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Sous le Végétal
Octave blanc 2019 Polo & Pan edition, Culinaries X YARD Exclusive
2320
Sous le Végétal
Octave blanc 2019 Polo & Pan edition, Culinaries X YARD Exclusive
2320
Octave blanc 2019 Polo & Pan edition, Sous le Végétal - CULINARIES EXCLUSIVE
How does a collaboration between the duo Polo & Pan and Culinaries' Sous le Végétal project come about? DJs Paul Armand-Delille and Alexandre Grynszpan – aka Polo & Pan – are sensitive to the values conveyed by so-called natural wines: an infinite palette of flavors, organic and biodynamic agriculture, respect for the soil and terroirs, no added chemical inputs... At Culinaries, natural wine is our flagship. During a tasting at our place, it was a revelation: the artists fell in love with Octave 2019. The partnership was born!
Some information about the vintage
The wine
Okto, in Greek, is the number eight. When a winemaker grows vines on a mountainside, he must adapt to the relief and create terraces: the grapes that make up Octave grow on eight different terraces. And so it was named.
A dry white made from small-grain muscat from Samos, it faithfully conveys to the glass the mineral expression of the island's rocks. The schist brings the salinity, the quartz the freshness (acidity), the volcanic rocks the austerity and the limestone the tension. The Muscat's iodine aromas are elegant, avoiding the heavy side of the grape variety. A complex and taut wine, prolonged by a mineral finish, Octave flourishes in a carafe and has strong aging potential.
Sous le Végétal, its island and its winemakers
Jason Ligas and Patrick Bouju, two leading figures in natural wine, are at the helm of the Culinaries Sous le Végétal estate, located on Samos, a volcanic and richly wooded island in the North Aegean archipelago. More precisely, the plots from which the Octave cuvée is made are located in the villages of Pagondas and Platanos, on the foothills and slopes of Mount Karvounis. The soils are schistose, limestone, quartzose, and basalt.
The Vines
The grape variety is Muscat à petits grains de Samos, grown organically in conversion to permaculture. The vines, pruned in the goblet style, are harvested by hand in the early morning, from July 23rd to September 15th.
Vinification
Free-run juice obtained by crushing, vinification without pumping over, aeration, or stabilization. Only settling and topping up are performed. Half of the wine is vinified in 750-liter amphorae and half in 1,400-liter Noblot concrete vats. The wine is unfiltered and free-run, bottled by gravity and transferred by peristaltic pump into black bottles, ensuring optimal aging. Aged in bottles with organic paraffin-free corks, sealed with a mixture of paraffin and black beeswax.
Want to enjoy at the bar?
Our YARD bars and restaurants also offer this vintage! Learn more about our locations
Food and wine pairing
Perfect pairing with natural oysters or seafood!
Food and wine pairing mets-musique
Without a doubt, the latest album Cyclorama by Polo & Pan themselves!
Octave White 2018
Octave because okto (eight), eight terraces of four terroirs. This dry white conveys the mineral expression of the rocks present on the island and constitutes a good synthesis of its pedological profile. Schist, limestone, quartz, and volcanic rocks on the eight selected plots. The schist brings salinity, the quartz freshness (acidity), the volcanic rocks austerity, and the limestone tension. The iodine aromas of the Muscat are elegant, avoiding the heavy side of the grape variety. A complex and taut wine, prolonged by a mineral finish. Decanting is recommended to allow it to flourish.
Where?
Villages of Pagondas and Platanos, on the foothills of Mount Karvounis, and on Mount Karvounis itself. Schist, limestone, quartz, and basalt soils.
The vines
Samos small grain Muscat, grown organically in conversion to permaculture. The vines, pruned in goblet form, are harvested by hand from July 23 to September 15, in the early morning.
Vinification
Free-run juice obtained by crushing, vinification without pumping over, aeration, or stabilization. Only settling and topping up are carried out. Vinification is carried out half in 750-liter amphorae and half in 1,400-liter Nomblot concrete vats. Wine without additives, unfiltered, bottled by gravity and transferred by peristaltic pump into black bottles ensuring aging. Aged in bottles with organic cork without paraffin, sealed with a mixture of paraffin and black beeswax.
Livia White 2019
Livia is a dry white wine that reflects the salinity of schist and the freshness of quartz. The iodine aromas of the Muscat are elegant, avoiding the heavy side of the grape variety. It is a long and full-bodied wine, prolonged by a rich finish. Decanting is recommended. The vines, pruned in goblet style, are grown organically and in conversion to permaculture on schist, quartz, and limestone soils not far from the village of Pagondas, in the foothills of Mount Karvounis. Free-run juice obtained by crushing and without pumping over, aeration, or stabilization. Only settling and topping up are carried out. Half vinification in five hundred liter Stockinger barrels and half in five thousand liter stainless steel vats. Wine without additives, unfiltered, bottled by gravity and transferred by peristaltic pump into black bottles ensuring aging.
To find out more
Beneath the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural cuvées created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team of friends gathered around winemakers Jason Ligas and Patrick Bouju. The successful venture marks a renaissance of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the North Aegean Sea, which owes its dense and woody vegetation to various nicknames received in Antiquity, from Dryoussa (“covered with oaks”) to Kyparissia (“covered with cypresses”) and Melamphyllos (“With dark foliage”). This natural wealth covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks and notably basalts, limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast irons… The idea was born from Jason’s meeting with the Samos Wine Cooperative. Patrick Bouju soon joined the project. The five vintages of Sous le Végétal—Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste—are produced on around sixty plots of Samos Muscat à petits grains (and Avgoustiatis for the red vintage), between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. Each plot is vinified separately. For vinification, four types of containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats and 500-liter barrels. Each locality is vinified in at least two of the four containers and the aging takes place in black bottles sealed with wax. No added sulfur, no filtration: Samos' winemakers are rediscovering wine as it was made in their childhood. This is one of the wonders of natural wine: it allows, through the most innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.
Hüpnos White 2018
Hüpnos ("sleep" in Greek) owes its name to the slopes of the dormant volcano on which its vineyard terraces are located, harvested at night. This dry white wine is produced from two remarkably austere vineyards. A macerated wine, it offers great mineral freshness and rich fruit, extended by notes of candied fruit.
Where?
On the slopes of an extinct volcano, in the Agii Sarandides area, and on Mount Karvounis. Basalt and limestone soils.
The vines
Muscat à petit grain from Samos, grown organically in conversion to permaculture. The vines are pruned in goblet form. Manual harvesting at night, in order to preserve the freshness of the polyphenols and ensure perfect maceration.
Vinification
Free-run juice obtained by maceration in stainless steel vats by diffusion for forty days, whole bunches. Vinification without aeration or stabilization, only settling, pumping over and topping up are carried out. Vinification in 500-liter Stockinger barrels. Wine without additives, unfiltered, bottled by gravity and transferred by peristaltic pump into black bottles ensuring aging. Aged in bottles with organic cork without paraffin, sealed with a mixture of paraffin and black beeswax.
Auguste Red 2018
Auguste is the Roman emperor, and it's also the grape variety. The only dry red in the project, it reflects the salinity of the schist and the freshness and acidity of the quartz. Its cherry and red fruit aromas remain elegant and taut, with rich tannins. A long, full wine with a saline finish. Decanting is recommended.
Where?
Village of Pagondas, on the foothills of Mount Karvounis, not far from the Heraion of Samos. Schist and quartz soils. The wine is made from a blend of
four types of rock on two plots.
The vines
The avgoustiatis grape variety ("the august") is interplanted with the muscats of the Livia cuvée, another reason for its name. Avgoustiatis is a rare variety, the first red grape variety harvested in Greece. It is grown organically in conversion to permaculture. The vines, pruned in goblet form, are harvested by hand on the morning of August 15th.
Vinification
Free-run juice obtained by maceration in stainless steel vats by diffusion for forty days, whole bunches. No aeration or stabilization: only settling, pumping over and topping up are carried out. Half of the vinification is in 500-liter Stockinger barrels and half in ovoid concrete vats. Wine without additives, unfiltered, bottled by gravity and transferred by peristaltic pump into black bottles ensuring aging. Aged in bottles with organic cork without paraffin, sealed with a mixture of paraffin and black beeswax.
Palli & Genesià White 2018
The name of this cuvée evokes a rebirth: this is the meaning, in Greek, of the word palingenesià ("new birth"). It is, in fact, an abandoned mountain vineyard that begins a second life thanks to Jason's team: a resurrected vine. It is a maceration wine of great finesse and beautiful minerality, with all the freshness of the high-altitude vine.
Where?
The vineyard, located in the village of Platanos, on the slopes of Mount Karvounis, rests on a pink granite subsoil.
The vines
Small-grain Muscat of Samos, cultivated organically in conversion to permaculture. The vines are pruned in goblet form and the harvest is entirely manual.
Vinification
Free-run juice obtained by maceration in stainless steel vats by diffusion for forty days, whole bunches. Vinification without aeration or stabilization; only settling, pumping over and topping up are carried out. Vinification in 750-liter amphorae. Wine without additives, unfiltered, bottled by gravity and transferred by peristaltic pump into black bottles ensuring aging. Aged in bottles with organic cork stopper without paraffin, sealed with a mixture of paraffin and black beeswax.
Susucaru Rosato Rosé 2021,
Frank Cornelissen
The color is intense pink, the nose carries citrus and white flowers, and the palate is fruity, dense, fresh, and delicious, with that delicate bitterness and melancholic bite that is the signature of this wine. Many aficionados eagerly await each vintage of this emblematic cuvée from the master of Etna, and some couldn't imagine their aperitif without it. Susucaru rosato delights rosé lovers and lesser fans alike, those familiar with natural wines and beginners alike. Can we really call it a rosé? Technically yes, in terms of taste and color, this little marvel is both a rosé and a thirst-quenching red. 25% Inzolia, 25% Malvasia, 25% Nerello Mascalese, 25% Moscadella, and all the vines grow directly on the slopes of Etna. A cuvée that remains true to itself.
To find out more
A major figure and universally respected figure in natural wine, 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 can be enhanced by the naturalness of his wines. The brilliance, the integrity, and the exquisite fruitiness of his vintages earn him the admiration even of those who are reluctant to accept "natural." These 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 mixed crop: olive trees, almond trees, vegetable gardens... (Frank also produces olive oil). The vines range in age from forty to over one hundred years. The nineteen plots, covering 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 produced 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 refined 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, etc.
Livia (exclusive vintage) White 2022,
Sous le Végétal
Livia is an organic, biodynamic, and natural dry white wine from the island of Samos (Greece) whose mineral profile reflects the salinity of schist and the freshness of quartz. It is part of Patrick Bouju's "Sous le Végétal" project, exclusively for Culinaries. The iodized aromas of the Muscat à petits grains are elegant, refined, and persistent, without the heaviness that this grape variety sometimes presents. Livia is a long and full-bodied wine, prolonged by a delicious finish. Decanting is recommended. It will shine as an accompaniment to high-end seafood products such as smoked salmon from Lionel Durot or with the specialties of Caviar de Neuvic.
Cultivation and vinification
The vines, pruned in goblet form, are cultivated using organic farming and in conversion to permaculture on schist, quartz and limestone soils not far from the village of Pagondas, on the foothills of Mount Karvounis. The harvest is destemmed before maceration, a light crushing allows the extraction of the free-run juice which ferments without pumping over, aeration or stabilization. Only settling and topping up are carried out. Vinification is carried out half in 500-liter Stockinger barrels and half in 5,000-liter stainless steel vats. Livia is a natural wine without additives, unfiltered, bottled by gravity and aged in black bottles sealed with wax.
Learn more about Sous le Végétal
Beneath the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages exclusively for Culinaries, created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed Patrick Bouju.
History
Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron... In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.
Grape varieties and vinification
Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis, asyrtiko and a blend of Samos muscat and avgoustiatis. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of winemaking containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats, and 500-liter barrels. Each plot is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black, wax-sealed bottles. No sulfur is added or filtration is performed.
Cuvée 0.72+ Red 2019
De Vini
With a slightly dark ruby color and faded rose tones, this is a red wine that should logically catch your eye for your greatest pleasure: this cuvée 0.72+ red comes from very different terroirs than its white equivalent (which we also offer). The vines from which it comes, 80% Grenache Noir, 10% Syrah and 10% Viognier, are located in the Côtes du Rhône region, in Rochefort-du-Gard, and grow on a soil of rolled pebbles that is not without points in common with that of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is only a few kilometers away on the other bank of the Rhône. The presence of a white grape variety - Viognier - in this red blend gives this wine a great originality, a floral side that hovers over the entire organoleptic experience: there are faded rose petals on both the nose and the palate, as well as a fairly strong tendency towards white flowers (Viognier, again). There is also a little prune and a complex, though light, aromatic structure. This is a beautiful wine that was long overdue and which is currently at its peak, with beautifully melted tannins and many more years ahead of it. Great length, great structure on the palate, and a pleasant salivating side. Viognier is an inspiration from the Northern Côtes-du-Rhône adapted to the Southern Côtes-du-Rhône, and red blends featuring white grape varieties are an increasingly common occurrence in the world of natural wines. As for the cultivation and vinification, the vines are managed biodynamically and the grapes were macerated for two weeks with care: no pumping over, no crushing, as little intervention as possible. Just a little punching down, no more than necessary. If the name of the cuvée intrigues you, be aware that following a small technical incident during bottling, it does not contain exactly the standard quantity. This detail should not worry you, because in this case, 72 cl is a maximum: most bottles require between 1 and 3 cl to reach 75, which is very little. Don't let the fluidity and delicacy of this wine fool you either; it's actually a solid wine that will pair well with solid dishes like roast wild boar and anything with truffles.
VNR Vinel lo Red 2021
Juicy and light, floral and full of small red and black fruits, VNR Vinel lo rouge is an everyday wine, very drinkable, with a beautiful fresh expression and notes of pomegranate. The aromas are full of delicacy and floral, with a slightly saline and very lively finish. A supple and hyperfruity classic "à la jura", VNR Vinel·lo is a rich and particularly successful blend of indigenous grape varieties: it is composed of samsó (cinsault), garrut (mourvèdre), trepat, ull de perdiu, queixal de llop, sumoll and grenache noir, harvested on predominantly limestone soils. The vinification of each grape variety is done individually in stainless steel vats, the blending takes place afterwards. No filtration, no additives, no added sulfites.
Find out more
Partida Creus is an important estate, both from a winemaking and historical perspective – we are talking here about the history of the vine in Catalonia. Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, originally from Piedmont—and even from the Langhe region, where wine is well-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.
Octave (exclusive vintage) White 2022,
Sous le Végétal
Octave is an organic, biodynamic, and natural dry white wine from the terroir of the island of Samos, in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is a vintage belonging to the Sous le Végétal project, exclusively for Culinaries, created by Patrick Bouju on the island of Samos (Greece). Octave is made entirely from Samos small grain muscat grown in the localities of Pagondas, Karvounis and Platanos — eight plots from four terroirs, okto meaning “eight” in Greek.
Eight plots, four terroirs
Octave reflects the mineral variety of the island of Samos through these eight plots from which it comes: the salinity of the limestone, the freshness of the quartz, the austerity of the basalt and the tension of the schist. The iodized aromas of the muscat remain elegant, avoiding the heaviness of the grape variety. Octave is a complex natural wine that extends into a mineral finish. It will flourish in a carafe and will be very comfortable with seafood products such as the specialties of Saumon de France (smoked fish and rillettes) or oysters from Yvonnick Jegat or from the Ferme marine d’Artouan.
In the vineyard and at the cellar
The vines are harvested by hand in the early morning, and the grapes are macerated in whole bunches. The free-run juice is vinified without pumping over, aeration, or stabilization. Only settling and topping up are carried out. Fermentation takes place in 750-liter amphorae and 1,400-liter concrete eggs. Octave is without additives, unfiltered, and bottled by gravity; the black bottles are used for aging and maturation. Around the (organic) cap, the closure is made of paraffin and black beeswax.
Learn more about Sous le Végétal
Under the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages exclusively from Culinaries, created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed Patrick Bouju.
History
Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron... In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.
Grape varieties and vinification
Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis, asyrtiko and a blend of Samos muscat and avgoustiatis. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of winemaking containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats, and 500-liter barrels. Each plot is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black, wax-sealed bottles. No sulfites are added, and no filtration is used.
Chiroubles Red 2017
A very seductive cuvée, devilishly Beaujolais, Chiroubles to the max, where the Gamay expresses all its freshness and red and black fruits. The nose offers aromas of red and black fruits; the palate is supple, delicious, round, and fruity with a lovely refreshing acidity. Pair it with good stews or the best country hams; even pata negra will melt with pleasure.
Auguste (exclusive vintage) Red 2022
Sous le Végétal
Organic and natural, Auguste takes its name from the indigenous Greek avgoustiatis grape variety, from which it is made entirely. It is, for now, the only dry red wine from the Sous le Végétal project, led on the Greek island of Samos by Patrick Bouju. The vines grow on the foothills of Mount Karvounis, not far from the village of Pagondas. The wine is a blend of four types of rock on two plots. The avgoustiatis grape variety ("the august") is a rare variety, the first red grape variety harvested in Greece. It is grown organically in conversion to permaculture. The vines, pruned in goblet form, are harvested by hand on the early morning of August 15th.
Vinification
The wine is first obtained by a forty-day maceration of whole bunches in stainless steel vats. Half of the vinification is done in 500-liter Stockinger barrels and the other half in ovoid concrete vats. This wine from the Samos terroir is completely additive-free, unfiltered and bottled by gravity. The black bottle ensures the wine ages and the closure is made with a cork sealed with a mixture of paraffin and black beeswax.
Tasting
Auguste is a light red wine with no additives or added sulfites which, through its Mediterranean nature, recalls something of the reds of the Jura: characteristic earthy and mineral notes, lots of character - prune, clove, anise, vanilla, cherry jam, rich tannins and, on the finish, a salinity due to the mineral-rich soils (particularly schist and limestone) of the island of Samos. The fruity notes remain taut and elegant. Decanting is recommended. Auguste will enjoy all the meze and hors d'oeuvres from the land or the sea. A charcuterie from Maison Montalet or from Ferme de Mayrinhac (for example a galabard black pudding) will suit him like a glove, or even smoked scallops (Salmon de France).
Learn more about Sous le Végétal
Under the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages exclusively from Culinaries, created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed Patrick Bouju.
History
Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron... In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.
Grape varieties and vinification
Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis, asyrtiko and a blend of Samos muscat and avgoustiatis. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of winemaking containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats, and 500-liter barrels. Each plot is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black, wax-sealed bottles. No sulfur is added or filtration is performed.
Hupnos (exclusive vintage) White 2022
Sous le Végétal
Made from small-grain Muscat, Hüpnos is an organic, biodynamic, and natural wine from the terroir of Samos, a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea. This sulfite-free wine is one of five white vintages from Patrick Bouju's "Sous le Végétal" project, exclusively for Culinaries. Its name is inspired by its night harvest, hüpnos meaning "sleep" in Greek. This type of harvest is designed to preserve the freshness of the polyphenols for perfect maceration. The muscats are harvested in the Agii Sarandides and Karvounis areas on the slopes of the volcano that occupies the center of the island. They were obtained using organic farming methods in conversion to permaculture. Pruned in goblet form, they grow on basalt, granite, and limestone soils.
Vinification
The Hüpnos harvest macerates in whole bunches for a month. Vinification is carried out without aeration or stabilization; only pumping over, topping up, and settling are carried out. Fermentation takes place in 500-liter Stockinger barrels. Hüpnos is an unfiltered wine, with no additives or added sulfites, bottled by gravity, and aged in black bottles sealed with black beeswax and paraffin.
Tasting
On the palate, Hüpnos surprises with its fruity freshness while expressing its nocturnal origin and the mineral austerity of its terroir. An aroma of candied fruit diffuses on the palate. The deliciousness and mineral freshness are both present. Decanting is recommended, and as an accompaniment, try grilled fish, white meats (for example a roast piece of Black Pork of Bigorre or Ferme de Mayrinhac.
Learn more about Sous le Végétal
Under the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages exclusively from Culinaries, created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed Patrick Bouju.
History
Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, cast iron ferrous… In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.
Grape varieties and vinification
Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis, asyrtiko and a blend of Samos muscat and avgoustiatis. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of vinification containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats and barrels of 500 liters. Each plot is vinified in at least two of the four containers and aged in black bottles sealed with wax. No sulfur is added or filtration is performed.
Super B 2018
With Super B 2018, Patrick Bouju delivers a vibrant and expressive cuvée, a tribute to Gamay in all its facets. This unique blend brings together different Gamays from Beaujolais and Brouilly, from vines over 70 years old and cultivated biodynamically. The granite and bluestone terroirs give this wine a subtle minerality and beautiful tension.
Vinification is done using whole bunches, a method that preserves all the freshness and finesse of the fruit. Aging is meticulously divided: one part in sandstone amphorae, for a pure expression of the grape variety, and the other in fiber vats, promoting a smooth maturation process. This technical choice allows for a delicate, fluid, and structured wine, while remaining accessible and indulgent.
On the nose, Super B 2018 reveals seductive aromas of crisp red berries, enhanced by slightly spicy notes and a subtle hint of hazelnut. On the palate, it opens with a fresh and juicy attack, balanced by fine tannins and a lovely liveliness. This natural wine with no added sulfites is very drinkable, making it ideal for accompanying convivial dishes such as charcuterie, grilled meats, or roast poultry.
Served between 16 and 18°C, Super B 2018 can be enjoyed now to enjoy its vibrant fruitiness, but it also has interesting aging potential of 5 to 10 years. A lively, sincere, and energetic bottle, reflecting Patrick Bouju's passionate work.
Hüpnos White 2019
Hüpnos ("sleep" in Greek) owes its name to the slopes of the dormant volcano on which its vineyard terraces are located, harvested at night. This dry white wine is produced from two remarkably austere vineyards. A macerated wine, it offers great mineral freshness and rich fruit, prolonged by notes of candied fruit.
Where?
On the slopes of an extinct volcano, in the Agii Sarandides area, and on Mount Karvounis. Basalt and limestone soils.
The vines
Muscat à petit grain from Samos, grown organically in conversion to permaculture. The vines are pruned in goblet form. Manual harvesting at night, in order to preserve the freshness of the polyphenols and ensure perfect maceration.
Vinification
Free-run juice obtained by maceration in stainless steel vats by diffusion for forty days, whole bunches. Vinification without aeration or stabilization, only settling, pumping over and topping up are carried out. Vinification in 500-liter Stockinger barrels. Wine without additives, unfiltered, bottled by gravity and transferred by peristaltic pump into black bottles ensuring aging. Aged in bottles with organic cork without paraffin, sealed with a mixture of paraffin and black beeswax.
P Red 2022
With the initialed cuvées (trading cuvées) of master Patrick Bouju, we are all beginning to learn our alphabet. Here, in the presence of this supple, deep, mineral, and complex wine, we have the letter P. P is for Pinot Noir, and not just any Pinot Noir! A Pinot Noir from vines growing on the legendary Gergovie plateau, where long ago Vercingetorix won a memorable victory. Now, it is the vine that triumphs on the beautiful basalt soils of this volcanic region of Puy-de-Dôme. The harvest is macerated in whole bunches and vinified with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats. In any case, it's very good, it tastes wonderful, and it's perfect for any occasion.
Find out more
Near Billom, the Limagne clermontoise rises eastward 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 in 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.
Alba Blanc 2021,
De Vini
Alba is a dry white wine typical of the Loire estuary: low alcohol (10.5% alcohol), very mineral, very dry, a straightforward, high-quality white. Not exactly "natural," in the words of its creator, it "glides along easily." Christophe Bosque adds that 2021 was the frost of the century, with ridiculous yields but high concentrations and high-quality grapes. "We have few, but it's very good. A high-quality vintage." Alba comes from 100% gabbro soil, and is composed of Melon de Bourgogne (90%) and Folle Blanche (10%), the two emblematic Muscadet grape varieties. The grapes are pressed directly and fermented in buried concrete vats, Nantes-style, lined with sandstone tiles, and in sandstone amphorae. Aging is also done in vats, and bottling was done in spring 2022. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard or the cellar, and no sulfiting is used. A roughing-out (very light filtration) is practiced.
To find out more
The De Vini, Vinilibre estate is the multi-faceted business of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. He has always been passionate about wine, and after spending years as a merchant, importer, and then wine merchant, this former cameraman trained in oenology and viticulture acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in Gorges, in Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson, in 2017. The soils are made up of gabbro on a granite substrate, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe's vintages may come from grapes purchased from the best French terroirs, notably in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a special affection for his vines, which he maintains with passion and attention to the terroir. A touch of humor and a sense of pun can be seen on his labels and in his appellations, but in the bottle, it's serious, off-the-beaten-track wines, just the way he likes them. We are particularly interested in his local creations, produced from his vineyard of some two hectares and fermented in underground vats in the Nantes style—a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in natural mode.
Susucaru Rosato Rosé 2022
Frank Cornelissen
The Susucaru Rosato blend is a tribute to Sicily and Mount Etna: 25% Insolia, 25% Malvasia, 25% Nerello Mascalese, 25% Moscadella, and all the vines grow directly on the slopes of Mount Etna. The color is intense pink, the nose carries citrus and white flowers, and the palate is fruity, dense, fresh, and delicious, with that delicate bitterness and melancholic bite that is the signature of this wine. Many aficionados are impatiently waiting for each vintage of this emblematic cuvée from the master of Etna, and some couldn't imagine their aperitif without it. Susucaru rosato delights rosé lovers and lesser fans alike, those initiated into natural wine as well as beginners. Can we really call it a rosé? Technically yes, in terms of taste and color, this little marvel is both a rosé and a thirst-quenching red. A cuvée that remains true to itself. "Our rosé," explains Frank Cornelissen, "is produced with the same philosophy and winemaking techniques as all our other wines: skin-contact maceration for texture and territorial identity, fully completed malolactic fermentation for density, fluidity, and stability. It's not just a refreshing summer wine; it's also a "rosé" that can also be considered a light red, like a "Jura" wine, which pairs well with a wide variety of dishes." »
To find out more
A major figure and universally respected figure in natural wine, 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 can be enhanced 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 accept "natural." They are good introductory wines.
His Sicilian azienda is located in Passopisciaro, in the north of the Etna valley. It is, he says, the "côte de Nuits" of Etna for the great diversity of its wines spread over numerous 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 mixed crop: olive trees, almond trees, vegetable gardens... (Frank also produces olive oil). The vines range in age from forty to over one hundred years. The nineteen plots, covering 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 produced in addition to the generic wines (rosé, basic red, and white). The soils are made of different types of basalt, between powder and rock, with perfect drainage that allows for concentrated and refined 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 Cappuccio, Minella Bianco, Minella Nera, Alicante Bouschet, Malvasia, Cattaratto, Moscadella, Grecanico Dorato, Carricante…
Sémélé Rosé 2022
Sémélé, exclusively from Culinaries, is an organic and natural rosé wine from the island of Samos (Greece) that is part of Patrick Bouju's Sous le Végétal project in partnership with Culinaries. Its name alludes to the myth of Semele, mistress of Zeus and mother of Dionysus, god of Wine and Intoxication.
In the Vineyard
Sous le Végétal vintages are primarily based on Samos Muscat à petits grains and, more rarely, on other local grape varieties. Here, the red Avgoustiatis grape variety is blended in equal parts with Muscat. The vines are managed biodynamically and in permaculture.
In the cellar
A blend of avgoustiatis (a very common red grape variety in Greece) macerated for a week and directly pressed muscat, all organic, Sémélé is neither filtered nor fined.
Tasting
With its deep, lively and seductive color, its fruitiness of strawberry and raspberry and its lovely tannins, Sémélé is a natural rosé that leans towards a light red. It will go well with tapas, mezes, starters and Mediterranean dishes: we recommend pairing it with taramas by Lionel Durot, with smoked fish or seafood hors d'oeuvres by Saumon de France, or with the delicious poutargue de Martigues by Frédéric Paez.
Learn more about Sous le Végétal
Under the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural and additive-free vintages exclusively for Culinaries, produced in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team gathered around Patrick Bouju. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the vintages A la Natural signed by Patrick Bouju.
History (and geography)
Sous le Végétal marks the rebirth of the thousand-year-old vineyard of this island in the eastern Aegean Sea with its dense, wooded vegetation. This rich plant life covers a unique and varied subsoil: volcanic rocks (basalts), limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron... In Sous le Végétal, the winemakers of Samos rediscover the wine they made in their childhood, proving once again that natural wine allows, through innovative projects, to reconnect with forgotten traditions.
Grape varieties and vinification
Four of the seven vintages of Sous le Végétal — Livia, Hüpnos, Octave, Palli & Genesia and Auguste — are produced on around sixty plots of Samos muscat à petits grains between 400 and 910 meters above sea level. The other vintages, Auguste, Alexandre and Sémélé, are respectively based on avgoustiatis or asyrtiko, blended or not with Samos muscat. Each plot is vinified separately. Four types of winemaking containers are used: amphorae, concrete eggs, stainless steel vats, and 500-liter barrels. Each lieu-dit is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black, wax-sealed bottles. No sulfites are added or filtration is performed.
