Dorabella 2016, L'Octavin Here is a Poulsard red full of fruit, subtlety and indulgence, typical of this wonderful Jura grape variety. The vines are grown biodynamically on gray limestone marl. The wine is obtained by partial or total carbonic maceration depending on the vintage, so don't be surprised by a slight sparkle. Lovely light ruby color; notes of spices, raspberry and small red fruits. Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Nuée Bulleuse 2015, Babass A Babass classic: taut, refreshing, and straightforward. Fine bubbles, a real lacework—a bubbly cloud!—, notes of white flowers, and mineral touches for this natural sparkling wine made entirely from Chenin, from schist terroirs. On the palate, floral notes mingle with mineral notes and remarkable tension.
Groll n'Roll 2015, Babass A 100% Grolleau single-varietal red, from vines planted in the mid-1950s and vinified for two weeks in whole bunches. Ideally served at 15°C, this is a cuvée that is not cold to the eyes or elsewhere, with a light color and a great freshness on the palate that gives the sensation of biting into a juicy and slightly peppery grape. A big favorite.
Roc'Cab Rouge 2016, Babass A single-varietal red, 100% Cabernet Franc, from vines planted in the mid-1950s (Babass hadn't even been born yet). Roc' Cab' was vinified in whole bunches and aged in fiberglass vats. On the nose, there are beautiful notes of candied red fruits, which continue on a round, fluid, peppery, and decidedly fleshy palate, expressing all the beauty of this very straightforward grape variety. Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Magnum Cailloux 2016, Patrick Bouju This vintage is made from old Pinot Noir and Gamay vines on basalt, marl-limestone, and sandy soils. Three-quarters of the harvest is destemmed, and the rest is whole bunches; the whole macerates for a month in barrels. It is a wild, smoky, long, and persistent red wine, marked by intensely mineral notes: pebbles, metal. 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. Serving temperature: 14-16 °C. Open twenty minutes before tasting. Natural wine with no added sulfites. The right product pairing: Isabelle's organic Highland beef terrine
This vintage is a blend of Grenache Blanc (90%, fifteen-year-old vines) and 10% Marsanne (twenty-year-old vines) from the Hérault Valley. Part of the grapes macerates for fifteen days in vats in direct-press juice (50/50 ratio) and the other part, destemmed, macerates in amphora. The aging takes place for eleven months in vats. Mandarin, beeswax and white peach: these aromatic notes will accompany hard or blue-veined cheeses. Aging potential: ten years. Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Lulu 2016, Patrick Bouju In Corent, a basalt plot planted with Auvergne Gamay grapes over seventy years old has produced this delicious and velvety Lulu vintage, with animal and spicy notes, and where the red fruits are generously displayed. The destemmed harvest macerates for five months in amphora. Aged for twelve months in oak barrels. Decanting recommended. Natural wine with no added sulfites. The right product pairing: Isabelle's organic Highland beef terrine
A direct, balanced, serious and round white with citrus notes. A beautiful expression of Mauzac and Clairette. For this blend of Terret Bourret from the Hérault Valley growing on basalt and Mauzac from the upper Limoux Valley grown on clay-limestone puddings, the entire harvest is processed by direct pressing and the Mauzac is not settled. The wine is aged for eleven months in vats. The notes of gunflint and lemon in this merchant wine will accompany fish in sauce, with beurre blanc or lemon. Aging potential: ten years. Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Partida Creus, Massimo and Antonella's estate, has become an oasis for Catalonia's forgotten grape varieties. These organically grown wines are of great purity, fresh, balanced, and naturally vinified without additives or sulfites. VN, Vinel·lo Ancestral Red, is a natural sparkling wine made from a blend of indigenous grape varieties: Samsó (Cinsault), Garrut (Mourvèdre), Trepat, Ull de Perdiu, Queixal de Llop, Sumoll, and Grenache Noir, harvested from predominantly limestone soils. After crushing, the musts from the different grape varieties ferment one after the other and are gradually added, thus prolonging fermentation using indigenous yeasts. Fermentation ends in the bottle for ten months on fine lees. No filtration, no additives, no added sulfites. A fruity, very fresh sparkling wine with floral and yeasty notes. Very long finish. A blend of seven Catalan grape varieties, this is a natural, fresh, easy-to-drink sparkling red, perfect for an aperitif. Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Azienda Frank Cornelissen's entry-level red is made from Nerello Mascalese and a few other varieties grown on the estate: Malvasia, Moscadella, Catarratto. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed, and undergo about sixty days of skin maceration. It is the aromatic expression of Etna, a vintage produced and blended in the traditional way, mixing plots and grape varieties. The result is a wine with a rich and voluptuous nose, elegant and fluid, with structure and a strong personality. Aging potential: ten years. Serving temperature: 14-15°C. Open twenty minutes before tasting. Pairings: all summer dishes, from marinated red peppers to grilled lamb and appetizers. Natural wine with no added sulfites.
100% Chenin Blanc, from old vines, aged for twenty-four months in barrels. This wine has body, texture, notes of citrus, acacia, citrus and peach on a beautifully mineral frame. Very nice length on the palate. Pair it with choice products: foie gras, caviar, smoked salmon, etc.
This organic rosé produced in IGP Terre Siciliane is made from Nerello Mascalese, Malvasia, Moscadella and Insolia grown on basalt soils in the biodiverse plots of Frank Cornelissen's vineyard. Its beautiful, bright strawberry color already gives it great seduction; the freshness that emerges on the nose and palate confirms this. Lots of fruit and a slight bitterness for this highly sought-after pleasure wine. Natural wine with no added sulfites.
SM Sumoll Red 2015, Partida Creus This red sumoll, a very old Catalan red grape variety that has long been neglected, is one of Partida Creus' favorites. Low-yielding, sumoll gives its best on poor soils, which gives it great concentration, beautiful balance, juicy black fruit, dense and generous, notes of spices and Mediterranean plants, and finally an earthy, animal and smoky character. The short maceration allows it to retain freshness and acidity. It will be excellent with red meats, roasts, duck, but the range of its pairings is actually very wide. Natural wine without added sulfites.
Charm, the aptly named: 100% Chenin Blanc from vines around forty years old, aged in oak barrels for fourteen months on fine lees. A rich white with superb freshness, with very beautiful textures on the mid-palate. Floral notes, honey and lemon.
This tanned, exotic, and aromatic white is made from 90% Macabeu and 10% Cartoixá Vermell. It evokes an avalanche of ripe yellow fruits—apricots in particular—orange blossom, and musky spices, balanced by delicate acidity and light tannins. Perfect for an aperitif or at the start of a meal, it has only ten degrees of alcohol. Natural wine with no added sulfites.
BB is a 100% Bobal, a racy and finely wild red made from a common grape variety in Spain but whose expression is very original here. Dark cherry red color; on the nose, candy, sweet flowers, fresh fruits, violet, thyme. On the palate, a lot of distinction: a straight acidity and morello cherry, ripe plum, black pepper, a little saline touch on the finish. Serve very chilled. Natural wine with no added sulfites.
TN Tinto Natural Red 2017, Partida Creus A blend of sumoll, ull de llebre and bobal for a smooth, crisp and fruity (black fruits) table wine with earthy and smoky notes. Excellent gurgling, a wine for friends, full of sunshine and personality. For meats, poultry, cured meats, bellota ham. Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Cartoixá vermell is another name for xarel·lo rosado, a traditional Catalan rosé grape variety brought up to date by Massimo and Antonella. This is a very pretty macerated white wine with a color somewhere between pink and gold. On the palate, the freshness of citrus zest, a fleeting touch of wild strawberry, cinnamon and a final iodine note. Magical. To be enjoyed with cheeses (hard cheeses, pressed cheeses, creamy cheeses, etc.), creamy stews, mushrooms, and puff pastry desserts. Natural wine with no added sulfites.