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1048 products
1048 products
Muscat Sec des Roumanis White 2009
This dry Muscat à petits grains comes from century-old vines planted in limestone soil very close to the bedrock. The grapes are foot-trodden, very lightly macerated, then aged for several months in stainless steel vats.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.
Rivo Sloe Gin, Magi SRL, 2017
Rivo
Unlike white gin, this is only 30% alcohol. To make it, wild sloe berries are harvested in Italy after the first frost, which softens the fruit and develops their flavor. They then macerate for several months in Rivo gin before distillation. A superb ruby red color, slight sweetness, roundness, and no bite: just delicate, fruity notes of wild berries, pitted almonds, almonds, and sweet spices. Alone or in a cocktail, it's wonderful.
See the recipe for our Sloe gin negroni
Volnay Qvevris Red 2020,
The nose reveals beautiful notes of red fruits (strawberry), spices, and candied fruits. On the palate, it reveals warmth and power, with floral aromas and a great minerality on the finish. This warm, straightforward wine from the Volnay appellation, with notes of red and black fruits, is balanced and lively on the palate, with lovely, gently spicy notes. It comes from old Pinot Noir vines growing at the bottom of the slopes, on dense, stony soils of ferruginous red clay and limestone. The plots are steep, facing west-southeast and located between 230 and 280 meters above sea level. The vines are worked on horseback, respecting the soil and the earth. The harvest is manual and is carried out when the grapes are fully ripe. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. Aging in qvevri (buried Georgian-style terracotta jars) further develops the wine's velvety texture and depth.
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 a while 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 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 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. 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.
€315,00
Unit price per€315,00
Unit price perPuligny-Montrachet 1er Cru les Folatières White 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 as a wine merchant, 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 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 exercise is not limited to Burgundy, as 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 sought-after wines, which sometimes require waiting.
This Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru comes from the Folatières plot, planted with very old vines. This antiquity is felt in the depth and structure of the wine, and it also benefits from superb aging qualities. A fine example of Chardonnay at its peak. Classy, complex, powerful, and precise; Puligny-Montrachet is a legendary wine, and this one lives up to its reputation. Endless pairing possibilities, long aging guaranteed.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
€105,00
Unit price per€105,00
Unit price perGevrey Chambertin les Genevrières Qvevris Rouge 2019,
Frédéric 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 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. 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.
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, sensuality, and complexity to a wine that already offered plenty of it.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
€102,00
Unit price per€102,00
Unit price perNuits Saint Georges Les Charmottes Qvevris Rouge 2019,
Frédéric 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.
Here is a Pinot Noir from the Les Charmottes plot in the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation; its soils are deep, limestone-type. The term "charmottes" or "charmes", in Burgundian dialect, refers to fallow land. This wine is deep, aromatic, with notes of peony and violet. The black fruits are characteristic of this climate: blackberry, blackcurrant. The wine has a smooth, satiny feel.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Bourgogne Bigotes Blanc 2020,
Frédéric Cossard
The aromatic attack of Bigotes is distinctly lemony and lingers with yellow fruits. On the palate, it displays tension, fullness, richness, a touch of fat, and plenty of persistence. For a generic Burgundy, it soars at a beautiful height. Produced on a small plot of Chardonnay in the Bourgogne regional appellation, it is, in a way, the white counterpart of the Bedeau red.
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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 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. 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.
€160,90
Unit price per€160,90
Unit price perMorey Saint Denis Les Monts Luisants 1er Cru Rouge 2017,
Frédéric Cossard
A very rare, dense, and elegant vintage, bursting with aromas of fresh fruit, 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 around seventy years old. This captivating wine promises to improve for a long time.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.
Pairs with: Game birds, Game animals, Terrines and pâtés, White meats, Andouillette
€132,00
Unit price per€132,00
Unit price perOrange White 2022,
A complex and structured orange wine, an ode to Gewurztraminer
The Orange 2022, produced by Domaine Einhart, is a captivating cuvée that explores the full richness of Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. This orange wine, obtained through a week of destemmed maceration, fully expresses the aromatic potential and tannic structure of the grape variety. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for a month in stainless steel vats, this wine reveals a perfect balance between power, freshness, and minerality.
A generous and captivating tasting
From the first nose, the Orange 2022 seduces with its complexity. Aromas of dried apricot, fig, and mandarin intertwine with exotic touches of pineapple and passion fruit. On the palate, the attack is full and structured, with a slightly tannic texture that adds depth. The basalt minerality unfolds elegantly, supported by a vibrant freshness. The finish is long and persistent, marked by notes of honey and orange blossom, offering a unique and intense sensory experience.
An exceptional gastronomic wine
L’Orange 2022 is ideal for accompanying bold and refined dishes. It pairs perfectly with game birds, roasted white meats, or root vegetables such as celeriac and cabbage. Its powerful aromas also allow it to enhance mature cheeses or dishes with mild spices. Served between 8 and 10°C after decanting, this wine will reveal all its nuances and richness.
With an aging potential of 5 years, this vintage will be able to evolve in the bottle, gaining even more complexity and finesse.
Chiroubles Red 2020,
Beaujolais as devil, Chiroubles as madness, this 100% Beaujolais Gamay from the Chiroubles appellation expresses great freshness and red and black fruits. Supple, indulgent, round, and fruity, with lovely acidity and a good deal of pleasant drinkability, this beautiful wine is the result of the combined work of winemakers Damien Coquelet and Frédéric Cossard. This wine is the result of semi-carbonic maceration of whole bunches, and is aged for ten months in concrete eggs.
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Les En-Hauts is not strictly speaking a wine estate but a project of vintages produced in partnership between Damien Coquelet and Frédéric Cossard. These two great figures of Burgundy viticulture—yes, Beaujolais is in Burgundy—had every reason to join forces to produce colorful and flavorful vintages together.
Frédéric Cossard is a biodynamic and natural star of Burgundy winemaking, who gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed by agricultural chemicals. His vintages are pure and elegant without artifice and are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. His practice is not limited to Burgundy, as vintages are made from grapes purchased in other regions. His vines are tended 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. Damien Coquelet, for his part, is the worthy successor of the great organic winemakers to whom we owe the advent of nature in the Beaujolais region: he is the son-in-law of Georges Descombes, and Jean Foillard was his mentor, who continued the pioneering work of Jules Chauvet and Marcel Lapierre. Owning nine hectares in Morgon on granite-sandy soils, he cultivates two and a half hectares plus a few leased vines: in all, four hectares on the legendary Côte du Py. A specialist in Morgons qui morgonnant and Chiroubles qui chiroublent, he embodies the true nature of Beaujolais.
SP Subirat Parent Blanc 2020,
Partida Creus
This 100% Subirat Parent wine is crisp and aromatic, with a nose of ripe white fruits, melon, and wildflowers. Agile on the palate, fresh and straightforward, lemony and slightly saline, it offers a long finish tinged with a delicate bitterness typical of the estate. Subirat Parent, one of the oldest Catalan grape varieties and a close relative of Malvasia, remains rare even in its country of origin. The clay-limestone soil enhances its freshness and integrity. The harvest is pressed after a three-day skin maceration. The must is settled and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats. Three months of rest in vats on fine lees before bottling.
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Partida Creus is an important estate, both from a winemaking and historical perspective – we're talking about the history of the vine in Catalonia. Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, originally from Piedmont – and even from the Langhe region, where wine is well-known – first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug bit 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 wealth 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. On their part, it’s not just a matter of saving heritage, no: it’s a matter of taste and nature. Natural wines, which they will continue to make from now on on these sandy, poor, clay-limestone or clay-gravelly, poor and poorly irrigated lands, where the vines suffer to give 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. Moscatel, Grenache, Merlot, and Cabernet (among others) are also grown here. Few wineries can boast 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-varietal wines are common among them, alongside extensive 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 denote 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.
Le Zudefruit Red 2021
Delicious, delectable, a real pleasure, this Zudefruit from Jérôme Lambert, an organic and natural winemaker based in the Loire Valley, in the Layon region. A beautiful dark red color, with aromas of red fruits on the nose; on the palate, it is very supple, lively, and deep, with herbaceous notes and a real delicacy with hints of cherry and undergrowth. With a beautiful balance between fruity notes and earthy, spicy, peppery notes, Zudefruit is a natural wine from the Loire Valley, produced from a plot of Grolleau cultivated by Jérôme Lambert on the light, sandy, schistose soils found in southern Anjou. The harvest, carried out by hand, ferments in whole bunches for two weeks before pressing, then rests for nine months in fiberglass vats. To further explore the red wines of the Loire Valley, you can also look at the domaines La Grapperie or the Domaine Pic-Épeiche.
Learn more about Jérôme Lambert
On his four-hectare estate, entirely organic and planted with Chenin, Grolleau, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, Jérôme Lambert is as much a winemaker as he is a farmer: he raises chickens, pigs, sheep and takes this mixed crop-livestock activity very seriously, along 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. In 2003, he got his hands dirty, helping with the pruning of the vines at Philippe Cesbron's and practicing with a few grapes donated by local winemakers. The following year, his adventure truly began with twenty ares of vines, but while his estate grew year by year, it would only reach one hectare after fifteen years.
A journey towards nature
In 2003, Jérôme discovered that adding sulfites was detrimental to wines: he never added more and was satisfied with the result, without making too much of a fuss about it. 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 natural, without added sulfites, 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.
Chardonnay White 2022,
Frédéric Cossard
Frédéric Cossard, a key figure in natural wine in Burgundy, offers us with his 2022 Chardonnay a pure and elegant interpretation of this emblematic grape variety. Produced from clay-limestone terroirs, this wine is distinguished by its precision and balance.
A Chardonnay of finesse and purity
Vinified without additives and aged with care, this Chardonnay reveals all the richness of its terroir. Its careful aging results in a beautiful mineral tension and a refined texture, perfect for immediate drinking or extended cellaring.
A delicate nose and a chiseled palate
On the nose, it expresses notes of citrus, green apple, and white flowers, with a hint of hazelnut. The mouth, taut and mineral, reveals a beautiful liveliness, supported by a precise acidity and a long and saline finish.
How to serve it?
To be enjoyed chilled, between 10 and 12°C, this Chardonnay will enhance seafood, creamy poultry or a platter of mature cheeses. With an aging potential of 5 to 10 years, it will evolve towards even more complex aromas.
Bison Grass Botanical Vodka 40° - 70cl
This vodka offers delicate aniseed and peppery notes, supported by the magnificent herbal harmony of freshly cut bison grass: vanilla, tonka bean, hay, and toasted almond. Bison grass vodka is a classic Polish recipe, but what exactly is this herb? Hierochloe odorata is a plant in the grass or poaceae family. Depending on the region, it is also called sweet grass, vanilla grass, or holy grass. It is a Nordic plant that is capable of growing as far as the Arctic Circle: it is also found in Canada, in the northern Rocky Mountains and in certain regions of Northern Europe. Medicinal, curative, aromatic, it plays an important role in shamanic rituals as a sacred plant with magical properties. Its name "bison grass" is specific to northern Poland and Belarus, where it grows in the territory of wild bison. Awen Nature has made this vodka according to the traditional Polish recipe revisited, from fresh bison grass grown organically in the distillery's botanical garden and pure spring water from the Black Mountains of the Armorican massif.
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The Awen Nature distillery is a factory of magic potions: beverages with a strong Celtic content, organic liqueurs with a strong touch of poetry. This Breton distillery, located in Ille-et-Vilaine and run by Julien Fanny, initially focused on absinthe, a liqueur that Julien helped rehabilitate. It's not "the liqueur that makes you crazy," he says: we were already crazy before. He strives—successfully—to reproduce the taste of yesteryear, that of the absinthes once given to children on a sugar cube as a dewormer. "You need a touch of madness to be a distiller today," says Julien. In addition to absinthe, Julien distills a wide range of spirits and liqueurs: gins, vodkas, botanical rums, Swedish elixir, concoctions inspired by role-playing games... All made from plants, respecting the environment, without preservatives or artificial flavors. An ode to plants that the korrigans must sip in secret, at night, on the moors.
Falgueyras Red 2018,
Vigne Vieille du Falgueyras is a fruity and indulgent red wine, rich in notes of red fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry, morello cherry) and beautifully peppery. Its profile is enhanced by sweet spices, prune on the nose, black olive, as well as more mineral accents (smoke, natural incense). It has character, oak without exaggeration, and a very beautiful body. Typical of the Gaillac terroirs, this is a red wine made 100% from old Syrah vines aged thirty and forty years, planted on boulbènes (gravelly, loamy sand) on the second terrace of the Tarn. The destemmed harvest macerates in cement vats with two punching down of the marc. The fermentation temperature did not exceed 21°C. Aging continues for nine months before bottling without filtration and, of course, without the addition of sulfites.
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The name Gaillac, the region where the Bois-Moisset estate is located, owned by Sylvie Ledran and Philippe Maffre, has been associated with wines since Antiquity; it is the oldest vineyard in France, with two thousand years of history and an impressive collection of ancient indigenous grape varieties. It is also a region of dazzling beauty, nicknamed "French Tuscany" because of its gentle hills planted with groves and its almost Florentine luminosity. Many estates, including that of Bois-Moisset, showcase this uniquely rich winemaking heritage. Along with an estate planted with vines, it is an organic mixed farm that directly sells its production of lentils, sunflower oil, cereal flours, and grape juice. A herd of old local breed cows also thrives there, and guest rooms are available in the summer. It is in this small rural paradise that natural wines typical of their origin and terroir are born, on fifteen hectares of boulbènes, gravelly and sandy-loam soils carried by the Tarn for thousands of years. The grape varieties are dominated by Syrah and Duras, but the ampelographic richness of Gaillacois (braucol, prunelart, loin-de-l'œil, etc.) is also evident in the vintages of the Bois-Moisset estate, which consist particularly of red wines with crisp fruitiness, concentrated but with smooth and delicate tannins.
Combe du Temps Red 2020,
Les Vignes du Domaine du Temps
La Combe du Temps rouge is a powerful but not heavy wine: red fruits are layered with notes of undergrowth, earth, garrigue, and mineral, on a rather full-bodied and tannic structure. Natural and elegant, not lacking in freshness, La Combe du Temps rouge was fermented naturally with indigenous yeasts, without filtration or fining, then aged 20% of the total volume in barrels. The wine has more than moderate oak. Very balanced, it is a Languedoc blend (equal parts Syrah and Grenache) that plays on freshness with a beautiful chewiness.
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The Domaine du Temps is located in Cabardès, a small region of Languedoc that was once a subdivision of the Cathar Country. Starting from the southern slope of the Montagne Noire to the city of Carcassonne, it is bordered to the west by the Lauragais and to the east by the Minervois. Hilly, wild, rich in Mediterranean flora, it is a preserved ecosystem, especially since the Domaine du Temps, in the place called Font Juvénal, is a magical place: around a former 18th-century priory, sixty hectares of forests and scrubland protect thirteen hectares of vineyards on stony clay-limestone soils. The balance between dryness and freshness is a boon for viticulture, with a wide range of grape varieties. In addition to the Languedoc grape varieties (Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, Viognier, Muscat), Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sémillon, and Chenin are grown. The estate has been Ecocert certified since 1998, is entirely managed biodynamically, and has been dedicated to natural wine since 2015. The work in the vineyard and cellar is methodical, rigorous, and attentive: only the best grapes are kept, resulting in small yields, and destemming is determined based on the ripeness of the bunch. The reds are vinified using carbonic maceration of individual grape varieties, with the blending taking place before the year's aging. The whites are slowly and gently pressed to extract only the best from the grapes. These precautions produce smooth, controlled wines of great integrity, with very supple tannins. They are fresh, delicious, and expressive.
UL Ull de llebre Red 2020
Partida Creus
This wine is highly original: behind the minerality, (black) fruit, blueberry, and freshness, we notice very fine tannins and aromatic herbs. A serious wine, a little grave, but did you know that serious wines make you joyful? Its length on the palate is astonishing. Decanting is highly recommended so that this wine can play its own unique music, down to the finest notes. A recent creation, this red from Partida Creus is made from the ancient and indigenous grape variety called ull de llebre, which, you guessed it, means "hare's eye." What you might not guess is that this is the Catalan name for Tempranillo. It's actually an old local version of this very Iberian grape variety, which Massimo and Antonella have nurtured in their own way.
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Partida Creus is an important estate, both in terms of wine and history—we're talking about the history of the vine in Catalonia. Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, originally from Piedmont—and even from the Langhe region, where wine is well-known—first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug bit them, and they soon abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There they find a quantity of abandoned vineyards planted with a dizzying diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties that they passionately revive to save these varieties – and their wines – from oblivion. For them, it is not just a matter of heritage rescue, no: it is 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 give their best juice. Massimo and Antonella practice organic, biodynamic viticulture, entirely manual and natural 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, subirat parent, maccabeu, parellada, pansé, vinel.lo, bobal, cartoixà vermell or xarel.lo: Partida Creus is a veritable conservatory of native Catalan grape varieties. It also grows moscatel, grenache, merlot and cabernet (among others). Few wineries can boast growing so many different grape varieties. The wines reflect this diversity, with the winemakers striving to best convey the signature of the soil and the grape variety: single-variety wines are common among them, alongside extensive 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 denote the vintage. The wines, fresh, vibrant, lush yet always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, exude life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits cries of satisfaction.
El Aqueronte Red 2018
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.
GT Ancestral Sparkling Red 2018
Partida Creus
A Catalan cousin of Mourvèdre, the Garrut grape variety forms the basis of this dazzling wine, which revisits the classic sparkling wine in a black fruit way: intense, bright, earthy, completely atypical, even a little cracked, reminiscent of the best of Lambrusco. A perfect companion for Ibérico bellota ham, fine chorizos, and all high-end cured meats, as well as pâtés, terrines, and spicy dishes. It evokes the family vine, artisanal production, and free wine.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.