Still Wines

Night Potion Skin Contact White 2021,

Clos Lentiscus

Night Potion Skin Contact is an organic and natural dry white wine certified CCPAE (Catalan Council for Organic Agriculture) and biodynamic, produced by Clos Lentiscus in the Baix-Penedés region (Catalonia).

Vinification

Produced on the limestone soils of the Garraf Natural Park, Night Potion Skin Contact is made using skin maceration, hence its name and its solid, structured yet velvety character. It is made from 100% native Catalan grapes, xarel lo, and is vinified in terracotta containers.

Tasting

Pleasant, pleasant, and adaptable to all occasions, Night Potion Skin Contact is a wine that goes with everything. Its minerality is matched only by its freshness, so there's no need to think about it any longer: let's quickly open this bottle to appreciate its all-terrain qualities, its controlled acidity, and its aromatic charm. It will pair well with tapas, raw, cooked, or smoked fish and seafood. If you want to know more about the delicious still or sparkling wines of this Catalan region, you can also visit the neighbors, at Partida Creus.

Learn more about Clos Lentiscus

In Sitges, Catalonia, in the Penedès appellation, Clos Lentiscus is an organic and natural wine estate located in the heart of the Garraf Natural Park. In a superb landscape of Mediterranean greenery, Manel Avinyo, nicknamed "the Bubbleman", his brother Joan and his daughter Núria specialize in cavas, sparkling wines made using the traditional method, and also make some still wines, all biodynamically, without added additives or sulfites.

History of Clos Lentiscus

The family has been established here since at least the 14th century. When the two brothers took over the estate, organic, biodynamic and additive-free winemaking replaced conventional practices, allowing this beautiful property to regain its former prestige: in the 19th century, its wines were sold in France and as far away as the Americas.

The Clos Lentiscus style

Purity, elegance and a crisp minerality characterize the organic and natural wines of Clos Lentiscus. This Catalan estate also produces still wines. The grape varieties are traditionally Catalan: Sumoll, Ull de Llebre, Xarel-lo, Cartoixà Vermell, Cariñena, and especially Malvasia from Sitges, accompanied by Tempranillo and Muscat from Alexandria. The vines are old, sometimes centuries old. No synthetic additives are used in the vineyard, where operations are dictated by the lunar phases. Pollination is facilitated by the presence of beehives, whose honey sometimes supports the secondary fermentation of the grapes.

Terre Mere Red 2021,

Clos des B

Equipped with the Écocert organic label, Terre Mère is a natural red wine, with no added sulfites, from the Clos des B estate, located in the Bay of Saint-Tropez. Red and especially black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry) abound on the nose and palate. The wine is structured and tannic, but the tannins are supple and well-integrated, and the finish includes a very seductive note of bitter almond. It resembles an Amarone, but without the cooking note, with much more fresh fruit and freshness despite its overripeness. Terre Mère presents a beautiful liveliness upon opening, but we do not recommend decanting. It gains dimension and breadth at the end of the bottle. It comes from the finest grapes, plot by plot and vine by vine, which have been isolated vine by vine to be brought to this overripeness.

Why “Mother Earth”?

The name Mother Earth is a tribute, through the terroir, to Pacha Mama, the great earthly divinity. One clearly perceives through the tasting the producer’s desire to stick to the terroir, to extract its quintessence, in addition to the resolution to add no input to the vineyard or the cellar. This mature and evolved typicity (15% alcohol) results from particular winemaking methods: Mother Earth, a red wine in AOP Côtes-de-Provence, is composed of 50% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and 30% Mourvèdre harvested overripe in September. Vinification is carried out 90% in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and 10% in open barrels. Foot-punching is performed, as well as a few small pumping overs. Malolactic fermentation is complete. The wine is aged in 600-liter barrels and in 228-liter barrels previously used for several wines. No sulfites are added, neither in the vineyard, nor during vinification, nor at bottling. To discover other wines from the terroirs of Provence, also explore the Domaine des Grandes Serres, in the Southern Côtes-du-Rhône. And to accompany this beautiful wine, why not slice a beautiful sausage from Maison Montalet?

Learn more about Clos des B

Clos des B (initials of the two owners) is an organic and natural wine estate located in Grimaud, in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Gwendolyn Berger and Jean-Jacques Branger are the proud producers of the very first natural cuvées from this geographical area. Before the two Bs bought these three hectares of vines, all these wines went to the cooperative cellar of the Vignerons de Saint-Tropez. Driven by a "thirst for vines," as they say, Gwendolyn and Jean-Jacques overcame administrative difficulties, restored the vineyard, and soon produced reds, rosés, and even a blanc de noirs. Their grape varieties are typical of the region: Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, growing on schist sands crisscrossed by quartz veins. The property benefits from a microclimate that protects the vines from humidity, disease, and frost. The viticulture and winemaking approach resolutely embraces organic (the estate is under the Écocert label, applied for in 2020), biodynamics, and natural methods. The wines are made without added sulfites, fining, or filtration. The wines of Clos des B are a true reflection of their terroir and climate: fresh, fruity, and very pleasant to drink, beautiful natural wines from the terroir of Provence.

Côtes du Rhône Villages Visan Rouge 2021

Les Grandes Serres
The Visan appellation is located in the north of the Provençal part of the Côtes-du-Rhône, in this enclave of the Popes, a small piece of Vaucluse embedded in Drôme Provençale. A land of hills, lavender, truffles, Aleppo pine, and vines that have held their AOC Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages designation since 1966. This is where the Domaine des Grandes Serres found the grapes from which this organic and natural cuvée from the Comics series is extracted, a fine and elegant wine strongly marked by red fruits, spices, and pepper. A wine for all occasions, produced from stony, clay-limestone, and sandy soils where, at an altitude of 600 meters and surrounded by forests, Syrah vines (98%) and a tiny bit of Grenache (2%) are grown, harvested by hand. The grapes are destemmed and undergo a cold pre-fermentation maceration. They are then macerated for three weeks on the skins, and the wine, after pressing, rests for six months in vats before bottling. Wonderfully drinkable and pleasant, from a terroir of great originality, deserving of being better known.

To find out more
Everyone knows where Châteauneuf-du-Pape is, but how well do we really know this appellation? The Domaine des Grandes Serres represents both its excellence and its vitality. The creator of exceptional estate and merchant wines, both red and white, he harvests, buys grapes, vinifies, and ages over a wide area, centered around Châteauneuf and the southern Côtes-du-Rhône, and including more peripheral areas such as Lirac and the Costières de Nîmes. In Châteauneuf-du-Pape itself, the estate owns twelve hectares. Founded in 1977, it has long been founded on respect for the environment and the terroir. Currently, a large portion of its vintages are organic and without added sulfites, although he does not publicly boast about it. Modestly, Samuel Montgermont, the estate's general manager, explains that the geological and climatic conditions, particularly the mistral wind, promote the health of the vineyard and allow for the elimination of inputs. Covering the entire range of white and red wines from the Midi and all their grape varieties, the estate is now committed to the production of natural wines under labels that take themselves in no way seriously, but the wines contained in the bottles - each bearing the name of its appellation - are solid and serious, in addition to being fresh and tasty.

Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Monts Luisants Rouge 2021

Fréderic Cossard
This is a very rare, dense, and elegant Morey-Saint-Denis, bursting with fresh fruit aromas. It reveals itself to be complex and powerful, with red fruits and violet aromas. This captivating wine promises to improve for a long time (aging potential of around ten years). The small clay-limestone plot of Monts-Luisants is located above the village of Morey-Saint-Denis. The Pinot Noir planted here is of the Pinot Fin variety, a very old and increasingly rare strain. The vines are around seventy years old. The harvest is macerated in whole bunches and aged for 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 for some 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 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.

Volnay 1er Cru Les Lurets Rouge 2021

Domaine de Chassorney
From one of the finest climates in Volnay, this premier cru red wine is opulent, balanced, and dense. It offers abundant notes of red and black fruits, including a full, ripe, and flavorful cherry. This is a voluptuous wine to be enjoyed at special occasions. Its velvety structure is fine and delicate, soaring into notes of airy lightness. The Lurets plot, in the Volnay AOC, produced this Pinot Noir. Its steep, west-southeast-facing terroir is located between 230 and 280 meters above sea level. The soils are primarily composed of pink limestone supported by white schist pebbles. The grapes macerate in whole bunches for two weeks in open wooden fermenters. The aging is about a year in old and new oak 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 for some 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 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.

Pinot Gris Origin Blanc 2021

Jean-Marc Dreyer
Dense, taut, dry, and aromatic, Jean-Marc Dreyer's Pinot Gris Origin expresses structure and integrity here. Jean-Marc Dreyer's Origin range is dedicated to single-varietal cuvées based on Alsatian varieties, here the classic Pinot Gris grape variety, formerly called Tokay in Alsace, macerated in whole bunches. Pinot Gris Origin is a true redefinition of this world-famous grape variety, whose name has been somewhat misused by the American market in its Italian form (Pinot Grigio) in recent years, which makes this Alsatian interpretation particularly interesting, based not only on the local expression of the grape variety but also on the deployment of its possibilities. Here, maceration gives it a new character, marked by tension and rectitude. It finally finds its say and adds a few strings to its bow. Pairs with practically everything, but come on, we'll dare: with caviar, it's the best. Biodynamic method, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, unfiltered, unclarified, no sulfites added in the vineyard or in the cellar.

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"Maceration in Alsace is a tradition!" says Jean-Marc Dreyer, adding that direct pressing in this region is a modern invention, linked to the advent of electricity. In the past, we worked by hand and let the grapes macerate before sending the marc to the press. " Whole bunch maceration is Jean-Marc Dreyer's signature and represents 85% of the estate's production, the rest consisting of direct-pressed whites, often aged using controlled oxidation. Jean-Marc succeeds several generations of his family at the Dreyer & Fils estate, created in 1830 between Obernai and Molsheim. Upon taking over the estate, he immediately opted for biodynamics, but he hesitated for a while between several methods: at the beginning, his wines were more oaky, aged in new barrels with stirring. Then, a sweet period: all his wines contain residual sugar. In 2008, he tried vinifying without any sulfur and found his direction: the following winter, upon returning from the pilgrimage to Compostela, he swore never to add sulfur to any wine again. Having made this decision, he asserts his style around skin maceration, quite advanced, chiseled, always surprising on Alsatian grape varieties, of which it brings out the structure without sacrificing the delicacy. Jean-Marc works in single-varietal or blended vintages and also produces Pinot Noir reds of surprising depth.

Pinot Noir Red 2021

Domaine Einhart
The deep, purplish color of this Pinot Noir from Domaine Einhart evokes black cherry: this is a velvety, ripe red, 100% Pinot Noir from the estate, with an intense, fragrant, and gently fruity aroma. The first nose is enhanced by aromas of black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry) with a hint of freshness blended into a light vanilla woodiness. The second nose is more open, with aromas of blood orange, bitter almond, and kirsch. On the palate, the small fruits are still present, supported by present but well-melted tannins, and lead to a velvety finish resting on a lovely freshness. Plenty of persistence and length. The Pinot Noirs from which it is made, aged around thirty years, grow on the muschelkalk (shell limestone) terroirs of Dittelsberg-Albermohn and are harvested by hand, then destemmed. Maceration, on indigenous yeasts, takes between ten and twelve days. Aging for one year on fine lees, in demi-muids, precedes bottling without filtration. From the vineyard to the cellar, this wine was made without any chemical additives or added sulfites. Decanting is recommended so that it fully expresses all its finesse and grace. The magnum format is only good for it, accentuating its velvety texture and depth.

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Located in the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, horizontally above Strasbourg, the Einhart estate is a ten-hectare family property whose vines are located on the hillsides that rise between the Alsace plain and the Vosges mountains. The soil is clay-limestone and rich in fossils (muschelkalk, i.e. shell limestone and oolitic limestone, and lettenkohle or dolomitic limestone). 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 a co-founder, Nicolas devotes his winemaking 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 since 2011. Like Jean-Marc Dreyer [link], he is firmly focused on skin maceration and produces white maceration wines (orange wines) in addition to a Pinot Noir red. Entirely manual harvests, destemming of the grapes, 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, and tonic, and transcribe the minerality of the very beautiful terroirs of the Vosges foothills.

Muscanna Blanc 2021

Domaine Einhart
The magnum format will amplify the richness of its aromas and the smooth tannins of this Muscanna, whose color is a beautiful orange-amber, with superb brightness. The initial nose offers the rich aromas typical of overripe Muscat berries, slightly smoky. A second, very refined nose brings a hint of citrus that invites tasting. On the palate, the attack is very straightforward and ample, accompanied by a smooth acidity expressed through notes of candied quince. The finish is invigorating, with smooth tannins linked to maceration. Magnificently complex, this dry white is Domaine Einhart's homage to the Muscat grape variety, as the name of the cuvée indicates. Muscanna is indeed a 100% Alsace Muscat, grown on the estate and harvested by hand when overripe. The vines are around 25 years old and grow on the splendid oolitic limestone (muschelkalk) terroirs in the Fleckenstein, Westerberg, and Meyen areas. The harvest is destemmed, maceration in vats lasts four to six days, and fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged in stainless steel vats on fine lees and is unfiltered at bottling. We recommend decanting Muscanna to help it develop its splendid aromas.

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Located in the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, horizontally above Strasbourg, the Einhart estate is a ten-hectare family property whose vines are located on the hillsides that rise between the Alsace plain and the Vosges mountains. The soil is clay-limestone and rich in fossils (muschelkalk, i.e. shell limestone and oolitic limestone, and lettenkohle or dolomitic limestone). Since 1990, Nicolas Einhart has been at the helm, now assisted by his son Théo. Faithful to his commitments to the TIFLO association, of which he is a co-founder, Nicolas devotes his winemaking work to the protection of the land and biodiversity, winemaking without inputs, the refusal of harmful phytosanitary products and the maintenance of ecological refuge zones. His estate has been certified organic since 2011. Like Jean-Marc Dreyer [link], he is firmly focused on skin maceration and produces white maceration wines (orange wines) in addition to a Pinot Noir red. Entirely manual harvests, destemming of the grapes, 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 grape, lively, powerful, invigorating, and transcribe the minerality of the very beautiful terroirs of the Vosges foothills.

Mensonge à Papa Red 2021

Belly Wine Experiment

Fresh, supple, fruity, light, and easy-drinking, Mensonge à Papa is a delicious wine for aperitifs, sharing, thirst quenching, meals, and good company. It proudly carries the banner of Gamay from two regions: Auvergne (from Châteaugay, near Riom, on calcareous-volcanic soils) and Beaujolais (from Rivolet, on blue granite). It is the result of a blend of equal parts of these two origins of the same grape variety, with a shared family resemblance, but also a marked difference: the Gamay from Auvergne has more acidity. Lie to Dad is therefore, in a way, an ode to Gamay. The grapes are first slowly pressed, then their must is added to whole bunches (of Gamay, surprise!) for a fifteen-day carbonic maceration. The aging takes place for a year in fiberglass vats. No chemical inputs are added during the cultivation and vinification, and in particular no sulfites. Classified as a Vin de France and with an alcohol content of 13.5%, it will be wonderful as an aperitif or with food, or just to have a good time.

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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 a lot to live up to: 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.

Muscat Petit Grain White 2002

Le Petit Gimios

A liqueur muscat in the tradition of Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, the region where the estate is located. This petit grain muscat is a fortified wine, meaning a must whose fermentation has been interrupted by the addition of alcohol. This produces a delicious beverage, both sweet and fresh, with incredible aromatic complexity. You can keep it chilled almost indefinitely after opening, tightly corked: ideal for pouring a drink for friends who are visiting. Also interesting for catering, served by the glass, due to its stability once the bottle is uncorked. Almost unlimited pairings. Serve chilled.

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Le Petit Domaine de Gimios is located near Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, an ancient terroir and source of sweet muscats from the Languedoc. In fact, the estate is dedicated to the region's typical small-grain muscat (in addition to a few other varieties), and Anne-Marie Lavaysse is firmly rooted in tradition by producing fine wines from this precious grape variety. In 1993, she and her son Pierre took over several old, abandoned vineyards, which she now uses to create the estate. Small, certainly, but multicultural and almost self-sufficient: the muscat from old vines shares the space with vegetable and food crops, fruit trees, and some livestock farming. None of this receives any chemical inputs, sulfur, or mechanical force, and the estate, certified by Écocert, is cultivated biodynamically. On these five hectares, viticulture and mixed farming are one. The harvest is carried out by hand in the early morning, destemmed and foot-trodden, before macerating for approximately ten days using native yeasts. No sulfites are added during bottling. The wines are universally described as "delicious," "pure and fresh," "clear and easy to drink." The house produces dry, sweet, liqueur-like, and fortified muscats, as well as very fruity reds made from traditional local grape varieties. Everywhere, the impression of biting into fresh grapes is felt.

Moelleux de Muscat Blanc 2012

Le Petit Gimios
Truly special and unique, the moelleux de Muscat from Petit Domaine de Gimios is a sweet wine that will intrigue your palate: charm, character, complexity, a touch of mystery, a sweetness that lingers languidly with a magnificent finish. It is intended for lovers of wines that stray from the beaten track without losing their voluptuousness. This moelleux de Muscat comes from a plot that the estate also works dry. It will pair well with tapas, dinner or lunch aperitifs, raw fish and seafood.

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Le Petit Domaine de Gimios is located near Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, an ancient terroir and origin of sweet muscats from Languedoc. In fact, the estate is dedicated to the region's typical small grain muscat (in addition to a few other varieties), and Anne-Marie Lavaysse places herself directly in the tradition by producing beautiful wines from this precious grape variety. In 1993, she and her son Pierre took over several old abandoned vineyards, which she now owns. Small, certainly, but multicultural and almost self-sufficient: the muscat from old vines shares the space with vegetable and food crops, fruit trees and some livestock. None of this receives any chemical inputs, sulfur, or mechanical force, and the Ecocert-certified estate is cultivated biodynamically. On these five hectares, viticulture and mixed farming are one and the same. The manual harvest takes place in the early morning, the grapes are destemmed and crushed by foot, before macerating for about ten days using indigenous yeasts. No sulfites are added during bottling. The wines are universally described as "delicious," "pure and fresh," "frank and digestible." The estate produces dry, sweet, liqueur, and fortified muscats, as well as very fruity reds made from traditional local grape varieties. Everywhere, the impression of biting into fresh grapes.

Super Pink Rosé 2021,

Fréderic Cossard
A graceful and delicate pale rosé, a wine with the same qualities: 100% Cinsault, red fruits, citrus notes, flowers, and orange zest. Like Provençal sunshine in a bottle. Marvelously pure, this wine is produced by directly pressing grapes harvested from twenty-year-old vines near Vaison-la-Romaine (Vaucluse), on clay-limestone soils. Aging is brief, in stainless steel vats. A summer rosé, without hesitation, but also for all year round, with Asian or Middle Eastern cuisines, or even red fruits.

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 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, 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.

Magnum Pommard 1er Cru Pezerolles Rouge 2017,

Domaine de Chassorney
The nose is full of stewed and spicy red fruits; raspberry dominates. On the palate, we clearly recognize the typicality of the Pommard terroir, the suppleness and liveliness it gives to the wine. This magnum of Pommard "Les Pézerolles" needs time to reveal itself: this 2017 vintage is worth drinking now or waiting a little longer. Classified as a premier cru, this Pinot Noir, full of candied red fruits and suppleness, comes from the Pézerolles plot, just above the Petits Épenots climat. It was among the first plots established in the AOC Pommard in 1936. Its terroir is located between 250 and 330 meters above sea level on marl, brown calcic and brown calcareous soils. The grapes macerate for three weeks in whole bunches. The wine is aged for about a year in barrels and is neither filtered nor clarified before bottling.

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 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, 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.

Magnum Munjebel MC Red 2013,

Frank Cornelissen

The color is superbly intense, a deep, saturated red. Notes of red rose and wild red berries are very pronounced and powerful. A rich texture, body, and depth, with a rich and aromatic palate supported by fresh acidity. This is an already venerable vintage of this pure Nerello Mascalese, which comes from the Contrada Monte Colla (the meaning of the initials MC), a very steep, terraced plot with magnificent sun and wind exposure, directly opposite Mount Etna. The soil is sandy-clay. The vines, planted in 1946, produce a rich, powerful, and elegant wine. It's a bit like the hermitage of Etna. The harvest is destemmed and lightly crushed, then macerated for sixty days. No fining, light filtration before bottling.

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A key figure in natural wine, a universally respected figure in this category of wines, Frank Cornelissen is a classic. This man of constant questioning lives in human and cosmic resonance with his contrasting terroir: he has demonstrated that the powerful minerality of a great volcanic soil could be highlighted by the naturalness of his wines. The brilliance, the directness and the exquisite fruitiness of his vintages earn him the admiration even of those reluctant to go "natural." They are good introductory wines.
His Sicilian azienda is located in Passopisciaro, in the northern Etna valley. It is, he says, the "Night Coast" of Etna for the great diversity of its wines spread over many locations (contrade) at different altitudes. The climate is continental and harsh, even snowy, in winter, but very warm and sunny from June to September. The altitude gives the wines tension and elegance. The vines coexist with a Mediterranean polyculture: olive trees, almond trees, vegetable gardens... (Frank also produces olive oil). The age of the vines ranges from forty years to over one hundred years. The plots, nineteen in number, on twenty-four hectares in total, are all at altitude, between 600 and 900 meters, on several volcanic flows. They are all vinified separately: Frank decides on the blend based on the quality of the wines from each plot. In general, seven or eight vintages are made in addition to the generic wines (rosé, basic red and white). The soils are made up of different types of basalt, between powder and rock, with perfect drainage that allows for the production of concentrated and fine wines.
Nerello Mascalese dominates the estate's grape varieties. This great traditional red grape variety from the northern valley of Etna is the only grape variety used in the great vintages. Its growing cycle is long, which allows the vine to work the soil and capture its minerality in the fruit. Other grape varieties include: Nerello Capuccio, Minella Bianco, Minella Nera, Alicante Bouschet, Malvasia, Cattaratto, Moscadella, Grecanico Dorato, Carricante…

Orange Blanc 2020,

Château Lafitte
This Orange cuvée, with its spectacular old gold color and supple, enchanting tannins, is made from 100% Petit Manseng, the emblematic Jurançon grape variety. It is harvested by hand during the second half of September. Both the viticulture and the vinification process are carried out without the addition of chemical additives or sulfites. Orange is macerated for three weeks in terracotta jars, which gives it its beautiful tawny color, powerful nose, and supple, melting tannins. A true treasure to cellar for up to ten years (if you can manage that). The possibilities for almost infinite flavor pairings are endless (everything goes with it, including the most unlikely ingredients). A dense and powerful orange, of astonishing complexity, which at the same time does not forget to be fine and caressing.

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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 them. 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 the present day. Philippe and Brigitte Arraou, the current owners, have undertaken to revive viticulture on the site, helped 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.

Saint Joseph Cuvée Madloba Red 2020

Paul Estève

Rhône Valley - Saint-Joseph AOC AOP

The fruit is dense, clean, and precise, the tannins are fine, smooth, and full of freshness, and the minerality is subtle. Even the intensity of a Rhône Syrah reveals that "taste of water," that thirst-quenching fluidity that is the hallmark that Chrystelle Vareille and Paul Estève seek to give to their wines. With its floral and spicy notes, its mineral tension over a full texture and intense sapidity, this wine is reminiscent of Georgian qvevri wines aged in terracotta. Madloba ("thank you" in Georgian), in AOP Saint-Joseph, is a 100% Syrah. The vines, almost forty years old, are planted at an altitude of 350 meters, on a hillside plot with granite and black mica soils. The harvest ferments in tinajas, unburied terracotta jars, and after pressing the wine returns to the tinaja for a year of aging. This aging method enhances the wine's texture, softens the tannins, and develops the fruit. As versatile as it is for pairings, Madloba red can do anything.

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Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille are the creators of the Domaine des Miquettes, whose great specialty is the use of Georgian techniques. They are passionate about this Caucasian country, the cradle of wine, where eight-thousand-year-old winemaking techniques are still used. At the heart of this viticulture is the qvevri, the buried jar where all the winemaking takes place: fermentation with skin maceration and aging. They set out to explore this country and returned with the decision to age all their wines in buried jars. They have twenty-six, but distinguish between tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation-maceration and buried "amphorae" for aging. No sulfur is added. For both reds and whites, the terracotta erases astringency and transmutes it into a velvety texture, a fruity and supple material.

The estate, located in Ardèche, is south of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Paul trained with René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he began by taking over Paul's family farm with two ares of vines, then in 2004 the entire estate, which now covers 4.3 hectares. The white grape varieties are located around the house, the red grape varieties are planted on steep hillsides, between 300 and 450 meters above sea level. The plots rest on a granite base with light soils: black mica granite, schist and gneiss. Everything is cultivated organically (Ecocert) with biodynamic practices. The vines are cared for and fortified using plant decoctions and clay. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work. The harvest is entirely manual.

Vino Bianco Ambar White 2020

Corva Gialla

Àmbar ("amber"), aptly named, is a dry macerated white wine that stands out with its beautiful amber color with pink highlights typical of an orange wine. It is a ripe, straightforward wine, surprisingly easy to drink. The nose is delicately floral, as is the palate. Àmbar is very fresh and has lovely acidity. It offers tobacco, spices, orange peel, almond, and toasted notes, without losing its beautiful fruitiness. Plenty of minerality, earth, and a touch of creaminess after aeration. This wine is made from the Grechetto grape variety, macerated and fermented on the skins in thousand-liter terracotta jars. After pressing, the wines are aged, always separately, for eight to ten months in old oak barrels before being blended in fiberglass vats.

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The Azienda Corva Gialla ("yellow crow") is a wine estate in Lazio, Italy, located on the edge of Umbria in the Alta Tuscia Viterbese. A volcanic region considered one of the most beautiful in Italy and characterized by its calanches, high tuff rock formations delimiting deep valleys carved by numerous rivers and torrents. Corva Gialla is located in Lubriano, opposite Civita di Bagnoregio. Alta Tuscia is proving to be a breeding ground for young winemaking talents dedicated to nature, who are enhancing these historically neglected lands. Founded in 2017, the estate comprises four hectares cultivated by Beatrice Arweiler, originally from another wine-growing region, between the Rhine and the Moselle. The new owner has also planted an olive grove (Frantoio and Leccino varieties) and developed the estate into a mixed crop-livestock system. The vines were planted with the help of Gian Marco Antonuzzi of the Le Coste estate. The friable volcanic soil lends itself magnificently to viticulture and the planting of grape varieties such as Grechetto d'Umbria, Trebbiano, Vermentino, Sangiovese, and Ciliegiolo. The estate's wines are quintessentially Italian, meaning they are crafted above all for pleasure. They are straightforward, deep, and

Magnum La Petite Robe Blanc 2020,

Jean-Yves Péron


There are actually two different vintages of La Petite Robe in one: the character will vary depending on the choice of container, magnum or bottle. Jean-Yves likes to call this a stylistic exercise. Let's focus here on the 150 cl magnum. The Jacquère grape here lends its mineral and floral character with a slight oxidative note, in addition to its richness and volume on the palate. The wine offers notes of charcoal and white fruits, a beautiful balance, and great intensity. La Petite Robe is an ideal maceration white wine for raw or cooked seafood, which it will highlight with its mineral purity. Wonderfully sweet and crisp, this is yet another great success from Jean-Yves Péron, who crafts this typically Savoyard white grape variety with the precision afforded by limestone soils. The grapes come from Adrien Dacquin's plots, on calcareous-granite soil near Chambéry. The vines are around fifty years old. The harvest is directly pressed, and after fermentation, the wine is aged for a year in barrels previously used for several wines. No filtration, fining, or addition of sulfites.

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Jean-Yves Péron embodies the natural renaissance of the beautiful Savoyard vineyard, which has long suffered from a somewhat flimsy image, not taken seriously enough. Yet, what treasures are produced by its varied soils and its many ancient grape varieties! Near Conflans, in Albertville (Savoie), Jean-Yves Péron skillfully combines committed viticulture and merchant winemaking, both under the banner of nature and high-altitude organic vines. Initially destined for a career in biochemistry, he quickly became drawn to 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. Jean-Yves' current vineyard, one and a half hectares of biodynamic farming from the start, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little further downstream in the Isère valley. Composed of micro-plots of vines, it is staggered between 350 m and 550 m above sea level and is entirely worked by hand. His trading activity, which began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winegrowers close to his home (such as Raphaël Marin and Adrien Dacquin). Also, the construction of a new winery in 2017 allows him to increase production and collaborate with winegrowers from Northern Italy: Paolo Angelino in Casale Monferrato (Turin), Giorgio Barbero in Asti. This is a new dimension given to his work as a winemaker, allowing him to diversify the terroirs and 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 which allows the extraction of fresh fruit aromas. 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 woody sensation), followed by blending and resting in vats. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered.

Les Œillets Blanc 2020,

Jean-Yves Péron


Superbly structured, Les Œillets offers chewiness, texture, a tannic mouthfeel, and a more pronounced, controlled oxidative note. The tension is strong, balanced by a hint of apricot. Woody, with explosive minerality and beautiful tension, this is a very atypical maceration white with powerful aromatic notes. There are plenty of fruit and candied citrus notes. This is a 100% Jacquère white, whose vines grow on limestone soil. It's roughly the same terroir as for La Petite Robe, but Jean-Yves expects this vintage to reach a higher phenolic maturity in order to obtain a greater tannic concentration. The plots are therefore harvested later. The maceration is also more thorough: four or five days of carbonic maceration followed by ten days of punching down the cap. After racking and pressing, the wine is sent to 225-liter barrels where it will mature for at least a year.

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Jean-Yves Péron embodies the natural renaissance of the beautiful Savoyard vineyard, which has long suffered from a somewhat flimsy image, not taken seriously enough. Yet, what treasures are produced by its varied soils and its many ancient grape varieties! Near Conflans, in Albertville (Savoie), Jean-Yves Péron skillfully combines committed viticulture and merchant winemaking, both under the banner of nature and high-altitude organic vines. Initially destined for a career in biochemistry, he quickly became drawn to 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. Jean-Yves' current vineyard, one and a half hectares of biodynamic farming from the start, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little further downstream in the Isère valley. Composed of micro-plots of vines, it is staggered between 350 m and 550 m above sea level and is entirely worked by hand. His trading activity, which began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winegrowers close to his home (such as Raphaël Marin and Adrien Dacquin). Also, the construction of a new winery in 2017 allows him to increase production and collaborate with winegrowers from Northern Italy: Paolo Angelino in Casale Monferrato (Turin), Giorgio Barbero in Asti. This is a new dimension given to his work as a winemaker, allowing him to diversify the terroirs and 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 which allows the extraction of fresh fruit aromas. 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 woody sensation), followed by blending and resting in vats. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered.

VNR Vinel lo Rouge 2020,

Partida Creus
A supple and hyperfruity classic "à la Jura," an easy-drinking everyday wine with a beautifully fresh expression and notes of pomegranate. VN, Vinel·lo, is a particularly successful blend of native grape varieties: it consists of Samsó (Cinsault), Garrut (Mourvèdre), Trepat, Ull de Perdiu, Queixal de Llop, Sumoll, and Grenache Noir, harvested from predominantly limestone soils. Vinification is carried out individually according to the varieties. No filtration, no additives, no added sulfites.

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Partida Creus is an important estate, both from a winemaking and historical perspective—we're talking 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-versed—first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug tickled 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 number 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 saving their heritage, 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, entirely manual and natural viticulture 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, ceciat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel.lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel.lo: it is a true conservatory of the native Catalan grape varieties that Partida Creus cares for. There is also Moscatel, Grenache, Merlot and Cabernet (among others). Few wineries can boast of growing so many different grape varieties. The wines reflect this diversity, with winemakers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety: single varietals are common among them, alongside very rich 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 indicate the cuvée. 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 cries of satisfaction.