Still Wines

Le Carignan de la Source Rouge 2021

Fond Cyprès
Languedoc to the tips of its nails, delicate, dense, and fresh, fruity and generous, all freshness and delicacy: a beautiful, lively and spicy bottle, with lovely notes of leather and undergrowth, and well-integrated tannins that don't attack the palate. Coming from a sixty-year-old limestone-marl Carignan plot, this wine, after hand-harvesting and destemming, is fermented for four weeks in concrete vats. The wine is then aged for twelve months in old demi-muid (barrels of 500 to 650 liters) which has the quality of not oaking the wine but ensuring a comfortable, gentle aging. With its ripe and evolved tannins, this classified Vin de France cru offers great aging potential, but we can already start drinking it. A lively bottle, to be paired with everything that the Western Mediterranean coast (Languedoc, Roussillon, Catalonia, Valencia region, etc.) has to offer. We obviously don't forget the region east of the Rhône: Provençal, Italian, Greek cuisines, etc. Keep for around ten years.

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This Languedoc estate is built on solid foundations: its two winemakers, Rodolphe and Laetitia, are also descendants of winemakers. Even before planting their first vine, they already had a clear objective: "to produce southern wines that reflect us, wines with character, attached to our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They wanted to obtain entirely natural wines, concentrates of terroir. In the old Corbières massif, they took over an old heart of the estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache, which had not seen any fertilizer or pesticides for years: these clean and living soils were an ideal condition for launching into natural wine. Around this historic heart, they first planted Grenache Noir and Syrah, then a plot of white grape varieties: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne. The estate has been Ecocert certified since 2010 and also complies with the Nature & Progrès charter. The vinification is done without the addition of sulfites or exogenous yeasts. "We make wines for pleasure," say Laetitia and Rodolphe. For them, natural wine is first assessed by taste, from the harvest. The vintages closely follow the plots, the musts are fruity, fluid, and complex. The wines of Fond Cyprès poetically evoke the estate's ecosystem and the vegetation that protects the plots: the pine forests, the shady springs, the beauty of the natural environment that brings freshness to the wines and leaves the signature of the soil. Deliciously balanced between mineral imprint, plant environment, and fruit expression, the wines of Fond Cyprès reflect the South of France: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.

La Syrah de la Pinède Rouge 2021

Fond Cyprès
Dense, full-bodied, and generous, this Syrah is ready to drink but can still wait. Classified as a Vin de France, it carries the freshness and shade of its forest environment and a certain gravity that is not uncommon in Corbières wines based on this type of blend. It features notes of garrigue and Mediterranean herbs. Coming from a plot of young vines (between sixteen and twenty years old) exposed to the north and the northwest wind, bordered by pines and cypresses which protect and refresh it, the Syrah harvest used to make this wine is destemmed, gently extracted, fermented in concrete vats, and the wine is aged for one year in old barrels. It is a true wine of the South, born of the sun and a faithful reflection of the earth.

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This Languedoc estate is built on solid foundations: its two winemakers, Rodolphe and Laetitia, are also descendants of winemakers. Even before planting their first vine, they already have a clear objective: "to produce wines from the South that reflect us, wines of character attached to our soils, with freshness and refined tannins." They want to obtain entirely natural wines, concentrates of terroir. In the old Corbières massif, they took over an old heart of an estate already planted with abandoned Carignan and Grenache vines, which had seen neither fertilizer nor pesticides for years: these clean and vibrant soils are ideal conditions for launching into natural wine. Around this historic heart, they first planted Grenache Noir and Syrah, then a plot of white grape varieties: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne. The estate has been Ecocert certified since 2010 and also complies with the Nature & Progrès charter. Vinification is carried out without the addition of sulfites or exogenous yeasts. "We make wines for pleasure," say Laetitia and Rodolphe. For them, natural wine is first evaluated by taste, from the harvest. The vintages closely follow the plots, the musts are fruity, fluid, and complex. Fond Cyprès wines poetically evoke the estate's ecosystem and the vegetation that protects the plots: pine forests, shaded springs, the beauty of the natural environment that brings freshness to the wines and leaves the signature of the soil. Deliciously balanced between mineral imprint, plant environment and fruit expression, Fond Cyprès wines reflect the South: the caress of its sun, but also the freshness of its shadows.

Adonis Rouge 2021

La Grapperie
Tuffeau, tuffeau, and always tuffeau! The porous mineral emblematic of the Loir hillsides contributes to producing refined and distinguished wines. This Adonis red is draped in a beautiful garnet color, giving way to a complex nose of red fruits: strawberry, cherry, smoked blackberry, sweet herbs... On the palate, a beautiful structure between black pepper and raspberry. Spicy and peppery, with a lovely sweet and yeasty note on the attack that adds to its deliciousness, Adonis is made from 100% Pineau d'Aunis, a fiery and light grape variety, one of the oldest in the Loire Valley. It is entirely made from old vines (seventy-five years old) planted in the Coteaux du Loir appellation, on soils dominated by tuffeau, clay and flint. The harvest is manual, transported by horse. The harvest is fermented for three weeks in whole bunches with light crushing, using indigenous yeasts. It is aged for six months in vats; no oak therefore seasons the purity of the Pineau d'Aunis. A marvel, to drink as an aperitif to warm up, or to serve on the table for varied and refined pairings.

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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. His principle, he confides, is "to produce complex, rich wines with good aging potential and imbued with the minerality of their terroir." The vines are located on hillsides, between 60 and 120 meters above sea level, protected from the north winds by the Bercé forest. Depending on the altitude, the terroirs are dominated by clay (at the bottom of the slope), flint (mid-slope) or sand (on the higher ground). The 60-hectare vineyard comprises around fifteen plots. The grape varieties are the two traditionally authorized varieties in the appellation: Chenin for the whites and Pineau d'Aunis for 90% of the reds, the remainder consisting of a few ares of Côt, Gamay and Grolleau. The average age of the vines is seventy years, including almost two hectares of century-old vines and one and a half hectares of vines aged sixty to eighty years. Convinced of the enormous potential that these old vines can bring to his vintages, Renaud is meticulous in restoring the vineyard. 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 Pineaux d'Aunis are 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 and then barreled by gravity. Fermentation takes place in barrels, using indigenous yeasts, with complete malolactic fermentation, for at least eighteen months and sometimes up to thirty-six months.

Foresta Blanc 2021

La Vinicola di Antonio Gismondi
From the outset, the palette is admired: a beautiful, intense amber color, and notes of bitter orange marmalade, spices, and fresh sage on both the nose and palate. Foresta is a powerful and robust wine, yet nuanced and sensitive. Marked by maceration, this orange wine offers a veritable explosion of tropical notes and warm spices on the nose, followed by a vibrant, mineral finish and a strong, dense body. Notes of orange peel, dried apricot, and ripeness are evident: this is more of an autumnal wine than a springtime one. Within the Azienda Gismondi repertoire, it represents the robust and structured side of the winery, while exhibiting the purity and freshness that characterize the estate. It comes from a site a little away from the azienda, at a lower altitude, where the Trebbiano Rosa grape variety grows on heavily clayey soils. This terroir, slightly heavier than that of the estate itself, gives the wine a denser, more intensely flavorful nuance that distinguishes it from wines produced at higher altitudes. Trebbiano Rosa makes up 50% of the blend, with Malvasia di Candia making up the remaining half. The manually harvested grapes macerate on the skins for two weeks in open-topped fiberglass vats, then, after pressing, the wine is transferred to stainless steel vats for aging for six to eight months. Bottled without filtration, sulfite, or additives.

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

Cerreto Blanc 2021

La Vinicola di Antonio Gismondi
The nose is marked by citrus (lemon zest), as is the palate: the citrus lingers, the minerality asserts itself. Cerreto, named in homage to the town where it was born, will be a good companion to seafood, shellfish, and raw fish. It is a lively and fresh white wine with a pale yellow color and an acidic, lemony nose with notes of white flowers: gardenia, jasmine, and orange blossom. Cerreto is made entirely from Malvasia di Candia vines, a grape variety also known as Uva di Cerreto. It is a very old local grape variety, even said to be indigenous, a clone of Malvasia di Candia. The vines grow on clay-limestone plots facing southwest. The harvest, carried out manually, undergoes a skin maceration of four or five days in stainless steel vats, followed by pressing and aging for six to ten months, also in stainless steel vats to preserve the purity of the fruit. No sulfites are added, no filtration.

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

Puligny Montrachet Blanc 2021

Fréderic Cossard
Frédéric Cossard vinifies several Puligny-Montrachet crus, including this one without a climate indication, but endowed with all the graces of this great white wine appellation from the Côte de Beaune, one of the most prestigious in Burgundy. Some wine lovers consider Puligny-Montrachet the quintessential white; it is, at the very least, the region's greatest white cru. A marvelous fusion of richness and dryness, it has great aging potential. With age, its aromas lean increasingly toward earthy, mineral notes, with smoky accents and a magnificent affinity with truffle. Meanwhile, it is difficult to list its pairings, such is the gift this unique wine has for harmonizing with all that is good. Still young, reserve it for fine poultry and white meats.

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Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful wine-growing practices, the winemaker used this counter-example to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of purity and elegance without artifice that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked 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 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.

Volnay 1er Cru Les Roncerets Rouge 2021

Domaine de Chassorney
On the nose, raspberry, strawberry, violet, candied fruit, spices, a touch of undergrowth and animal notes. On the palate, more red fruit and violet, blackberry, blackcurrant, and cherry. A very fine, gourmet, complex wine, endowed with finesse and great aromatic concentration. Solid, well-structured tannins. This robust wine for laying down, which can be left for some time before drinking and will age magnificently, comes from vines around forty years old. The twelve-month aging is done mainly in barrels, a third of which are new oak. The Roncerets climate consists of very stony clay-limestone soil. This wine has excellent aging potential. It is aged for one year in barrels and vinified without the addition of sulfites.

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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.

Oolithe Blanc 2021

Domaine Einhart
Named in homage to its shell limestone soil, Oolithe is a macerated white wine with a lovely pale apricot color. It immediately reveals a beautiful minerality, great freshness, and the integrity of its predominant grape variety, Sylvaner. The olfactory sensation is enhanced by aromas of fresh apple. The second nose opens more fully with elderflower, lily of the valley, and citrus peel. On the palate, the attack is lively, fresh, and mineral, leading to a spicy and persistent finish. The name Oolithe is a direct allusion to the oolitic limestone that makes up the silty muschelkalk soil from which it is sourced (plots located in Weingarten and Oberer Altenberg). The four grape varieties that make up this wine grow on this soil: Sylvaner (30%), Auxerrois (25%), Gewurztraminer (20%) and Pinot Blanc (25%). The average age of the vines is forty-five years; the grapes come from old massal selections. The harvest, entirely manual, is destemmed, and maceration, on indigenous yeasts, takes place for a few days. The wine is aged on fine lees, in stainless steel vats, before being bottled without filtration. From the vineyard to the cellar, this wine was made without any additives or sulfites. Decanting is recommended so that it can fully express its floral grace.

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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 viticultural 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.

Muscanna Blanc 2021

Domaine Einhart
Muscanna offers a beautiful orange-amber color with superb brightness. The initial nose offers the rich aromas typical of overripe Muscat berries, lightly 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 melted tannins due 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 100% Alsace Muscat, grown on the estate and harvested by hand when overripe. The vines are around twenty-five 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 estate 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 oolite 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 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 resolutely moving towards skin maceration and produces white maceration wines (orange wines) in addition to a red Pinot Noir. Entirely manual harvesting, 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 grape, lively, powerful, invigorating, and transcribe the minerality of the very beautiful terroirs of the Vosges foothills.

Nails and Dust Red 2021

Belly Wine Experiment

Behind this metallic and dusty appellation (the translation of the cuvée's name) lies a wine of character, lively and mineral, full of sap and vitality. It is made from Minervois Carignan grapes macerated and crushed for six days, resulting in a beautiful extraction of tannins that need to soften slightly. At the time of writing (March 2023), this wine still requires approximately one year of bottle aging before it can be optimally enjoyed. After this time, it will reveal all its passion and energy. An excellent companion to red meats, grilled meats, grilled sausages, and good times with friends.

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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 experience as a winemaking business. The creative duo has a lot in common: 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, all 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. Belly Wine Experiment's unique feature is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of its blends, with Catalan Xarello, for example, blending effortlessly with Puy-de-Dôme Gamay. 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.

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.

Cailloux Rouge 2021,

Patrick Bouju
A true seducer, and one of the jewels among the highly sought-after red cuvées from the Auvergne winemaker. Cailloux lives up to its name: it's a wild, smoky, long, and persistent red wine, marked by intensely mineral notes: stone, earth, metal, gravel, combined with the smoky notes typical of basalt soils. However, the fruit is present and juicy. The overall impression is dense and concentrated; the wine can be drunk now but will still be able to age for a few years. This cuvée is made from old Pinot Noir vines on basalt, marl-limestone, and sandy soils, with, in some vintages, a proportion of Chardonnay growing on the same type of soil. Three-quarters of the harvest is destemmed, and the rest is left in whole bunches; the whole macerates for one month in barrels. Serving temperature: 14-16°C. Open twenty minutes before tasting or decant.

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Near Billom, the Limagne clermontoise rises towards the east to form a hilly area with a mild climate, dominated by volcanic hills. This is the Auvergne Tuscany, so named because of its resemblance to the Italian province. This land of mixed subsistence farming was once covered with vines and was the preferred domain of Gamay d'Auvergne, a robust ancient strain, the origin of dense, deep and fruity wines. This is where Patrick Bouju cultivates and vinifies, on these high-quality volcanic soils and mainly on old vines. The soils vary between basalt, limestone, clay-limestone and pozzolan. Patrick collects and cares for the best terroirs of Puy-de-Dôme, often abandoned, and gives them new life. He also preserves native grape varieties, of which he cultivates a good fifty, and also works as a wine merchant using purchased organic grapes. The current renaissance of the Auvergne vineyard (which was once the third largest in France) owes a lot to Patrick. The fact that he likes to lend a hand to his winegrower friends in France and elsewhere only confirms his image as a model, a leader. His partnerships are famous: with Action Bronson for the A la Natural series, with Jason Ligas in Greece for Sous le Végétal… Patrick practices long macerations, and the wines rest for up to six months after bottling. Very sensitive to sulfites in wines, Patrick has found that his own wines do very well without them. He has also observed that if the grapes are healthy and concentrated, the balance is achieved on its own, regardless of the successive phases a vintage goes through. His noble, chiseled, distinguished, never bland wines are immediately recognizable in the glass. They are straight, clean, precise, often marked by floral notes and a spicy minerality. They also constitute a formidable anthology of the terroirs and ancient vines of Basse-Auvergne and its volcanic soils.

Beaujolais Village P'tit Grobis Blanc 2021,

Nicolas Chemarin
The sensations offered by this organic and natural white Beaujolais-Villages are complex and difficult to summarize: first, on the nose and palate, the lactic, buttery, and yeasty notes are very present. The fresh acidity is accompanied by flint, notes of white flowers, and a youthful expressiveness. The minerality of this wine is remarkable. Drinking young, it expresses its youth well, and a little age reveals white fruits, a slight richness, and sweet notes. Vinified entirely from granitic Chardonnay as it should be, this white counterpart to the red cuvée P’tit Grobis offers a pale opalescent yellow color. The harvest is directly pressed, followed by settling that does not rob the wine of all its fine lees, hence a slightly cloudy color. It will pair with many dishes; it is also one of the rare wines that can be recommended with vegetarian cuisine.

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Nicolas Chemarin, nicknamed P’tit Grobis as a resident of Marchampt (Beaujolais), is the fourth generation of winemakers on his family vineyard in the Beaujolais-Villages appellation, on a land full of stones where he crafts wines of surprising depth and sincerity. It was in 2005 that he took over two hectares of vines from his father and in 2006 that he signed his first vintages. In 2008, he acquired other vineyards and decided to devote himself solely to his estate, whose very steep terroir consists of poor, rocky soils on gray granite rock. The vines rest on the bedrock through very thin soil, and their roots plunge deep into the rock. Depending on the configuration of the soil, the vines are pruned in goblet form or raised on stakes. Their average age is eighty years. The grape varieties, Gamay and Chardonnay, are classically Beaujolais. Nicolas also cultivates two other terroirs in the Régnié appellation: Les Bullats, with light, filtering sandy soils, and La Haute Ronze, very close to Morgon, whose deeper, clayey soils produce full-bodied wines. The wines undergo long macerations (from 18 to 30 days) with punching down and temperature control (Nicolas works cold, around 20 °C). The aging is partially done in thermoregulated concrete vats for a third, the remaining two thirds being spent in barrels of four to ten wines in order to provide oxygenation but little or no woody sensation. Nicolas Chemarin is already well known in the natural world for his sweet and fruity vintages, wines for pleasure, and for vintages from difficult and magnificent terroirs, endowed with admirable and complex mineral, aromatic and spicy notes.

Bianco White 2012

Le Coste

A delicate amber color for a wine with an elegant and lively nose that lingers on the palate with notes of yellow fruits, enhanced here in the magnum format. This pleasant Italian macerated white, simply called "white" (bianco), is made from a blend of Procanico and Malvasia grapes grown on the volcanic soils of Lazio, on the borders of Tuscany and Umbria. After a late harvest, entirely by hand, the grapes are lightly crushed by foot and then macerated for two weeks in truncated French oak barrels. After pressing, the must is decanted for a few days before slowly completing its fermentation in tuns for about a year. The wine is then aged for seven months in barrels at the bottom of the cellar, in a natural cave, before being bottled. “This wine may not change the course of winemaking history,” writes one Italian commentator, “but it managed to give me a very good time, and that’s what matters. Believe me: we desperately need wines like this… In the glass, a beautiful yellow tending towards amber, opaque and rich. On the nose, a crackle of yellow fruits and volcanic sparks, and a beautiful acidity. After a few minutes, Bianco becomes sensorially capricious on the palate, like a chameleon, its beautiful acidity supporting the structure and highlighting its complexity. Almond, peach, hazelnut, yellow flowers, Annurca apple… Every moment in the glass reveals something new. »

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The Le Coste azienda is located in Italy, in Gradoli, in the province of Viterbo, in the northeast of Lazio. The estate was created in 2004 by Clémentine Bouveron and Gian Marco Antonuzzi. Clémentine is an oenologist and has already worked at Domaine Hauvette and Trévallon, in the Alpilles, as well as in Sauternes, at Château de Rayne-Vigneau. When Clémentine and Gian Marco took over the estate, it covered three hectares at an altitude of 450 meters and appeared as an abandoned garden of vines and olive trees. They recreated it in a traditional polycultural way with agroforestry, livestock farming, and viticulture to produce wines without additives and without deviation. The surface area has since grown to approximately fourteen hectares. The terroir overlooks Lake Bolsena. Its volcanic nature explains the lightness of its recently formed soils: lapilli tuffs, volcanic ash in varied layers, rich in minerals. This soil, very poor in organic matter, must be amended, and natural caves enlarged by older generations serve as cellars. Shared between vines, olive trees, elms, century-old oaks and wild chestnut trees, the site is a marvel of plant diversity. The biodynamic methods used at the estate include manure compost, horn silica and herbal teas that strengthen the defenses of the vines, which are trained in the traditional way, in low goblet training with a stake. The grape varieties are numerous, indigenous and ancient, reproduced by mass selection in the old vines still present on the estate. The wines express the local terroir and a strong Italian identity, with very varied profiles.

L'Enchanteresse Rouge 2017,

La Grapperie
A very intense nose of black fruits extends into a beautiful volume on the palate, and the length leaves one dreaming. A cuvée of old vines, L'Enchanteresse is a 100% Pineau d'Aunis with excellent aging potential. The terroir of this aptly named Enchanteresse is made up of flint clay over limestone. The Pineau d'Aunis, which makes up the entire cuvée, is harvested at full maturity, sorted, then macerated for four weeks in truncated cone-shaped vats with punching down by foot. Fermentation occurs naturally using indigenous yeasts, without any oenological additives, in order to preserve the purity of the grapes and the expression of the vintage and the soil. The wine is aged for between twelve and twenty-four months on lees in demi-muids in cellars dug into the tuffeau stone.

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La Grapperie, in the Coteaux du Loir appellation, 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. His principle, he confides, is "to produce complex, rich wines with good aging potential and imbued with the minerality of their terroir." The vines are located on hillsides, between 60 and 120 meters above sea level, protected from the north winds by the Bercé forest. Depending on the altitude, the terroirs are predominantly clay (at the bottom of the slope), flint (mid-slope) or sand (on the higher ground). The 60-hectare vineyard comprises around fifteen plots. The grape varieties are the two traditionally permitted in the appellation: Chenin for the whites and Pineau d'Aunis for 90% of the reds, the remainder consisting of a few acres of Côt, Gamay, and Grolleau. The average age of the vines is seventy years, including almost two hectares of century-old vines and one and a half hectares of vines aged between sixty and eighty years. Convinced of the enormous potential that these old vines can bring to his vintages, Renaud has been meticulous in restoring the vineyard. The entire estate is farmed organically. The soils are worked, and all viticultural interventions are manual, including the harvest, which is carried out at full maturity, which is reflected in the fullness and smoothness of the wines. For the reds, the Pineaux d'Aunis are 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 and then poured into barrels by gravity. Fermentation takes place in barrels, using indigenous yeasts, with complete malolactic fermentation, for at least eighteen months and sometimes up to thirty-six months.

Skin Contact Feel Good Savagnin Blanc 2020,

Frédéric Cossard
Combining fifty-year-old Savagnin vines grown on a marl plot in Rotalier (Jura), direct pressing, and ten months of aging, produces a sublime aromatic expression of this wonderful grape variety, with a slight bite, freshness, tension, and plenty of spice.

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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.

Santenay 1er Cru Passetemps Rouge 2020,

Frédéric Cossard
Deep ruby ​​color, nose revealing candied red fruits and floral notes. A hint of violet is discernible. On the palate, it is rich, refined, and concentrated. The Passetemps climat is located between the village of Santenay and the Gravières climat, another premier cru. The soil is clay-limestone, the vines are seventy years old, and this single-plot cuvée, characteristically, has great aging qualities and deserves to be cherished.

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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 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.

Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Monts Luisants Rouge 2017,

Frédéric Cossard
This Morey-Saint-Denis "Les Monts Luisants" is a very rare, dense, and elegant vintage, rich in clean and precise notes of red fruit, plum, spice, and roasted wood. It boasts superb acidity and plenty of freshness. Pure and easy-drinking on the palate, it beautifully expresses its terroir. This wine comes from a small plot 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 approximately seventy years old. This captivating wine promises to improve for a long time to come. No chemical additives are added to the vineyard or the winery; this wine is guaranteed 100% natural viticulture. The harvest is manual and accompanied by careful sorting of the grapes. Aging can last up to three years in barrels.

To find out more
Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful viticultural practices, the winemaker used this counter-example to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of purity and elegance without artifice that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked 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.

Skin-Contact Rafling White 2020,

Frédéric Cossard

Fruit, balance, elegance, roundness, and integrity all at once, this Riesling has a lot to tell. Our own Frédéric Cossard, equally at home in Burgundian-style winemaking (but without additives) as he is in the multi-hued refinements of merchant winemaking, now offers us a Riesling vinified with skin-contact maceration. Don't nitpick too much about food and wine pairings, this one is tailored for all circumstances.

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Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful wine-growing practices, the winemaker used this counter-example to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of purity and elegance without artifice that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked 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.