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What is white wine?
Regardless of their profile, all our white wines are natural and organic wines, with no added sulfites.
White wine is most often made from white grapes, but some black grape varieties can also be used. This is then called "blanc de noirs."
The main French grape varieties for white wine are Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Chenin, Viognier, Melon de Bourgogne, Sémillon, Muscat, Riesling, etc. There are more well-known protected designation of origin (AOC/AOP) for white wines (Loire, Jurançon, Entre-Deux-Mers, Fiefs-Vendéens, Muscadet…), but many appellations are also famous, sometimes more famous, for their white wines than for their red wines: this is the case, for example, for Alsace and Burgundy.
A dry white wine can be made from direct pressing (grapes pressed immediately after harvest) or vinified with maceration of destemmed or whole-cluster grapes. In this case, it is called a macerated white wine or orange wine.
Sweet or dessert wines are wines with a sweet profile because they retain a high level of residual sugar after fermentation. These wines should not be confused with VDN (vins doux naturels) or fortified wines, which can be white, and which are obtained from grape must whose fermentation has been interrupted by the addition of alcohol.
A dry white wine, depending on the ripeness of the grapes, the terroir, the grape varieties, and the winemaking process, has a taste profile ranging from very dry (acidic) to fruity and sweet. One can feel the mark of the soil (acidity, salinity, minerality) or that of the fruit (sweetness, fruity or floral aromatic palette), sometimes both. Aging and cellaring time can also influence the sweetness, acidity, or aromatic intensity of a white wine.
White wines are made almost everywhere in temperate climates. In Europe, some white wines from Italy and Spain are renowned. In France, Burgundy, the Loire Valley, Savoy, Alsace, Languedoc, and Gascony can be cited as major origins of white wine.
Regarding pairings, white wines are most often associated with fish, seafood, and cheeses, as well as cheese-based dishes such as Swiss or Savoyard fondue. They are also reserved for white meats and light appetizers, as well as some desserts.
What are the different types of white wines?
The large family of white wines includes dry white wines (the most common category), which include oxidative white wines and macerated white wines (orange wines). There are also sweet white wines, dessert white wines, sparkling white wines (or pétillant), and fortified white wines (white vins doux naturels).
Why choose an organic white wine with no added sulfites?
For health, first of all. Many people claim not to tolerate white wines because they give them headaches. This symptom is most often due to the addition of sulfites, not to mention other chemical additives in conventional winemaking.
Indeed, conventional winemaking tends to add more sulfites to white wines than to red wines because they are more fragile and more difficult to preserve, but in the presence of natural white wines without added sulfites, this problem disappears.
An organic white wine with no added sulfites is therefore healthier and more digestible. It also tastes better, allowing its aromas and fruit more room to express themselves.
A good natural white wine offers a freer and livelier sensation on the palate. These wines are fresher, fuller, and more pleasant to taste.
What is the distinction between a sweet white wine and a dry white wine?
The dry-sweet-dessert scale is a matter of residual sugar, the amount of natural grape sugars that the wine retains after fermentation.
A dry white wine will contain less than 10 g of residual sugar, a sweet white wine between 10 and 45 g, and a dessert wine will contain more than 45 g per liter.
Which exceptional dishes pair best with white wine?
If we generally consider that white wines are to be paired with fish and seafood, white meats, poultry, and cheeses, the pairings depend heavily on the types of wines.
For exceptional dishes, an exceptional white wine.
For example, oysters and smoked salmon will be paired with dry white wines from Burgundy or the Loire estuary (Muscadet), fine fish (turbot, sole, sea bass) with crisp and aromatic white wines from Burgundy, the Loire Valley, Savoy, and the South.
Loire white wines will go with goat cheeses, and Savoy or Jura white wines with rich cheeses such as Reblochon, Comté, or Mont d'Or.
With age, the range of pairings for great dry or dessert white wines expands and includes stews, poultry, and feathered game. Sometimes, an old Burgundy or an old sweet Jurançon develops truffle aromas: the pairing is then obvious.
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327 products
327 products
La Pinya White 2021
The color is a very pale blond, like a linden infusion, slightly cloudy; La Pinya is a fresh, mineral, and aromatic dry white wine, lively and delicate, with a possible sparkle upon opening. In Belly Wine Experiment, there is Experiment, or experimentation. It's a principle that this small organic and natural wine merchant estate strives to demonstrate vintage after vintage. La Pinya, labeled with a pine cone, is a blend of equal parts of two indigenous Catalan grape varieties: Xarel lo and Macabeu from Pla del Penedès, harvested on clay-limestone soils. This blend is quite common in Catalonia, Claire Sage's native country. For this vintage, the Macabeu is worked directly from the press, then blended with crushed Xarel·lo. The whole thing is macerated for a week. This wine is organically grown and has received no chemical additives or sulfites, in the vineyard or in the cellar. Note that the natural formation of tartar may cause a slight foam when the bottle is opened. La Pinya should be stored upright and drunk chilled.
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Founded and run by Claire Sage and Aimé Duveau, located in Chanteuges (Haute-Loire), Belly Wine Experiment is as much an experiment as a winemaking business. The creative duo has a lot to offer: Claire is the sister of Daniel Sage, a fan of underwater wine aging but above all an importer of Catalan wines. Hence the presence of Catalan grape varieties in Belly Wine Experiment's blends, alongside Burgundy, Auvergne, and Jura grape varieties, readily found in the same bottle. Aimé is the son of Manu Duveau, a poet-winemaker from Auvergne, a former stonemason, and a great winemaker of local Gamays at his Domaine de l'Égrappille. The uniqueness of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia, for example, being able to sit alongside Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme with the utmost naturalness. The wines are made using semicarbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical additives or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The house is also known for its very high-quality, vinous perries.
Palli et Genesia White 2019,
Fine, delicate, fresh, and deliciously muscatel-like, Palli & Genesià expresses the minerality of the granite soil (pink granite) from which it comes. It is one of five white wines in the Sous le Végétal series, and like three others, it is made from small-grain muscat native to the island of Samos (an archipelago in the eastern Aegean). Palli & Genesià Genesià comes from vines planted near the village of Platanos, pruned into goblet-shaped rows on an old vineyard, abandoned and brought back to life—hence the name of the cuvée, derived from palingenesià, “rebirth” in Greek. The vines are cultivated organically in conversion to permaculture, without any additives in the vineyard or cellar, and the harvest is manual. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats and terracotta amphorae. The wine is bottled by gravity and sealed with a black beeswax cork. The black glass bottle guarantees aging. This wine will pair perfectly with seafood and Eastern Mediterranean meze.
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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 for the ancient vineyards of this island in the North Aegean Sea, which owes its dense, wooded 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, including basalt, limestone, quartz, pink granite, schist, iron cast iron, etc. 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. Four types of containers are used for vinification: 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 bottles sealed with wax. No added sulfur, no filtration: the winemakers of Samos rediscover 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. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the A la Natural cuvées by Patrick Bouju.
Alexandre Blanc 2018,
Sous le Végétal
Alexandre is the latest addition to the Sous le Végétal series, a (successful) experiment conducted on the island of Samos (an archipelago in the eastern Aegean Sea) by the team of two winemakers, Patrick Bouju and Jason Ligas. This series, distributed exclusively by Culinaries, is organized around the revival of the island's dry-vinified vineyards, thus around the island's endemic Muscat à Petit Grain, as well as Avgoustiatis red grape vines. This Alexandre is a dry white wine that differs slightly from what the project has produced so far, as it is composed 100% of the Asyrtiko grape variety, a magnificent white grape variety indigenous to the Greek islands whose primary origin is the volcanic island of Santorini. It is present in other territories of Greece, island or not, and is particularly happy on volcanic soils where it faithfully transmits the mineral richness. It is thus also found on the island of Samos, where it superbly expresses the nature of the quartz and schist soils. The harvest is directly pressed, the aging is one year in stainless steel vats, concrete eggs and neutrally heated barrels. Alexandre is a joyful and slightly exuberant wine which offers the typical notes of asyrtiko at good maturity - notably bergamot, which is a distinctive mark of the grape variety, and candied lemon - placed on a beautiful mineral framework with a saline finish which is a common trait of the white cuvées of Sous le Végétal. It would be difficult to list the possible taste pairings with this wine, let's say that it corresponds to the adage "everything that is very good goes with everything that is very good". However, we will taste with it the whole assortment of mezedes of the Greco-Levantine tradition.
The design of the label of this bottle was created by the artist Fabrice Loiseau: Geimyo 鯨妙
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Beneath the plant lies the mineral: this is the meaning of this concept of natural vintages created in Greece, on the island of Samos, by a team of friends gathered around the winemakers Jason Ligas and Patrick Bouju. The successful venture marks a renaissance for the ancient vineyards of this island in the North Aegean Sea, which owes its dense, wooded 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, including basalts, limestone, quartz, pink granites, schists, iron cast iron, etc. 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, Alexandre, and Auguste—are produced on around sixty plots of Samos Muscat à petits grains (as well as Avgoustiatis for the red cuvée and Asyrtiko for Alexandre), 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 lieu-dit is vinified in at least two of the four containers, and the wine is aged in black bottles sealed with wax. No sulfur is added, no filtration: the winemakers of Samos rediscover 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. Sous le Végétal also takes under its wing the A la Natural cuvées by Patrick Bouju.
BS Blanc de Sumoll White 2017
Partida Creus
Finely macerated, with a superb golden hue vering with orange, BS Blanc de Sumoll is made for the table and refined dishes. Vibrant and aromatic, it offers notes of citrus (grapefruit, orange, lemon), rose, peach, apple, quince, garrigue (thyme, rosemary), and quince, with a rather saline finish. It is also mineral with notes of honey, leather, and stone. This still, sunny Blanc de Noirs, made from 100% white Sumoll (a grape variety that has become extremely rare in Catalonia) and produced directly from the press, is a historic cuvée, the first produced by Massimo and Antonella. This is a very rare wine that should not be missed when a few bottles appear.
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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-known – first pursued careers as architects in Barcelona. But the wine bug bit them, and soon they abandoned the big city and its sophistication for the vineyards of southern Catalonia, in Bonastre in Baix-Penedés. There they found a quantity of abandoned vineyards planted with a dizzying diversity of traditional Catalan grape varieties that 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.
Muscat Petit Grain White 2002
A liqueur muscat in the tradition of Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, the region where the estate is located. This petit grain muscat is a fortified wine, meaning a must whose fermentation has been interrupted by the addition of alcohol. This produces a delicious beverage, both sweet and fresh, with incredible aromatic complexity. You can keep it chilled almost indefinitely after opening, tightly corked: ideal for pouring a drink for friends who are visiting. Also interesting for catering, served by the glass, due to its stability once the bottle is uncorked. Almost unlimited pairings. Serve chilled.
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Le Petit Domaine de Gimios is located near Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, an ancient terroir and source of sweet muscats from the Languedoc. In fact, the estate is dedicated to the region's typical small-grain muscat (in addition to a few other varieties), and Anne-Marie Lavaysse is firmly rooted in tradition by producing fine wines from this precious grape variety. In 1993, she and her son Pierre took over several old, abandoned vineyards, which she now uses to create the estate. Small, certainly, but multicultural and almost self-sufficient: the muscat from old vines shares the space with vegetable and food crops, fruit trees, and some livestock farming. None of this receives any chemical inputs, sulfur, or mechanical force, and the estate, certified by Écocert, is cultivated biodynamically. On these five hectares, viticulture and mixed farming are one. The harvest is carried out by hand in the early morning, destemmed and foot-trodden, before macerating for approximately ten days using native yeasts. No sulfites are added during bottling. The wines are universally described as "delicious," "pure and fresh," "clear and easy to drink." The house produces dry, sweet, liqueur-like, and fortified muscats, as well as very fruity reds made from traditional local grape varieties. Everywhere, the impression of biting into fresh grapes is felt.
Bianco White 2012
A delicate amber color for a wine with an elegant and lively nose that lingers on the palate with notes of yellow fruits, enhanced here in the magnum format. This pleasant Italian macerated white, simply called "white" (bianco), is made from a blend of Procanico and Malvasia grapes grown on the volcanic soils of Lazio, on the borders of Tuscany and Umbria. After a late harvest, entirely by hand, the grapes are lightly crushed by foot and then macerated for two weeks in truncated French oak barrels. After pressing, the must is decanted for a few days before slowly completing its fermentation in tuns for about a year. The wine is then aged for seven months in barrels at the bottom of the cellar, in a natural cave, before being bottled. “This wine may not change the course of winemaking history,” writes one Italian commentator, “but it managed to give me a very good time, and that’s what matters. Believe me: we desperately need wines like this… In the glass, a beautiful yellow tending towards amber, opaque and rich. On the nose, a crackle of yellow fruits and volcanic sparks, and a beautiful acidity. After a few minutes, Bianco becomes sensorially capricious on the palate, like a chameleon, its beautiful acidity supporting the structure and highlighting its complexity. Almond, peach, hazelnut, yellow flowers, Annurca apple… Every moment in the glass reveals something new. »
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The Le Coste azienda is located in Italy, in Gradoli, in the province of Viterbo, in the northeast of Lazio. The estate was created in 2004 by Clémentine Bouveron and Gian Marco Antonuzzi. Clémentine is an oenologist and has already worked at Domaine Hauvette and Trévallon, in the Alpilles, as well as in Sauternes, at Château de Rayne-Vigneau. When Clémentine and Gian Marco took over the estate, it covered three hectares at an altitude of 450 meters and appeared as an abandoned garden of vines and olive trees. They recreated it in a traditional polycultural way with agroforestry, livestock farming, and viticulture to produce wines without additives and without deviation. The surface area has since grown to approximately fourteen hectares. The terroir overlooks Lake Bolsena. Its volcanic nature explains the lightness of its recently formed soils: lapilli tuffs, volcanic ash in varied layers, rich in minerals. This soil, very poor in organic matter, must be amended, and natural caves enlarged by older generations serve as cellars. Shared between vines, olive trees, elms, century-old oaks and wild chestnut trees, the site is a marvel of plant diversity. The biodynamic methods used at the estate include manure compost, horn silica and herbal teas that strengthen the defenses of the vines, which are trained in the traditional way, in low goblet training with a stake. The grape varieties are numerous, indigenous and ancient, reproduced by mass selection in the old vines still present on the estate. The wines express the local terroir and a strong Italian identity, with very varied profiles.
Kuku Yodel White 2018
A dry white wine, Kuku Yodel reveals great finesse, freshness, and fruit on the nose. On the palate, the attack reminds some of an unfiltered white beer, others of a tropical lemonade. This wine is pleasant, fruity, floral, refreshing, and very fragrant. It evokes fruits such as peach, apricot, mandarin, lemon, lychee, passion fruit, and rhubarb, with a milky, yeasty finish, with the rich aroma of a summer meadow. It is made from Muscat of Alexandria, either as a single varietal or with a small proportion of Terret Bourret and Grenache Gris depending on the vintage. Kuku Yodel is a macerated white wine made from Muscat of Alexandria vines growing on the schist and clay-limestone soils of the high slopes of Hérault. The destemmed grapes macerate for forty-five days in vats, then the wine is aged for one year. Before bottling, it is neither filtered nor clarified, and no sulfites are added during the vinification process. Kuku Yodel should be drunk very chilled and can be kept for around ten years.
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Anthony Tortul loves old vineyards: he devotes his life to finding and vinifying them. Just as there are landless shepherds, he can be defined as a landless winemaker, in other words a wine merchant whose area of activity extends throughout Languedoc and, eastward, as far as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in search of the best terroirs. Born in Foix, with six years of experience as a wine technician and oenologist in various vineyards in the south of France, he created La Sorga in 2008. His enthusiasm leads him on a path filled with favorites, and each of these favorites is a vineyard. The result is a dizzying mosaic of natural, lively, and spirited wines, which reinvents itself each year with around thirty cuvées per vintage. Few winemakers can include such a variety of grape varieties: the entire south of France is represented, with muscats, grenaches, picpoul, mauzac, carignan, cinsault, marsanne, alicante, braucol, duras, viognier, len-de-l'el, and tutti quanti.
Skin-Contact Rafling White 2020,
Fruit, balance, elegance, roundness, and integrity all at once, this Riesling has a lot to tell. Our own Frédéric Cossard, equally at home in Burgundian-style winemaking (but without additives) as he is in the multi-hued refinements of merchant winemaking, now offers us a Riesling vinified with skin-contact maceration. Don't nitpick too much about food and wine pairings, this one is tailored for all circumstances.
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Through his entirely natural work, Frédéric Cossard gives voice to the terroirs and Burgundy wines, undeformed by agricultural chemicals. Having observed, during his years of trading, the existence of harmful wine-growing practices, the winemaker used this counter-example to practice unadulterated viticulture. Thus, he produces vintages of purity and elegance without artifice that are among the most sought-after in Burgundy. Frédéric worked as a wine broker for some time before creating the domaine de Chassorney with his partner Laure in 1996: initially a few ares of vines in Saint-Romain, Auxey-Duresses and Savigny-lès-Beaune, and currently ten hectares spread across the Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pommard, Volnay, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Bourgogne appellations. In 2006, he created his own wine trading house and buys organic grapes to vinify, according to his style and convictions, great vintages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and several Beaujolais crus. The practice is not limited to Burgundy since vintages are made from grapes purchased in the Jura or Languedoc. At his place, the work of the soil and the vines is done as naturally as possible: regular ploughing by horse, no addition of chemical fertilizers or weedkillers. The vines are cared for according to the principles of biodynamics: homeopathic treatments based on essential oils, copper and sulfur in minimal doses. The harvest is entirely manual, carried out at full maturity, at the end of October. Red or white, classic Burgundies or more atypical or less "regional" bottles, Frédéric's vintages are rare and coveted wines, which sometimes require waiting.
Hip Hip Chardonnay Blanc 2020,
Domaine de l'Octavin
Light, saline, slightly creamy, supported by superb acidity and a lovely minerality, Hip Hip Chardonnay makes no secret of its tropical notes (pineapple, papaya, mango) and its lovely citrus notes: orange and lemon peel, mandarin, lime. What richness! Added to this are white flowers, honeysuckle, oregano, white pepper, a lovely stony touch and perfectly balanced tannins. Clean and mineral finish. While it's true that Chardonnay works wonders in Burgundy, it also thrives in the Jura, where it finds its local style and is often paired with Savagnin. According to the method favored in the Jura, it frequently undergoes skin maceration. This Chardonnay was macerated here for two months in whole bunches in 2020 and aged in vats. Bottling was carried out in July 2021.
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“You don’t need anything,” says Alice Bouvot, winemaker at Domaine de l’Octavin, “just a grape that’s comfortable in its own skin.” Everything is said in favor of natural wine; it’s a perfect description. Created in 2005, Domaine d’Alice is located in Arbois, in this wine-growing Jura region, often described as the most organic vineyard in France. The habit of making – among other things – oxidative wines is a good preparation for natural wine, this type of wine allowing no chemical additives and especially no sulfites. It’s a secret of this magnificent region. Originally spread over two hectares, the estate, managed entirely biodynamically (Demeter) since 2010, has expanded through the gradual acquisition of plots and now covers seven hectares.
An accomplished musician and passionate music lover, Alice intends to apply her musical sensitivity to the wines she makes. She draws a parallel between the technical perfection of conventional wines, which risks excluding feeling, while "a musician who does not know music theory and plays with his guts creates emotion." For her, living wine is like this: instinctive, improvised, emotional. Introduced to natural wine by Stéphane Planche, sommelier at chef Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois, she will faithfully follow this path. The sometimes whimsical titles of her vintages are inspired sometimes by musical art (Dorabella, Zerline), sometimes by the numerous plots of land that make up her vineyard (En Curon, Les Corvées, En Poussot, etc.), and do not disdain a pun from time to time. Likewise, the labels adorned with happy and salacious little gnomes are a signature of the estate. As for the grape varieties, they are the classics of the Jura - Poulsard, Trousseau, Pinot Noir for the reds, and Chardonnay, Savagnin for the whites. Alongside her Arbois wines, Alice has created a business of "on the vine" grapes (Ecocert certified) with her winegrower friends from the region. Natural, committed, joyful and highly drinkable, the wines of Alice Bouvot are all the more coveted as the vintages, produced in plot-by-plot mode, appear, disappear and reappear depending on the vintage and inspiration.
Mus'cat Blanc 2021,
Domaine de l'Octavin
A white wine to delight in: this Mus'cat is so lovely, both on the nose and on the palate! Muscat of Alexandria harvested in Languedoc, crafted in the Jura style, is something else. Full of fruit and freshness, Mus’cat offers fruity notes that languidly extend across the entire palette of yellow and tropical fruits: peach, apricot, citrus, mango, pineapple… As its name suggests, Mus’cat is vinified from muscats from the Pyrénées-Orientales (50% muscat à petits grains, 50% muscat d’Alexandrie from Vincent Lafage, sixty-six-year-old vines growing in Saint-Jean-Lasseille) cultivated biodynamically on clay-limestone soils, macerated for ten days in whole bunches to promote the extraction of their lovely aromas. Bottled in May 2022, Mus’cat will lend itself to all pairings, including desserts (but not too sweet, please).
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“You don’t need anything,” says Alice Bouvot, winemaker at Domaine de l’Octavin, “just a grape that’s happy in its skin.” Everything is said in favor of natural wine; it’s a perfect description. Created in 2005, Domaine d’Alice is located in Arbois, in this wine-growing Jura region, often described as the most organic vineyard in France. The habit of making – among other things – oxidative wines is a good preparation for natural wine, this type of wine does not allow any chemical additives and especially no sulfites. It’s a secret of this magnificent region. Originally spread over two hectares, the estate, managed entirely biodynamically (Demeter) since 2010, has expanded through the gradual acquisition of plots and now covers seven hectares.
An accomplished musician and passionate music lover, Alice intends to apply her musical sensitivity to the wines she makes. She draws a parallel between the technical perfection of conventional wines, which risks excluding feeling, while "a musician who does not know music theory and plays with his guts creates emotion." For her, living wine is like this: instinctive, improvised, emotional. Introduced to natural wine by Stéphane Planche, sommelier at chef Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois, she will faithfully follow this path. The sometimes whimsical titles of her vintages are inspired sometimes by musical art (Dorabella, Zerline), sometimes by the numerous plots of land that make up her vineyard (En Curon, Les Corvées, En Poussot, etc.), and do not disdain a pun from time to time. Likewise, the labels adorned with happy and salacious little gnomes are a signature of the estate. As for the grape varieties, they are the classics of the Jura - Poulsard, Trousseau, Pinot Noir for the reds, and Chardonnay, Savagnin for the whites. Alongside her Arbois wines, Alice has created a business of "on the vine" grapes (Ecocert certified) with her winegrower friends from the region. Natural, committed, joyful and highly drinkable, the wines of Alice Bouvot are all the more coveted as the vintages, produced in plot-by-plot mode, appear, disappear and reappear depending on the vintage and inspiration.
Magnum P'tit Poussot Blanc 2018,
Domaine de l'Octavin
Mineral and dry yet fruity, joyful and pleasant, this P'tit Poussot (En Poussot is the name of the plot) offers a nose of pear and opulent notes of apple, citrus, and pineapple on the palate, as well as plenty of freshness and acidity. Fresh and pleasant, perfect as an aperitif or with food. It is made from 100% Chardonnay, grown biodynamically on red marl soils and processed using direct pressing with vat fermentation. Bottled in September 2019, it is perfect for excellent charcuterie: even pata negra or Iberian chorizo. An excellent aperitif or table wine.
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“You don’t need anything,” says Alice Bouvot, winemaker at Domaine de l’Octavin, “just a grape that’s happy in its skin.” Everything is said in favor of natural wine; it’s a perfect description. Created in 2005, Domaine d’Alice is located in Arbois, in this wine-growing Jura region, often described as the most organic vineyard in France. The practice of making – among other things – oxidative wines is a good preparation for natural wine, this type of wine allowing no chemical additives and especially no sulfites. It’s a secret of this magnificent region. Originally spread over two hectares, the estate, managed entirely biodynamically (Demeter) since 2010, has expanded through the gradual acquisition of plots and now covers seven hectares.
An accomplished musician and passionate music lover, Alice intends to apply her musical sensitivity to the wines she makes. She draws a parallel between the technical perfection of conventional wines, which risks excluding feeling, while "a musician who does not know music theory and plays with his guts creates emotion." For her, living wine is like this: instinctive, improvised, emotional. Introduced to natural wine by Stéphane Planche, sommelier at chef Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois, she will faithfully follow this path. The sometimes whimsical titles of her vintages are inspired sometimes by musical art (Dorabella, Zerline), sometimes by the numerous plots of land that make up her vineyard (En Curon, Les Corvées, En Poussot, etc.), and do not disdain a pun from time to time. Likewise, the labels adorned with happy and salacious little gnomes are a signature of the estate. As for the grape varieties, they are the classics of the Jura - Poulsard, Trousseau, Pinot Noir for the reds, and Chardonnay, Savagnin for the whites. Alongside her Arbois wines, Alice has created a business of "on the vine" grapes (Ecocert certified) with her winegrower friends from the region. Natural, committed, joyful and highly drinkable, the wines of Alice Bouvot are all the more coveted as the vintages, produced in plot-by-plot mode, appear, disappear and reappear depending on the vintage and inspiration.
Le Litre Arbitre White 2020,
Le Litre Arbitre, a dry white wine with a strong aroma of white fruit and lemon, is deliciously mineral and lively, perfect for all occasions and also a joy to drink on its own. It's so perfect for gatherings with good friends that Château Lafitte decided to pour it directly into a one-liter bottle. The beverage is obtained by directly pressing different grape varieties from a very old, planted plot whose birth date is unknown. The blend includes the classic Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng grapes from the Jurançon terroir. The harvest is done among friends, the viticulture and winemaking (100% biodynamic) are done without the slightest addition of chemicals or sulfites. Fruity as desired, designed for the most intense conviviality, and not even a pinhead of added sulfites. This wine will keep for a very long time if given the chance.
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Château Lafitte is located in Béarn, on the noble terroir of Jurançon, the origin of superb sweet wines and dry wines that have nothing to envy. Since the 14th century, Monein, the commune where the estate is located, has been nestled in an exceptional natural, rich and hilly environment. In the 16th century, vines already occupied a significant part of the property, and they have persisted to this day. Philippe and Brigitte Arraou, the current owners, have undertaken to revive viticulture on the site, assisted since 2012 by their son Antoine, a winemaker as passionate as his parents. Château Lafitte is now managed biodynamically and with agroforestry: five hectares of marl-limestone soils typical of the appellation, on a hilly terrain that can become very cold in winter. The king grape varieties of Jurançon, Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, represent the majority of the grape varieties. Also typical of Jurançon and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques in general, viticulture en hautains, that is to say raised and trained very high, is practiced. As it was in many primitive vineyards, some of which are still active (Portugal, Spain, Georgia, etc.). On this beautiful estate, winemaking experiments are legion: aging in terracotta jars for dry wines, solera for sweet wines in untopped barrels, photovoltaic roofs for the cellar, rainwater harvesting, gravity-fed vinification. Château Lafitte produces sweet Jurançons as well as still dry wines and a very successful natural sparkling wine, Funambule.
Argile White 2020,
Argile is a dry Jurançon, 100% Petit Manseng, produced by direct pressing, fermented and aged in terracotta jars. This wine, with its strong personality, will surprise you with its balance, length, and frank minerality. Fresh, long, and lively, with a continuous line between tension and fruit, enhanced by a unique aromatic palette due to fermentation and aging in terracotta. It's a real companion to oysters and seafood, but it also tastes great on its own. Harvested by hand in mid-September, the grapes are healthy and meticulously sorted. Petit Manseng lends itself to the production of very fine wines, with aromas that faithfully reflect their terroir and region. No chemical additives in the vineyard or cellar, no added sulfites. Keep it in the cellar for two to five years.
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Château Lafitte is located in Béarn, on the noble terroir of Jurançon, the origin of superb sweet wines and dry wines that have nothing to envy. Since the 14th century, Monein, the commune where the estate is located, has been nestled in an exceptional natural, rich, and hilly environment. In the 16th century, vines already occupied a significant part of the property, and they have persisted to this day. Philippe and Brigitte Arraou, the current owners, have undertaken to revive viticulture on the site, helped since 2012 by their son Antoine, a winemaker as passionate as his parents. Château Lafitte is now managed biodynamically and with agroforestry: five hectares of marl-limestone soils typical of the appellation, on a hilly terrain that can become very cold in winter. The king grape varieties of Jurançon, Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, represent the majority of the grape varieties. Also typical of Jurançon and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques in general, viticulture en hautains, that is to say raised and trained very high, is practiced. As it was in many primitive vineyards, some of which are still active (Portugal, Spain, Georgia, etc.). On this beautiful estate, winemaking experiments are legion: aging in terracotta jars for dry wines, solera for sweet wines in untopped barrels, photovoltaic roofs for the cellar, rainwater harvesting, gravity-fed vinification. Château Lafitte produces sweet Jurançons as well as still dry wines and a very successful natural sparkling wine, Funambule.
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.
R Riesling White 2020
Vinified in Auvergne by Patrick Bouju, is the Alsace Riesling becoming volcanic? In any case, it benefits from the expertise and talent of a great winemaker. With remarkable buttery and crisp notes, it is both fresh and rounded, elegant and simple—the Bouju magic definitely works on all grape varieties. 100% Riesling, it is a fresh, straightforward, and distinguished white, perfect for any occasion. The harvest undergoes direct pressing and the wine is aged for two years in oak barrels.
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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 with vines and was the preferred domain of Gamay d'Auvergne, a robust ancient strain, the origin of dense, deep, and fruity wines. This is where Patrick Bouju cultivates and vinifies, on these high-quality volcanic soils and mainly on old vines. The soils vary between basalt, limestone, clay-limestone, and pozzolan. Patrick collects and cares for the best terroirs of Puy-de-Dôme, often abandoned, and gives them new life. He also preserves native grape varieties, of which he cultivates a good fifty, and also works as a wine merchant using purchased organic grapes. The current renaissance of the Auvergne vineyard (which was once the third largest in France) owes a lot to Patrick. The fact that he likes to lend a hand to his winegrower friends in France and elsewhere only confirms his image as a model, a leader. His partnerships are famous: with Action Bronson for the A la Natural series, with Jason Ligas in Greece for Sous le Végétal… Patrick practices long macerations, and the wines rest for up to six months after bottling. Very sensitive to sulfites in wines, Patrick has found that his own wines do very well without them. He has also observed that if the grapes are healthy and concentrated, the balance is achieved on its own, regardless of the successive phases a vintage goes through. His noble, chiseled, distinguished, never bland wines are immediately recognizable in the glass. They are straight, clean, precise, often marked by floral notes and a spicy minerality. They also constitute a formidable anthology of the terroirs and ancient vines of Basse-Auvergne and its volcanic soils.
Vino Bianco Ambar White 2020
Àmbar ("amber"), aptly named, is a dry macerated white wine that stands out with its beautiful amber color with pink highlights typical of an orange wine. It is a ripe, straightforward wine, surprisingly easy to drink. The nose is delicately floral, as is the palate. Àmbar is very fresh and has lovely acidity. It offers tobacco, spices, orange peel, almond, and toasted notes, without losing its beautiful fruitiness. Plenty of minerality, earth, and a touch of creaminess after aeration. This wine is made from the Grechetto grape variety, macerated and fermented on the skins in thousand-liter terracotta jars. After pressing, the wines are aged, always separately, for eight to ten months in old oak barrels before being blended in fiberglass vats.
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The Azienda Corva Gialla ("yellow crow") is a wine estate in Lazio, Italy, located on the edge of Umbria in the Alta Tuscia Viterbese. A volcanic region considered one of the most beautiful in Italy and characterized by its calanches, high tuff rock formations delimiting deep valleys carved by numerous rivers and torrents. Corva Gialla is located in Lubriano, opposite Civita di Bagnoregio. Alta Tuscia is proving to be a breeding ground for young winemaking talents dedicated to nature, who are enhancing these historically neglected lands. Founded in 2017, the estate comprises four hectares cultivated by Beatrice Arweiler, originally from another wine-growing region, between the Rhine and the Moselle. The new owner has also planted an olive grove (Frantoio and Leccino varieties) and developed the estate into a mixed crop-livestock system. The vines were planted with the help of Gian Marco Antonuzzi of the Le Coste estate. The friable volcanic soil lends itself magnificently to viticulture and the planting of grape varieties such as Grechetto d'Umbria, Trebbiano, Vermentino, Sangiovese, and Ciliegiolo. The estate's wines are quintessentially Italian, meaning they are crafted above all for pleasure. They are straightforward, deep, and
Ti'Blanc Blanc 2021,
Paul Estève
It's good, it's white, it's aromatic, it's light, it's fresh, and it's easy to drink, to say the least. The color is distinct, tending toward orange, due to a brief maceration of one of the grape varieties. Ti'blanc stands out as an ampelographic synthesis of the Domaine des Miquettes for the simple reason that it brings together all of its white grape varieties. 2021 was, in fact, a very rainy vintage with a heavy harvest: the resulting wines had low alcohol content. Chrystelle and Paul therefore gathered all their Viogniers, Marsannes, and Chasselas and made Ti'blanc instead of making their usual cuvées. It is therefore a unique wine, exclusive to this vintage. Only the Chasselas is macerated for two days, which gives it a distinct orange color and a certain structure. The Viogniers and Chasselas were pressed directly. Ti’blanc has a low alcohol content (10.5°) but a nice acidity; it will therefore keep a little, but we recommend enjoying it young.
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Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille are the creators of the Domaine des Miquettes, whose great specificity is the use of Georgian techniques. They are passionate about this country in the Caucasus, the cradle of wine, where eight-thousand-year-old winemaking techniques are still used. At the heart of this viticulture is the qvevri, the buried jar where all the winemaking takes place: fermentation with skin maceration and aging. They set out to discover this country and returned with the decision to age all their wines in buried jars. They have twenty-six, but distinguish between tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation-maceration and buried "amphorae" for aging. No sulfur is added. For both reds and whites, the terracotta erases astringency and transmutes it into a velvety texture, a fruity and supple material.
The estate, located in Ardèche, is south of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Paul trained with René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he began by taking over Paul's family farm with two ares of vines, then in 2004 the entire estate, which now covers 4.3 hectares. The white grape varieties are located around the house, the red grape varieties are planted on steep hillsides, between 300 and 450 meters above sea level. The plots rest on a granite base with light soils: black mica granite, schist, and gneiss. Everything is grown organically (Ecocert) using biodynamic practices. The vines are cared for and fortified using plant decoctions and clay. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work. The harvest is entirely manual.
Vin de France Cuvée Madloba White 2020
Madloba blanc is an orange wine that asserts itself from the first intensely floral nose, full of character and depth. The floral nature is confirmed on the palate with an abundance of tea rose, accompanied by a surprising, exotic expression of lychee and mango. With a rather rich and dense body, the freshness acts as a balance, and lovely bitter touches mark the finish. This white Madloba ("thank you" in Georgian) is produced in the Saint-Joseph AOP. It is a blend of 50% Marsanne and 50% Viognier. The vines, almost forty years old, are planted at an altitude of 350 meters, on a hillside plot with granite and black mica soils. The two grape varieties are fermented together for six months in tinajas, unburied terracotta jars, and after pressing the wine returns to the tinaja for six months of aging. This aging method promotes the wine's texture and develops the fruit. Decant one hour before serving. Perfect for oriental, Asian, and exotic cuisines in general.
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Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille are the creators of the Domaine des Miquettes, whose great specificity is the use of Georgian techniques. They are passionate about this Caucasian country, the cradle of wine, where eight thousand year old winemaking techniques are still used. At the heart of this viticulture is the qvevri, the buried jar where all the winemaking takes place: fermentation with skin maceration and aging. They set out to explore this country and returned with the decision to age all their wines in buried jars. They have twenty-six, but distinguish between tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation-maceration and buried "amphorae" for aging. No sulfur is added. For both reds and whites, the terracotta erases astringency and transmutes it into a velvety texture, a fruity and supple material.
The estate, located in Ardèche, is south of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Paul trained with René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he began by taking over Paul's family farm with two ares of vines, then in 2004 the entire estate, which now covers 4.3 hectares. The white grape varieties are located around the house, the red grape varieties are planted on steep hillsides, between 300 and 450 meters above sea level. The plots rest on a granite base with light soils: black mica granite, schist and gneiss. Everything is cultivated organically (Ecocert) with biodynamic practices. The vines are cared for and fortified using plant decoctions and clay. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work. The harvest is entirely manual.
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.
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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.
Festejar Sparkling White 2021
Patrick Bouju
The scope of Festejar white ("To celebrate" in Occitan, a clear indication of the use of this wine) is dizzying, as this thirst-quenching wine is also a complex vintage, combining very fine bubbles, delicious freshness, a slight sweetness, measured acidity, and a structuring bitterness. Perfect for an aperitif with friends, perfect for the table, perfect for thirst: an all-terrain vehicle for everyone's greatest joy. This semi-dry natural sparkling wine is available in rosé and white. The rosé version (dark pink, almost a red) is based on Gamay d'Auvergne. This white version of Festejar is based on Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and finally Sylvaner directly pressed. The marriage of Auvergne and Alsace.
To find out more
Near Billom, the Limagne clermontoise rises towards the east to form a hilly area with a mild climate, dominated by volcanic hills. This is the Auvergne Tuscany, so named because of its resemblance to the Italian province. This land of mixed subsistence farming was once covered with vines and was the preferred domain of Gamay d'Auvergne, a robust ancient strain, the origin of dense, deep and fruity wines. This is where Patrick Bouju cultivates and vinifies, on these high-quality volcanic soils and mainly on old vines. The soils vary between basalt, limestone, clay-limestone, and pozzolan. Patrick collects and cares for the best terroirs of Puy-de-Dôme, often abandoned, and gives them new life. He also preserves the native grape varieties, of which he cultivates a good fifty, and simultaneously 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 much to Patrick. The fact that he enjoys lending a helping hand to his winegrowing friends in France and elsewhere only confirms his image as a role model, a leader. His partnerships are famous: with Action Bronson for the series A la Natural, 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 wines do very well without them. He also found that if the grapes are healthy and concentrated, balance occurs naturally, 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 Lower Auvergne and its volcanic soils.
