Appellation Wines

L'air de Rien Sparkling Rosé 2020

Jérome Lambert
Despite its name, L'Air de rien is not lacking in air, as it has a healthy dose of bubbles, effervescence, pleasure, and color. This is a sparkling natural rosé with a beautiful light color, Montmorency cherry, crushed strawberry. Intensely refreshing with delicate mineral aromas and quite a few small red fruits, ennobled by a gentle bitterness that adds an extra dimension to this beautiful wine with sweet orange peel on the finish. This lovely and tender pet'nat' comes from a hand-harvested Gamay grape growing on schist and clay-limestone soils. The harvest is processed by direct pressing and the wine is aged on lees before disgorging.

To find out more
On his four-hectare estate, entirely organic and planted with Chenin, Grolleau, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, Jérôme is as much a winemaker as he is a farmer: he raises chickens, pigs, sheep and takes this mixed crop-livestock activity very seriously, coupled with the production of typical Anjou charcuterie. His Loire Eden, in fact, is located in the south of Anjou, in Rablay-sur-Layon. The son of a winemaker, as a child, he already enjoyed picking grapes, crushing them and letting them ferment. The desire to make wine has never left him, in fact: in 2003, he got his hands dirty, took part in pruning the vines at Philippe Cesbron's and took the opportunity to try his hand at some grapes donated by local winegrowers. The following year, his adventure really began with twenty ares of vines, but although his estate grew year by year, it would not reach one hectare for another fifteen years. In 2003, he discovered that adding sulfite was detrimental to the wines: he never added more and was completely satisfied with the result, without making too much noise about it around him. It was only a little later that he learned about the existence of natural wines and understood that he was not alone. All his vintages since then have been without added sulfur, and are nonetheless straightforward, drinkable and flawless. For him, even the wood of the barrels is an additive; This shows the attention he pays to the naturalness and truth of the vine.

Es d'aqui Paloma Red 2020,

Jean-Louis Pinto

Notes of strawberry, plenty of acidity, and a delicious flavor. Paloma is a light, thirst-quenching red, claret, almost a rosé. The grapes all come from Adissan, in the Hérault region: Clairette, Colombard on a strip of basalt soil, and Grenache on lacustrine limestone. The harvest macerates whole bunches for two weeks in stainless steel vats. Half of the wine is aged in 500-liter barrels and the other half in resin vats.

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A child of Ariège, Jean-Louis Pinto chose to stay in the country and make wines that resemble their terroir, hence the name Es d’Aqui (“It’s, it’s from here”) that he gave to his winemaking business, located in Moulin-Neuf, a town near Aude, between Mirepoix and Limoux. A region where vines once abounded, until the major mildew attacks at the beginning of the 20th century. Jean-Louis buys grapes grown organically by other winegrowers, his friends, in whom he has complete confidence. He doesn’t just buy the product, he monitors the fruit set, the ripening, and makes regular visits until August, in order to know the grapes before harvesting them. He vinifies it at home using natural methods, practicing long macerations with whole bunches. A three-week maceration is common for him, as are very gentle pressings in a vertical press. He says he has "a lot of vines in common" with his friend Anthony Tortul (La Sorga). His collection area extends throughout the Languedoc, particularly in the Hérault, around Adissan, Faugères and Saint-Chinian, as well as in the Aude (Limoux) and Tarn (Gaillac), two terroirs that are dear to him. It turns out that the typical Languedoc soils – schist, basalt, pebbles, clay-siliceous – particularly appeal to him for the freshness they give to the wines. "I make wines from the South," he says. I especially look for terroirs that give freshness, even if the wines are 14 degrees. " The grape varieties are, of course, typically Languedoc: Grenache, Carignan, Mauzac, Cinsault, Braucol, Duras and Sauvignon. The most powerful reds are made in five terracotta jars, which help him control the extraction and give his wines, he says, "a very crystalline side." The soil, the place, as we understand it, are of the utmost importance to him: once again, the name of his estate Es d'Aqui was not chosen by chance.

I Vicini Grignolino Red 2019

Jean-Yves Peron

It's in Savoie, in Chevaline, near Lake Annecy, that Jean-Yves Péron skillfully combines committed viticulture and merchant winemaking, both with a focus on nature. His Mondeuse reds are magnificent, as are his whites made from ancient local grape varieties—Jacquère, Altesse, Bergeron, and Persan—no less so. His current vineyard, three hectares biodynamic since the beginning, is divided between Conflans, near Albertville, and Fréterive, a little further downstream in the Isère valley.
Initially destined for a career in biochemistry, Jean-Yves quickly fell in love with the vine and trained as an oenologist in Bordeaux. He learned his trade as a winemaker with Thierry Allemand in Cornas, then with Bruno Schueller in Alsace, before spending some time in New Zealand and the United States. His trading activity, which he began in 2011, allows him to buy the harvest from organic winemakers close to home, but also in Northern Italy: for him, it is a new dimension to his work as a winemaker, allowing him to multiply the terroirs and deepen his experiences in winemaking and aging.
Jean-Yves Péron's winemaking follows the principles of minimal intervention. On narrow and steep surfaces, his mountain vines receive no synthetic products, Jean-Yves preferring horsetail and nettle manure. The surrounding vegetation is very rich: it protects the vines and helps to strengthen them. The soils are grassed, mown and reworked with a pickaxe and winch. The harvest is entirely manual. Once vatted in whole bunches, the grapes, both red and white, undergo a semi-carbonic maceration which allows the extraction of fresh fruit aromas. This maceration time varies between five days and nine weeks depending on the vintage. The day before or two days before pressing, Jean-Yves performs foot-treading directly in the vat. After this fermentation, the musts are sent to barrels for aging on lees for twelve months in five hundred liter barrels of two or three wines (to limit the woody sensation), followed by blending and resting in vats. No sulfites are added, or as little as possible, and the wines are not fined or filtered. Savoyard wine has long suffered from a somewhat flimsy image, not taken seriously enough. Yet, what treasures its varied soils and numerous ancient grape varieties produce! Jean-Yves Péron embodies the renaissance of this beautiful vineyard. Jean-Yves Péron's "I Vicini" series is made from organic grapes harvested in Piedmont. Here, the grape variety is Grignolino, known for producing relatively light-colored and very aromatic wines. The harvest is macerated for fourteen weeks in neutral oak and the wine is aged for one year in barrels. The wine is intense, powerful and structured, with a very pretty nose and a ruby red color.

Gentlemant Malvasia de Sitges Sparkling White 2016

Clos Lentiscus

Clos Lentiscus is located in Sitges, in the Penedès region of Catalonia, in the heart of the Garraf Natural Park. Manel Avinyo and his brother Joan took over the family estate, which Manel renamed Clos Lentiscus. Even though Barcelona is only a half-hour drive away, the beauty of the landscape is striking, and the immersion in nature is complete: Mediterranean forests rub shoulders with Catalan scrubland (thyme, rosemary, rockrose, and the mastic tree, which gave the estate its name, etc.). The Penedès region also has a long winemaking history. Nestled in its gentle hills is Clos Lentiscus, in the Penedés appellation, on twenty hectares of sandy and clay-limestone soils facing due south at an altitude of 225 meters. According to historical documents, the family of Manel and Joan Avinyo has been established there since at least the 14th century. For a long time, the grapes were sold to local cooperatives, but since the two brothers took over the estate, organic and biodynamic farming has replaced conventional practices. The entire harvest is used in the house vintages. These organic and biodynamic practices have allowed this beautiful property to regain its former prestige: in the 19th century, its wines were sold in France and as far away as the Americas. Very quickly, Manel received a nickname: The Bubbleman, a tribute to his talent for vinifying cavas, these sparkling whites characteristic of the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, from native varieties for which Catalonia holds the secret: sumoll, ull de llebre, xarel·lo, Malvasia de Sitges, cartoixà vermell, cariñena (carignan), accompanied by tempranillo and muscat of Alexandria. The vines are old, sometimes centuries old. No synthetic additives are used in the vineyard, and operations such as planting, pruning, de-budding and harvesting are dictated by the lunar phases. Pollination is facilitated by the presence of beehives; sheep contribute to fertilization and control of the plant cover. Ringo, the white horse, is responsible for working the soil.

Purity, elegance and a crisp minerality due to limestone characterize the productions of Clos Lentiscus. The note of controlled oxidation, when it is felt, does not dominate the tasting and the wines are never deviant. Cavas are known for being exuberant, but those of Clos Lentiscus never have more than two grams of residual sugar per liter. The estate also produces still wines, red, white and rosé.

Classified more as a natural sparkling wine than as a cavas, this gentleman(t) has letters of nobility. 100% Malvasia de Sitges, direct pressing; the first fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats with indigenous yeasts and the second in bottles. Aged for thirty-six months on fine lees. Distinguished, aromatic, fragrant, it combines freshness and generosity. Another wine that will go with anything you want to serve at the table.

El Aqueronte Red 2019

La Senda

El Aqueronte refers to Acheron, the river of the underworld in Greek mythology. We therefore expect base notes firmly rooted in the soil and black fruits, and they are there: a beautiful dark garnet color, a smoky and fruity nose (black cherry), peony, and cocoa, and a velvety, cherry-peppery texture on the palate, a harmony between minerality and fruit. Made from 100% Mencia grapes (from the Trousseau), unfiltered and unsulfured, this wine comes from seventy to ninety-year-old vines grown in the north of Bierzo on a homogeneous plot with clay-limestone soils rich in quartz, at an altitude of 555 meters. The grapes macerate for three to four days in old, unsealed chestnut vats; the wines are aged in French oak barrels for eleven months. Decanting is recommended.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

I'm Natural Don't Panic #7 Red 2018

Bodegas Coruña del Conde
Julien López's I'm Natural, Don't Panic range consists of macerated wines. This 100% Tempranillo red is powerful, dense, and generous, but not lacking in freshness, the result of a high-altitude climate that subjects the vines to significant temperature variations. A lovely bouquet of red and black fruits. Decanting will allow it to express its full opulence. For grilled meats, roast lamb, grilled octopus, stews, cocido.
Ideally a wine to be decanted.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Cachaça “traditional” Magnifica de Faria

This exceptional still cachaça (40°), made from pure cane juice, will captivate you from the moment you open the bottle with its surprisingly sweet, aromatic, and floral aroma, and on the palate with its voluptuous notes of exotic fruits (banana, guava).
It is distilled from local sugarcane by João Luiz de Faria on his fazenda do Anil, near from Rio de Janeiro, since 1985. The cane fields and the factory are located in a natural park, with a pure water source within easy reach. The entire process, from field to bottle, takes place on site. The cane is pressed the same day it is harvested to preserve its freshness and original properties. Fermentation, in stainless steel vats, uses local natural yeasts and lasts eighteen hours. Distillation is done in a triple Alegria still, unique in Brazil, in limited production.
With this, you will make the most beautiful caipirinhas in the world (we recommend being light on the sugar to highlight the finesse of this cachaça). A big favorite of the Culinaries team.

Aquavit Helsingfors Fiskehamns The Helsinki Distilling Co.

Vintage Spirit Garage
The only Finnish aquavit on the market, this eau-de-vie (41.5% ABV) is intense, flavored with local aromatic seeds (caraway, fennel, dill) and fresh lemon peel. The botanicals are infused in Finnish rye spirit before distillation in a copper still. A portion is then matured in French oak barrels for a year, then blended with clear aquavit to smooth and refresh the taste. It is the perfect accompaniment to smoked salmon, seafood, shellfish, herring, caviar and all seafood. It is also an excellent digestif.

Bows Vodka Single HOP Aroc, Bows

BOWS Distillery
Notes of tropical fruits, cereals, and flowers (from Evil?) for a smooth, indulgent, rounded, and slightly spicy vodka. Slow distillation gives it its purity and freshness. Delicate notes of wheat emerge, ending with a long, herbaceous finish. Enjoy iced with caviar or, in a more Occitan style, with bottarga.

Les Cristallines William Pear Brandy

Domaine Brana

The Brana house, in the Basque country, is a staple of fruit brandies. Throughout the great Southwest of France and beyond, as far away as Paris and beyond, its name is immediately recognized as a classic of quality brandy. Established in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port for over a century, the house was originally dedicated to the wine and spirits trade. In 1974, Étienne and Adrienne Brana founded the distillery and planted a William pear orchard: the famous "Poire Brana" would soon be born. Later, their children, Martine and Jean, took over the business and developed the precious family know-how. While Martine, at the distillery, continued to innovate with fruits, spices, and plants, her brother Jean took care of the vines planted in 1984, in AOP Irouléguy. In addition to the wines, these terraced vines on the hillside are the source of the marc that makes the house brandy. "A Brana pear, please!" Many of us have heard this phrase on the terraces of our cafés or in the best bars. For many, the name Brana has become synonymous with pear brandy. To make it, pears from the Brana orchard, picked at the peak of ripeness, are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. The resulting pear wine is then kept away from air so as not to undergo any alteration before its distillation, carried out in red copper pot stills. This traditional slow process allows for strict control of the process to ensure the quality and finesse of the eau-de-vie. Similarly, aging is carried out in stainless steel vats to preserve the freshness of the fruit and to avoid any woody notes. Bottling takes place when the eau-de-vie reaches its optimal point of maturity. It is a nectar that is immediately recognizable on the nose by its crystalline finesse, its elegance, its aromatic power expressing the quintessence of the pear. One has the impression, from the attack, of biting into the fruit. The finish, smooth, fine and long, continues to send the pear signal with force. Perfect conclusion to a good meal. Consume well chilled, between 5 and 6 °C.

Chat Zen White 2015

Domaine La Sorga

This wine is a blend of 40% Sauvignon Blanc (from twenty-seven-year-old vines) and 60% Chasan (a cross of Listan and Chardonnay; from forty-two-year-old vines) from sandy limestone soils near Carcassonne. The Sauvignon Blanc is directly pressed, and the Chasan macerates in the whole-bunch must for seventy days. It is aged for two years in vats. Notes of exotic fruits, dried banana, and curry: a rich aromatic palette perfect for blue cheeses, aged Comté, and Southeast Asian cuisine. Aging potential: twenty years.

Goes with: Asian cuisine, Cheeses

Es d'aqui Cinsauriel Red 2017

Jean Louis Pinto

This 100% Cinsault, grown on schist soils near Saint-Chinian, is produced by fermentation with indigenous yeasts during twenty-eight days of whole-bunch maceration. Part of the wine is aged in steel vats. With a beautiful, vibrant ruby color, it offers a nose of pepper, rose, and strawberry, as well as notes of garrigue, candied black olive, and prune. Lively and powerful.

Vosne Romanée les Champs Perdrix Red 2021

Fréderic Cossard

A deep, bright, ruddy color; lots of ripe, generous fruit, paired with red and black berries. Blended, satiny aromas. This Vosne-Romanée, a prestigious vintage from the Côte de Nuits, comes from the Les Champs-Perdrix vineyard. Very distinctive, voluptuous, complex, and powerful, this wine also displays beautiful finesse with soft, velvety tannins. This Pinot Noir in the Vosne-Romanée AOC comes from the plot that gave its name to the cuvée. The terroir, facing east, is based on limestone soils mixed with clayey marl at a depth that varies between a few dozen centimeters and one meter. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. Aging is approximately one year in barrels. A great wine for laying down.

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 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, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura, Languedoc, and elsewhere. At his farm, the soil and vines are worked as naturally as possible: regular horse-drawn ploughing, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are tended according to biodynamic principles: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper, and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. Red or white, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.

Volnay Rouge 2019,

Domaine de Chassorney
Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undistorted by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years as a wine merchant, the existence of harmful viticultural practices, the winemaker used this counterexample to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of unadulterated purity and elegance 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 exercise is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc regions. At his place, the work of the soil and vines is done as naturally as possible: regular plowing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper, and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. Reds or whites, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.
The AOC Volnay is perched on the heights of the Côte de Beaune. This wine comes from the Lurets plot, a steep terroir, facing west-southeast and located between 230 and 280 meters above sea level. The soils are mainly limestone, stony, ferruginous and reddish, and nourish magnificent vines of around fifty years old. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. The aging is about a year in barrels. The nose of black cherry delights, followed by candied fruits and peppery and sweet spices. On the palate, this wine is fresh, elegant, always full of Cossard-style fruit and silky tannins.
Natural wine without added sulfites.

Volnay Qvevris Red 2018

Frederic Cossard

This Pinot Noir from the Qvevris series (aged for ten months in Georgian-style terracotta jars), from the Les Lurets plot, offers great freshness and elegance on the palate. The fruit is enhanced, as the olfactory notes suggest: black cherry, candied fruit, spices, pepper... The clay aging gives a particular silkiness to this superb Volnay.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Gevrey Chambertin les Genevrières Qvevris Rouge 2020,

Frédéric Cossard
Black fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry, peony, dark red rose… This Gevrey-Chambertin comes from vines growing in the beautiful Genevrières vineyard, which rests on a limestone base. Vinification in qvevri (buried jars) begins with two weeks of whole-bunch maceration, followed by gentle pressing to preserve the fruit. The terracotta gives even more velvety texture, sensuality, and complexity to a wine that already offered so much.

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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 house 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 since vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. At his place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular plowing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. 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.

Puligny Montrachet Blanc 2019,

Fréderic Cossard
Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undistorted by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful viticultural practices, the winemaker used this counterexample to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of purity and elegance without artifice that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked as a wine broker for some time before creating the Chassorney estate with his partner Laure in 1996: initially a few ares of vines in Saint-Romain, Auxey-Duresses and Savigny-lès-Beaune, and currently ten hectares spread across the Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pommard, Volnay, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Bourgogne appellations. In 2006, he created his own wine trading house and buys organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais crus. The practice is not limited to Burgundy since vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. At his place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular plowing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. Reds or whites, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and coveted wines, which sometimes need to be waited for.
Puligny-Montrachet is one of the most prestigious appellations of Burgundy; some wine lovers consider it the quintessential white. A marvelous fusion of richness and dryness, it has great aging potential. With age, its aromas lean more and more towards earthy, mineral, with smoky accents and a magnificent affinity with truffle. In the meantime, it's difficult to list its pairings, as this unique wine has the gift of harmonizing with everything that is good. Still young, reserve it for fine poultry and white meats.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.