkalk (oolitic limestone) soils of the Kreutzweg area. The grapes are harvested by hand and then pressed directly. Fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts. Aging on fine lees is ten months in century-old beer barrels (an Alsatian specialty) and precedes bottling without filtration. From the vine to the cellar, Riesling was produced without any additives or sulfites.

Tasting
A beautiful orange-yellow color. The first nose is very delicate, slightly musky, with notes of grapefruit and dandelion flower. The second nose is fresher and mineral with aromas of thyme, aromatic herbs, and flint. The palate begins with vivacity and a beautiful verticality, a minerality typical of limestone. The finish is persistent and saline. Decanting is recommended so that Riesling can spread its wings and express its mineral notes. You can serve this gem from the Einhart estate with any kind of dish; it is easy-going, but it also pairs well with cheese, roast poultry, sauerkraut, or smoked fish.

Learn more about the Einhart estate
In the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, the Einhart estate is a ten-hectare family estate whose vines grow in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. The soil is clay-limestone and rich in fossils (muschelkalk, or shell limestone and oolitic limestone, and lettenkohle or dolomitic limestone).

A family estate
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 co-founder, Nicolas devotes his winemaking work to protecting the land and biodiversity, making wine without inputs, refusing harmful phytosanitary products, and maintaining ecological refuge areas. His estate has been certified organic (Ecocert and AB) since 2011. The estate produces white wines from maceration or direct pressing and a Pinot Noir red.

The best of Alsatian terroirs
Entirely manual harvests, destemming of the bunches, 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 grapes, lively, powerful, invigorating, and transcribe the minerality of these very beautiful terroirs in the Vosges foothills.

Fleckstein 2023 White 2023,

Domaine Einhart

A mineral and complex Riesling from an exceptional terroir
The Fleckstein 2023, from Domaine Einhart, is a superb expression of Riesling from clay-limestone soil, enhanced by artisanal vinification. After a low-temperature pre-fermentation maceration, designed to preserve the purity of the aromas while structuring the wine, this iconic grape variety was aged for one year in a sandstone egg. This unique container allows for a subtle exchange with the air, enhancing the wine's depth and texture while maintaining its freshness.

On the nose, this Riesling reveals an elegant aromatic blend of citrus, white peach, and white flower notes, enhanced by a flinty minerality typical of the terroir. On the palate, the attack is lively and crystalline, offering a beautiful tension supported by fruity flavors and dense salivation. The finish, long and marked by subtle bitters, allows the typicality of the limestone to fully express itself, with a horizontality and structure that enchants the taste buds.

Refined gastronomic pairings
The Fleckstein 2023 pairs wonderfully with seafood, shellfish, or raw fish such as ceviche or sea bream tartare. It will also enhance white meats and fresh cheeses. Its great liveliness and aromatic complexity make it an ideal choice for special occasions or gourmet meals.

Serve between 8 and 10°C after decanting to reveal all its richness, this Riesling is a wine for laying down, which will evolve gracefully over the years.

Puligny Montrachet White 2023

Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Monts Luisants White White 2023

Le Sage Vagnin, White 2023

Philippe Chatillon

Le Sage Vagnin 2023 is a precious, exclusive, and wise vintage. Only 800 bottles are produced each year, all from a small walled vineyard (clos) planted with 65-year-old Savagnin vines, deeply rooted in the grey Jurassic marl. This rarity is the result of the precise and inspired work of Philippe Chatillon, a winemaker sensitive to living things, whose estate is certified organic and located in Arbois, the birthplace of the grape variety.

Vinified with direct pressing and then aged for two years in old barrels, this AOC Arbois white wine stands out for its aromatic purity and balanced roundness. No new wood, no additives: just the grapes, time, and the winemaker's care. The result is a nuanced Savagnin, with a mineral roundness, between tension and sweetness.

The nose is both expressive and delicate: fresh citrus, white peach, acacia blossom, with a subtle mineral touch. On the palate, the texture is round yet taut, with a beautiful length, an elegant saline sensation, and a fresh, floral finish. The wine avoids any heaviness, playing on the perfect balance between the natural richness of the grape variety and the finesse of the terroir.

Le Sage Vagnin will gracefully accompany seafood, aged cheeses like Comté or Bleu de Gex, but also more spicy, oriental, or vegetarian cuisine. Serve between 10 and 12°C, with light decanting, and enjoy now or keep for up to 5 years.

A rare wine, for lovers of finesse and Jura's unique character.

Puits Saint Pierre, White 2023

Philippe Chatillon

The Puits Saint Pierre 2023 cuvée by Philippe Chatillon is a magnificent tribute to Savagnin, the iconic grape variety of the Jura, meticulously crafted with remarkable precision. Sourced from the estate's finest parcel, planted on typical Côtes du Jura marl soils, this natural white wine, certified organic, embodies Jura tradition while asserting a pure, clean, and vibrant style.

The grapes are harvested at optimal ripeness then pressed directly, without maceration, to preserve freshness and varietal expression. The wine is then aged for two years in old barrels, without oenological intervention or new wood, allowing for subtle micro-oxygenation that refines the structure and develops aromatic complexity.

On the nose, it's a festival of sensations: dried apricot, delicate honey, a hint of brioche, alpine herbs, and a chalky minerality that hints at the tension on the palate. The palate is direct, dry, taut, with superb acidity that carries the flavors to a long, saline finish. The balance between the subtle richness of the aging and the natural straightforwardness of the grape makes it an excellent gastronomic wine.

Puits Saint Pierre pairs ideally with iodized seafood, aged Comté cheese, or spicy dishes with oriental flavors. Decanting is recommended for it to fully open up. It can be enjoyed now for its purity or aged 5 to 10 years to gain complexity. Serve chilled, between 10 and 12°C.

Philippe Chatillon delivers a deep and sincere wine, both rooted in its terroir and of rare elegance.

Gabbrodo Magnum White 2022

De Vini

De Vini's (Vinilibre) Gabbrodo 2022 is an ode to the terroir of the Pays Nantais. This natural wine, made without any additives, expresses with finesse the Melon de Bourgogne, the region's emblematic grape variety. Grown in gabbro soils, a rare volcanic rock in the Loire Valley, it benefits from nine months of aging in sandstone amphorae, imparting remarkable purity and tension to this exceptional white wine.

Its pale, golden robe heralds a luminous and crystalline wine. The nose seduces with its freshness and aromatic complexity: notes of citrus (lemon, grapefruit), white fruits (pear, peach), and a touch of iodine that recalls its maritime origins. On the palate, the attack is crisp and lively, driven by a beautiful acidity and a sharp minerality. Aging in amphorae imparts a silky texture while preserving the wine's tension and freshness. The finish is long and saline, with a delicately smoky persistence that invites further tasting.

The 2022 Gabbrodo proves to be an ideal companion for seafood. It will perfectly complement scallops with truffles, grilled lobster, sea bass baked in a salt crust, or pike-perch with beurre blanc sauce. Served between 10 and 12°C, it can be enjoyed now for its vibrant freshness or cellared for 5 to 10 years to reveal its full complexity.

Alburostre White 2023

De Vini

Alburostre is an organic, biodynamic, and natural white wine made by Christophe Bosque (De Vini) in the Nantes region from the Folle Blanche grape variety. It comes from vines grown in Gorges (Loire-Atlantique), on the winemaker's estate, in gabbro soils. Classified as Vin de France. Folle Blanche, also known as Gros Plant, is a grape variety typical of the Nantes region, where it has been known since the 16th century and thrives in gabbro soils. Highly suitable for distillation, it is also a grape variety used in Armagnac and Cognac. It typically produces wines with low alcohol content and a pale color: Alburostre embodies all of these qualities.

Winemaking

The organic Folle Blanche grapes harvested for Alburostre are pressed directly, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and then the wine is aged for nine months on its lees in stoneware jars. No fining, sulfiting, or filtration.

Tasting

Alburostre means "greenhorn" in Old French. Despite its pale color—typical of Folle Blanche—it's anything but an inexperienced novice. It's a very fine, easy-drinking white wine (10% alcohol), supple, pleasant, precise, and pure. A lovely yeasty, fermentary note rises above its simple description, enveloping the palate and further accentuating the wine's length. A truly indulgent wine: reserve it for the finest smoked salmon, seafood, and even caviar. The winemaker recommends salmon tartare with coriander, pollack fillet with beurre blanc sauce, or steamed goose barnacles.

Learn more about Christophe Bosque and De Vini

De Vini, along with the Vinilibre wine trading business, is the multifaceted venture of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. Wine has always been his passion. We are particularly interested in his local creations, made from grapes grown on his two-hectare vineyard and fermented in a traditional Nantes-style underground vat—a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in a natural style.

Gabbro melt

After years working as a wine merchant, importer, and then winemaker, this former cameraman, who holds a vocational diploma in oenology and viticulture, acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in 2017 in Gorges, Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson. The soils there consist of gabbro on a granite subsoil, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe is full of praise for this type of soil.

Muscadet, but better

Christophe's wines may be made from grapes sourced from the finest French terroirs, particularly in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a special affection for his own vines, which he tends with passion and a deep respect for the terroir. His labels and appellations reveal a touch of humor and a flair for the pun, but inside the bottle, it's serious business: wines off the beaten path, just the way he likes them.

Burgundy Bigotes Qvevris White 2022,

Frédéric Cossard

With the Burgundy Bigotes Qvevris White 2022, Frédéric Cossard explores a unique approach to Chardonnay, aging it in qvevris (Georgian amphorae). This ancestral vinification method allows the terroir to be expressed in a unique way, producing a white wine that is both pure and structured.

An exceptional Chardonnay

Grown on clay-limestone soils, this wine benefits from a vinification process without additives and aging in qvevris, which brings a beautiful aromatic complexity and a silky texture. Its mineral and taut profile makes it an atypical and fascinating cuvée.

An expressive nose and a vibrant palate

The nose reveals notes of ripe white fruits, citrus fruits and dried flowers, with a mineral and slightly smoky touch. On the palate, the body is ample and structured, carried by a vibrant acidity and a long and saline finish.

What to enjoy with this wine?

Ideally served at 10-12°C, this white Burgundy will go perfectly with oysters, fish ceviche or mature goat cheeses. Its aging potential of 5 to 10 years will allow it to evolve towards even more complex and deep aromas.

i Vicini Moscato White 2022

Jean-Yves Péron

I Vicini Moscato is an organic, biodynamic, and natural macerated (orange) dry white wine from Jean-Yves Péron. Vinified in Savoie using Muscat d'Asti. It is part of the I Vicini series of cuvées, vinified in Savoie using organic grapes from Northern Italy.

Vinification

The Muscats in this I Vicini series grow on very fine, calcareous-magnesian limestone soils, on a particularly cool site. Harvested by hand at good phenolic maturity, they macerate for two months in vats on the skins with punching down. Aged for one year in 300-liter barrels. No filtration, fining, or addition of sulfites.

Tasting

Straightness, tension, and freshness: this beautiful Muscat d'Asti offers the aromatic and musky nose specific to the grape variety, without any syrupy notes. A very present tannic structure balances the whole. On the palate, it is rich and powerful; we find the charming scent of Muscat in the retro-olfaction, but with the tension and freshness that Jean-Yves Péron loves for his dry whites. It is a great table wine, not really for an aperitif, but for gastronomy, no limits.

Learn more about Jean-Yves Péron

Jean-Yves Péron talentedly embodies the organic, biodynamic, and natural renaissance of the Savoyard vineyard, which is based on varied soils and numerous indigenous grape varieties (Jacquère, Altesse, Mondeuse, etc.). At his Chevaline winery in the Bauges region, he vinifies grapes from his plots in Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, in the Isère valley.

High-altitude biodynamics

Jean-Yves Péron's work follows the principles of minimal intervention. On narrow, steep slopes, his hand-worked mountain vines in micro-plots receive no synthetic products, Jean-Yves preferring horsetail and nettle manure. All of Jean-Yves Péron's wines are sulfite-free, made from hand-harvested grapes, vinified in whole bunches and foot-trodden in the vat. For all vintages, the free-run and press are blended, then aged on lees for at least one year, in two- or three-wine barrels, amphorae or tuns, before final blending. They must be stored at a temperature below 18°C. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered.

Italo-Savoyard trade

Since 2011, a trading activity has allowed Jean-Yves Péron to buy the harvest from neighboring organic winegrowers and to collaborate with winegrowers from Northern Italy: this is the I Vicini series, which allows him to diversify the terroirs and deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging.

Les Barrieux White 2022

Jean-Yves Péron

Organic, biodynamic, and natural, Les Barrieux is a dry white wine from Savoie produced by Jean-Yves Péron on the schist-limestone soils of his Albertville plots. Classified as a Vin de France, it is a rare cuvée made from the Roussanne grape variety.

Vinification

The vinification of Les Barrieux, produced by hand, begins with two weeks of carbonic maceration. Aging lasts one year in 12-hl tuns and 300-liter barrels. This wine has not been filtered, fined, or sulphites added.

Tasting

Les Barrieux by Jean-Yves Péron is a macerated white wine with wonderful notes of leather, smoke, and candied quince, followed by a complex floral and citrus olfactory bouquet and preceding a long aromatic finish. Delicious, rich, full-bodied, powerful, it is a gastronomic wine that can withstand anything. It can accompany everything.

Learn more about Jean-Yves Péron

Jean-Yves Péron is a talented embodiment of the organic, biodynamic, and natural renaissance of the Savoyard vineyard, which is based on varied soils and numerous indigenous grape varieties (Jacquère, Altesse, Mondeuse, etc.). At his Chevaline winery in the Bauges region, he vinifies grapes from his plots in Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, in the Isère valley.

High-altitude biodynamics

Jean-Yves Péron's work follows the principles of minimal intervention. On narrow, steep slopes, his hand-worked mountain vines in micro-plots receive no synthetic products, Jean-Yves preferring horsetail and nettle manure. All of Jean-Yves Péron's wines are sulfite-free, made from hand-harvested grapes, vinified in whole bunches and foot-trodden in the vat. For all vintages, the free-run and press are blended, then aged on lees for at least one year, in two- or three-wine barrels, amphorae or tuns, before final blending. They must be stored at a temperature below 18°C. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered.

Italo-Savoyard trade

Since 2011, a trading activity has allowed Jean-Yves Péron to buy the harvest from neighboring organic winegrowers and to collaborate with winegrowers from Northern Italy: this is the I Vicini series, which allows him to diversify the terroirs and deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging.

Ceci n'est pas un vin White 2023

La Tribu Alonso

Ceci n'est pas un vin is still a wine, white, dry, organic, and natural, with no added sulfites. Made in Beaujolais by Cyril of La Tribu Alonso, it is classified as a Vin de France. It is 100% Chardonnay, but there are twenty-eight different varieties in the bottle. Just as the red wine Ambre dissolve is inspired by Salvador Dalí, this one obviously alludes to Henri Magritte (see the label).

Vinification

The collection of twenty-eight Chardonnays from the ampelothèque, from which Ceci n’est pas un vin is made, is planted on a half-hectare plot on granite, with wild grass, agroforestry and no tillage. The vines, pruned in the goblet style, are between four and thirty years old. There are Chardonnays here of all tastes and colors (white, pink, muscaté, etc.), and it seems that the multiplicity of grape varieties gives a whole new face to this Chardonnay, unfortunately a little overused in the world of viticulture. "We are moving away from the boring Chardonnay," says Cyril. The manual harvest goes into direct pressing and, after a 48-hour settling process, only sees from the vat to its bottling. Alcoholic fermentation without starter culture using indigenous yeasts, malolactic fermentation also in fiberglass vats. Zero chemical inputs, in the vineyard and in the cellar, and zero added sulfites.

Tasting

Surprisingly, Ceci n’est pas un vin: the opposite of classic Chardonnay, it has great qualities of resistance. Solid, fine and balanced. A dry white wine with no added sulfites that has a very long shelf life once opened, it is rare and unique. It can last, recorked, for a whole week. On the nose and palate, it is a marvel of perfume and aroma, as if it offered the quintessence of Chardonnay through all its varieties. Salty, iodized, aromatic and floral, it evokes peach or apricot blossom, white peach, and its acidity-alcohol balance will allow it to be kept between 5 and 7 years. It can be drunk whenever you want, with oysters, shellfish, raw or smoked fish, tapas, fine starters and any elegant and refined cuisine.

Learn more about the Alonso Tribe

This tribal name refers to Cyril Alonso, winemaker, his wife, naturopath, and their family. They take care, using organic farming methods, of a conservatory of traditional grape varieties from the Rhône-Alpes region located in Marchampt (Rhône), in the heart of the Beaujolais Vert region. This two-and-a-half-hectare ampel library, which has existed since 1952, contained forty grape varieties. It currently contains one hundred and forty. This unique location gives the Tribu Alonso wines their particular style. Instead of being single-varietal microcuvées, they are quite the opposite: wines by grape variety family, either a Chardonnay containing all the Chardonnays of the house or a multi-Gamay Gamay.

A biotope classified in 2008

The estate enjoys a unique ecological location: the house and the vineyard are surrounded by untouched forests, on the steep terrain of northern Beaujolais. Three rivers cross it, and the vines, close to the bedrock, capture all the minerality of the soil. Organic farming is practiced and the work, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, is entirely manual, without the use of any chemical additives or sulfites in the winemaking process.

The wines

Cuvées of co-plantation (and for good reason), the wines of the Tribu Alonso embrace all the complexity of their grape varieties and the viticultural history of Beaujolais. These are carefully crafted wines, made with great care, fermented and aged to the sound of Tibetan bowls, whose alpha waves are beneficial to the liquids. The vatting periods are short, to preserve the freshness and fruit, as well as the signature of the soil and grape varieties.

Borgonon Granate Red 2006,

Barranco Oscuro

Borgoñón Granate is an organic and natural red wine from Andalusia made from Pinot Noir. Classified as Vino de Mesa (table wine), it is vinified by Cortijo Barranco Oscuro. As its name suggests, it draws inspiration from Burgundy. This 2006, which has had time to reflect, is one of the best vintages of this cuvée.

Vinification

This wine comes from Pinot Noir vines planted at an altitude of 1,280 meters on schist soils. The wine is aged for one year in old barrels.

Tasting

Borgoñón Granate is a beautifully atypical wine that displays remarkable density while being relatively clear and not very concentrated (a reference to Burgundy). Intense red fruits, cherries, melted and velvety tannins, and a long and seductive smoky finish. It ages well. Great balance, melted tannins, pair it with a beautiful grilled prime rib or Spanish canned fish. A pata negra ham? Certainly, it's a compatriot.

Learn more about Cortijo Barranco Oscuro

Manuel Valenzuela cultivates the highest vines in the world (1,368 meters), in Andalusia, on the Sierra Contraviesa. Barranco oscuro means "dark valley," a reminder of the original site of the property, which was moved at the end of the 19th century after the phylloxera crisis. In 1979, the estate was taken over by Manuel, who decided to use natural methods in preference to those of modern oenology.

A drop of 1,400 meters

At first, he bought grapes, but his goal was to replant vines. 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.

High-altitude wines

Strong thermal contrasts explain the freshness of the wines, produced without the addition of exogenous yeasts and without inputs in the vineyard or cellar. Although the estate is not certified organic due to the disillusionment that fraud in this area has brought Manuel, his estate is a member of the Spanish Association of Natural Wine Producers. His wines are straightforward and clean, without compromise: they give joy through the seriousness of the work that was necessary to produce them.

Grisou Rosé 2021

Belly Wine Experiment
Complex, refreshing, unusual, and delicious… A rosé, obviously, but with a fairly solid structure. One might guess from its name that it's a vin gris, and its color gives us the final hint. Grisou is a vin gris (therefore) quite typical of Belly Wine's experimental passion, since it is made from Carignan from the South and Pinot Gris from Heiligenstein (Alsace) grown on clay-siliceous soils. Two very different terroirs are united in one wine. Let's remember that Grisou, like Rosé, is a still wine with a pale color made from black grapes in short maceration. Here, it's a little more complicated since two-thirds of the grapes are directly pressed, the remaining third being crushed in whole bunches and macerated for four days. Disgorging takes place two months later. This wine is organically grown and has received no chemical inputs or sulfites, in the vineyard or in the cellar. As it plays on several levels, both light and straightforward, Grisou can allow for very wide pairings.

To find out more
Founded and run by Claire Sage and Aimé Duveau, located in Chanteuges (Haute-Loire), Belly Wine Experiment is as much an experiment as a winemaking business. The creative duo has it in spades: Claire is the sister of Daniel Sage, a fan of underwater wine aging but above all an importer of Catalan wines. Hence the presence of Catalan grape varieties in Belly Wine Experiment's blends, alongside Burgundy, Auvergne, and Jura grape varieties, readily found in the same bottle. Aimé is the son of Manu Duveau, a poet-winemaker from Auvergne, a former stonemason, and a great winemaker of local Gamays at his Domaine de l'Égrappille. The uniqueness of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia, for example, being able to sit alongside Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme with the utmost naturalness. The wines are made using semicarbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical additives or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The house is also known for its very high-quality, vinous perries.

Crac Rosé 2021

Belly Wine Experiment
Fresh, fruity, and pleasant, Crac is a vin gris, a still rosé wine made entirely or partially from black grapes. It generally undergoes a very short maceration, hence its light color. This is obtained by slow direct pressing (forty-eight hours) of Auvergne Gamays "sur limagne," or on the dark-colored sedimentary and volcanic soils that make up the Auvergne plain. This slow pressing, replacing a short maceration, allows for a gentle extraction of the grape's constituents and gives the wine its color. To these Auvergne Gamays are added a proportion of Pinot Gris from Alsace. Categorized as Vin de France, free from any chemical or sulfite additives in the vineyard or in the cellar, Crac spends a year aging on lees before bottling. This wine is produced using organic farming methods and has received no chemical or sulfite additives, in the vineyard or in the cellar. It will go very well with charcuterie, cured meats, and tapas of all kinds.

To find out more
Founded and run by Claire Sage and Aimé Duveau, located in Chanteuges (Haute-Loire), Belly Wine Experiment is as much an experiment as it is a winemaking business. The creative duo has a lot to offer: Claire is the sister of Daniel Sage, a fan of underwater wine aging but above all an importer of Catalan wines. Hence the presence of Catalan grape varieties in Belly Wine Experiment's blends, alongside Burgundy, Auvergne and Jura grape varieties, readily found in the same bottle. Aimé is the son of Manu Duveau, a poet-winemaker from Auvergne, a former stonemason and a great winemaker of local Gamays at his Domaine de l'Égrappille. The specificity of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia being able to rub shoulders, for example, with Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme with the utmost naturalness. The wines are made using semicarbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical additives or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The house is also known for its very high-quality, vinous perries.