Still Wines

Le Litre Arbitre White 2020,

Château Lafitte

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

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

SK Muscat d'Alexandrie Blanc 2020,

Partida Creus


Deliciously fragrant, fresh, and incredibly aromatic, SK Muscat d'Alexandrie is a sumptuous dry white wine with a hint of orange, a color due to well-controlled maceration. The lack of filtration gives it a slightly cloudy appearance. The nose opens frankly with a whiff of marzipan, a sensation confirmed in the mouth with complex notes: apricot, honeysuckle, pear, lychee, white guava, mango, passion fruit, flowering meadow, abundant freshness and crispness, all balanced by a slight herbaceous touch reminiscent of cucumber and fresh white peach, and an earthy side reminiscent of fresh walnut. In short, SK Muscat d'Alexandrie offers all the aromas of a grape variety that generally promises much, and even more. A long, satiny finish. The grapes are fermented using indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats, and aged for nine months in the same type of container. This wine will go very well with raw, grilled, or sauced fish, spicy dishes such as fish or poultry curries, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Sichuan cuisine, but we'll stop the list of pairings there given the adaptability of this exceptional wine.

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Partida Creus is an important estate, both from a winemaking and historical perspective—we're talking here about the history of the vine in Catalonia. Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, originally from Piedmont—and even from the Langhe region, where wine is well-known—first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug tickles them, and soon they abandon the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There they find a quantity of abandoned vineyards planted with a dizzying diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties, which they passionately revive 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 never stop making from now on on these sandy, poor, clay-limestone or clay-gravel soils, poor and poorly irrigated, where the vines suffer to produce their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic viticulture, entirely manual and natural to give new life to these wines. Vinyater, sumoll, garrut, monastrell, ull de perdiu, ull de llebre, sumoll, queixal de llop, cariñena, trepat, subirat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel·lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel·lo: Partida Creus is a veritable conservatory of native Catalan grape varieties. It also grows moscatel, grenache, merlot and cabernet (among others). Few wineries can boast growing so many different grape varieties. The wines reflect this diversity, with the winemakers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety: single-variety wines are common among them, alongside extensive blends, all in the styles dear to Catalonia: still wine, "ancestral" sparkling wine, and even vermouth. The bottles themselves are works of art: bare glass, simply marked with two large stenciled initials that denote the vintage. The wines, fresh, vibrant, lush yet always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, exude life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits cries of satisfaction.

Volnay 1er Cru Carelle Sous la Chapelle Red 2020

Domaine de Chassorney

Full of roundness, with a magnificent, refined, and airy bouquet, this superb premier cru Pinot Noir red wine comes from a sloping, west-facing plot at an altitude of approximately 280 meters, on marl-limestone soils. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. Aging is approximately one year in barrels. The name of the plot refers to the old chapel that can still be seen today on the side of the road leading to Monthélie, at the bottom of the village. The term "carelle" refers to the shape of the plot, from the Latin quadrus, "square".

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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 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 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. Red or white, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and coveted wines, which sometimes require waiting.

Magnum Saint Romain Sous la Velle Red 2020,

Domaine de Chassorney

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

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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 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.

Cuvée Mourvèdre Rouge 2020,

Frédéric Cossard
From the southern Rhône Valley, this beautifully structured red wine offers very fresh fruit and ripe, fine tannins. Elegant and dense, yet fluid, it is a 100% Mourvèdre vinified in whole bunches and aged for a year in concrete eggs. A good wine for laying down.

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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 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 a while as a wine broker 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 merchant company and purchased organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais vintages. The practice is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura, Languedoc and elsewhere. At his place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular plowing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. Red or white, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.

Chardonnay Blanc 2020,

Frédéric Cossard

Aromatic, mineral, and fruity, this Chardonnay comes from fifty-year-old vines located near Rotalier (Jura). Produced by direct pressing, it is aged for ten months in old barrels. This is a classic Jura Chardonnay that offers saline notes on the finish, accompanied by a basket of yellow fruits.

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Through his entirely natural approach, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undistorted by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful wine-growing practices, the winemaker used this counter-example to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of purity and elegance without artifice which are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked for a time as a wine broker before creating the 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 merchant company and purchased organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais vintages. The practice is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura, Languedoc and elsewhere. At his place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular plowing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. Red or white, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.

Atelier 3 Rosé 2020

Belly Wine Experiment
Fresh, fruity, lively, and supple, Atelier 3 is officially a red, or at least that's how it's classified by customs because the blend contains white wine. Unofficially, it's a rosé, made from a direct press of underripe Gamay grapes and a few bits of Syrah and hybrid grape varieties. The whole is blended with carbonic maceration juice from Gamay and Riesling must. No chemical additives are used, either in the vineyard or in the winery. Classified as a Vin de France and with an alcohol content of 12.4%, this wine is a cocktail of grape varieties for a brilliantly lively result, perfect as an aperitif and when you need to wake up a sleeping atmosphere. A wine to wake the dead, as they say on such occasions.

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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 Adrien 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 unique feature of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia, for example, blending naturally with Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme. The wines are made using semi-carbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical additives or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The winery is also known for its high-quality, vinous perries.

i Vicini Moscato Blanc 2019,

Jean-Yves Peron
In Chevaline, Savoie, near Lake Annecy, Jean-Yves Péron skillfully combines committed viticulture and merchant winemaking, both with a focus on nature. His Mondeuse reds are magnificent, as are his whites made from old local grape varieties—Jacquère, Altesse, Bergeron, and Persan. He lives in Chevaline, but his current vineyard, three hectares of which have been biodynamic since the beginning, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little further downstream in the Isère Valley.
Initially destined for a career in biochemistry, Jean-Yves quickly fell in love with the vine and trained as an oenologist in Bordeaux. He learned his trade as a winemaker with Thierry Allemand in Cornas, then with Bruno Schueller in Alsace, before spending some time in New Zealand and the United States. His trading business, which he began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winemakers close to home, but also in Northern Italy: for him, it is a new dimension given to his work as a winemaker, allowing him to multiply the terroirs and to deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging. Jean-Yves Péron's winemaking follows the principles of minimal intervention. On narrow and steep surfaces, his mountain vines receive no synthetic products, Jean-Yves preferring horsetail and nettle manure. The surrounding vegetation is very rich: it protects the vines and helps to strengthen them. The soils are grassed, mown and reworked with a pickaxe and winch. The harvest is entirely manual. Once vatted in whole bunches, the grapes, both red and white, undergo a semi-carbonic maceration that allows fresh fruit aromas to be extracted. This maceration time varies between five days and nine weeks depending on the vintage. The day before or two days before pressing, Jean-Yves performs foot-treading directly in the vat. After this fermentation, the musts are sent to barrels for aging on lees for twelve months in five hundred liter barrels of two or three wines (to limit the oaky sensation), followed by blending and resting in vats. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are neither fined nor filtered. Savoyard wine has long suffered from a somewhat flimsy image, not taken seriously enough. Yet, what treasures its soils with their varied pedology and its many ancient grape varieties produce! Jean-Yves Péron embodies the rebirth of this beautiful vineyard.
Jean-Yves Péron's "I Vicini" series is made from grapes harvested in Piedmont. This moscato (muscat) is vinified dry; it therefore offers the aromatic and musky nose specific to the grape variety. On the palate, we find the charming aroma of muscat in retro-olfaction, but with the tension and freshness that the winemaker loves for his dry whites. No filtration, no added sulfites. Straightness, tension and freshness: a very beautiful mountain muscat.

Susucaru Rosato Rosé 2020,

Frank Cornelissen
This organic rosé produced under the IGP Terre Siciliane label is made from Nerello Mascalese, Malvasia, Moscadella, and Insolia grapes grown on basalt soils in the biodiverse plots of Frank Cornelissen's vineyard. Its beautiful, bright strawberry color already makes it very seductive; the freshness that emerges on the nose and palate confirms this. Plenty of fruit and a slight bitterness make for this highly sought-after, enjoyable wine.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Morey Saint Denis les Champs de la Vigne Qvevris Rouge 2019,

Frédéric Cossard
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 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 place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular plowing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. Reds or whites, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes need to be waited for.
The aging in qvevri (buried terracotta jars) allows the aromas of this magnificent Morey-Saint-Denis to flourish: fruit and minerality characterize this wine. The vines are around sixty years old; They are made from the Pinot Fin grape variety, an old strain of Pinot Noir that is increasingly rare in Burgundy.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Arôme Maiden Rouge 2018,

La Sorga
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 scope 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 viticultural technician and oenologist in various vineyards in the south of France, he founded La Sorga in 2008. His enthusiasm leads him on a path filled with love at first sight, and each of these loves is a vineyard. The result is a stunning mosaic of natural, lively, and spirited wines, reinvented each year with around thirty cuvées per vintage. Few winemakers can boast such a wide variety of grape varieties: the entire south of France is represented, with muscats, grenaches, picpoul, mauzac, carignan, cinsault, marsanne, alicante, braucol, duras, viognier, len-de-l’el, and all the rest.
It comes from the clay-limestone terroirs of Montels, in the Gaillac appellation area, and is composed of seventy percent syrah and thirty percent sauvignon blanc. Vinification is carried out by blending whole bunches, manually destemmed berries, and a little press wine. Maceration takes place in vats for sixty days, followed by ten months of aging in sandstone jars and then a year in bottles. The nose is smoky, floral, with violets, and the palate is full of tension, with a fresh herbaceous note where we find the flowers announced by the nose. The finish is very tangy, deep and dense.
Natural wine without added sulfites.

Volnay 1er Cru Les Roncerets Rouge 2018,

Frederic Cossard
This robust, great wine for laying down, which can be aged for some time before drinking and will age magnificently, comes from vines around forty years old. On the nose, strawberry, candied fruit, and spices. Aged for twelve months, the majority of the wine is in barrels, a third of which are new oak.

A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Phaunus Louriero White 2017, Pedro Bravo

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Danslezetoiles 2018, Es d'aqui Jean Louis Pinto
This blend of Braucol, Carignan, and Muscat grown on clay-limestone soils was vinified in amphorae. Notes of candied black fruits and leather are added to the fruity and herbaceous notes, to the delight of natural wine adventurers. Lots of aromatic presence, character, and originality.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Accompaniment: Organic Cul Noir pork sausage

Cerro las Monjas 1368 Red 2004,

Bodega Barranco Oscuro
Natural wine without added sulphites.

Magma Red 2016

Frank Cornelissen

Frank Cornelissen's grand cru is, as expected, a wine for aging. It reveals the remarkable depth of the Nerello Mascalese grape variety, grown on the Barbabecchi plot, planted with ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines, over a hundred years old, at an altitude of 910 meters on the slopes of Mount Etna. Skin maceration takes place for sixty days on destemmed and lightly crushed grapes. No fining, no sulfites, and light filtration before bottling. With a very dense texture, this red is more mineral than fruity (the fruit notes are candied: blackberry, prune, all roundness and melted tannins). Its depth and power are balanced by great freshness. Possibility of traces of volatile acidity, quickly vanished with decanting.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Pairs with an exceptional product, the black pork ham of Bigorre