Wines of the World

Sans ordonnance White 2021,

Les Vignes du Domaine du Temps

The nose of Sans ordonnance is fine, complex, exotic without being excessive: the musky notes of the Muscat à Petit Grain are initially very discreet and then develop in the glass. The aroma unfolds on the palate with very controlled notes of ripeness, wisteria, honey candy, and yellow peach on a lovely acidic base. The freshness is wonderful, tempered by a touch of richness. A rich and expressive wine, excellent with fish and seafood. Sans ordonnance is composed of 60% Muscat à petits grains and 40% Viognier, grown on the clay-limestone soils of the Carcassonne region, near the Montagne Noire. The harvest ferments naturally in stainless steel vats before aging for nine months in oak barrels. Sans ordonnance is neither fined nor filtered.

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Domaine du Temps is located in Cabardès, a small region of Languedoc that was once a subdivision of Cathar Country. Stretching 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 coolness 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 dedicated itself 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 result in smooth, controlled wines with great integrity and very supple tannins. They are fresh, delicious, and expressive.

Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Monts Luisant Red 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 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 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 require waiting.

Here is a very rare vintage, dense and elegant, overflowing 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 bewitching wine promises to improve for a long time.

Natural wine with no added sulfites.

G&M White 2022,

Patrick Bouju

G&M (Grenache-Muscat and many other things) is an organic and natural dry white wine produced in Auvergne by Patrick Bouju, a maceration cuvée without added sulfites, vinified from grapes from Languedoc and Auvergne. It demonstrates all the winemaker's expertise through organic white grape varieties from various sources. Classified as a Vin de France, this is a very complete wine, adaptable to all occasions.

In the vineyard and in the cellar

To obtain G&M, Patrick Bouju blended Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Viognier from Pézenas, Muscat d'Alexandrie from Canet-en-Roussillon, Ugni Blanc and Grenache Gris from Pinet in Languedoc, and finally Chardonnay from Auvergne from his own vineyards. This is a maceration cuvée vinified in vats and terracotta amphorae.

Tasting

G&M offers a superb balance between opulence, perfume, liveliness and acidity. It is a rich and complex orange wine in its blend which is similar to the grand écart in the variety of provenances which in no way compromise the unity of the vintage, harmonized by aging in vats and terracotta. It goes with everything, including White Meats, poultry, fish, hot starters, mature cheeses or flaky pastries.

Learn more about Patrick Bouju and the La Bohème estate

Near Billom, the Auvergne Tuscany, once covered in vines, is the privileged domain of Gamay d'Auvergne, an ancient strain of the grape variety. It is here, on these volcanic soils, that Patrick Bouju works, mainly with old vines.

Viticulture and trade

Patrick breathes new life into the often abandoned terroirs of Puy-de-Dôme and its indigenous grape varieties. Under the La Bohème estate, he operates as a wine merchant using purchased organic grapes. His exclusive Culinaries partnerships are famous: with Action Bronson for the series A la Natural, with Jason Ligas in Greece for Sous le Végétal…

A winemaker who lends a helping hand

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 winemaker friends in France and elsewhere only confirms his image as a role model, a leader. Its noble, chiseled, distinguished, never trivial wines are immediately recognizable in the glass.

Chestnut Mead,

L'Arbre aux Abeilles

L'Arbre aux Abeilles' chestnut mead is a unique semi-dry wine. On the palate, it's a dialogue between the sweetness and bitterness characteristic of chestnut honey: woody, forest, and caramelized notes. Serve it as an aperitif or with desserts, game, pâtés, foie gras, and other charcuterie.

BB "Hondos" Red 2019,

Partida Creus
Antonella Gerosa and Massimo Marchiori, 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. For them, it's not just a matter of heritage rescue, no: it's a matter of taste and nature. Of natural wines, which they will continue to make 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. This is why their estate is as important from a winemaking perspective as it is from a historical perspective - we are talking here about the history of the vine in Catalonia.
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 but always straightforward and impeccably juicy and fruity, breathe life. The arrival of a Partida Creus at the table always elicits exclamations of joy. This 100% Bobal is a racy and finely wild red from the Hondos plot, built on a grape variety common in Spain but whose expression is very original here. Dark cherry red color; on the nose, candy, sweet flowers, fresh fruits, violet, thyme. On the palate, a lot of distinction: a straight acidity and morello cherry, ripe plum, black pepper, a small saline touch on the finish. Serve well chilled.

Morgon Côte du Py Red 2020,

Les En Hauts

Plum, cherry, flesh, structure: this is a Gamay that's full of Morgon, and for good reason. Juice, sap, gurgling, and pleasure: the famous Côte du Py has struck again, with all its spices, fruit, and overflowing minerality. This 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.

Pietre White 2020,

La Vinicola di Antonio Gismondi

Well-balanced between acidity and roundness, Pietre offers, above all, on the nose and palate, in addition to notes of Mediterranean herbs, white flowers, and white fruits, the freshness of the Apennine climate and clay soil. This is a well-balanced, floral, and fruity white wine that will pair well with many dishes. Made from a blend of equal parts Malvasia di Candia and Falanghina (thirty-year-old vines), this is a 6,000-bottle vintage whose name evokes the pebbles of its native province. And it's true that you can definitely smell the pebbles and the minerals, and that's very pleasant—it gives this wine a crazy charm. Skin maceration lasts one or two days depending on the vintage, in stainless steel vats, as does aging for six to ten months. Unfiltered, no sulfites at bottling.

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Antonio Gismondi's azienda is located in Cerreto Sanita, in the Benevento region of Campania. A microclimate gives this area an almost continental feel: humid winds from the Tyrrhenian Sea collide with the first ramparts of the Apennine mountain range, causing condensation in the air and lowering temperatures, which are significantly cooler and more humid than on the coast. If we add a temperature inversion phenomenon between day and night, common in the Apennine climate, the freshness of the wines from the Antonio Gismondi estate is nothing mysterious in this southern Italy, which is nevertheless known for its very hot climate. The estate is family-run: for generations, the Gismondi family has cultivated vines and made wine using the most traditional and natural methods, to which biodynamic techniques are added. For a long time, of the fifteen tons of grapes produced each year, one ton was reserved for on-site vinification for family consumption, the rest going to the local wine cooperative. It was their meeting with Massimo Marchiori and Antonella of Partida Creus that led Antonio and his wife Anabel to start producing natural wines at home from the entire harvest. The two-hectare vineyard is located between 350 and 380 meters above sea level, on clayey and stony soils, with two-thirds facing due south. The grape varieties are Merlot, Freisa, and Sangiovese for the reds, and Falanghina and Malvasia di Candia for the whites.

Perill Noir Rouge 2012

Clos Lentiscus
Elegance, purity, and a crisp minerality due to the limestone characterize the productions of Clos Lentiscus. The note of controlled oxidation, when present, does not dominate the tasting, and the wines are never deviant. The cavas are renowned for their exuberance, but those from Clos Lentiscus never have more than two grams of residual sugar per liter. The estate also produces still wines, red, white, and rosé.

This is a family estate that Manel Avinyo and his brother Joan inherited from their parents, in Penedès (Catalonia), in the heart of the Garraf Natural Park. It is Manel who owes its name, 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 total: Mediterranean forests rub shoulders with Catalan scrubland (thyme, rosemary, rockrose, mastic tree which gave its name to the estate, 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 as soon as the two brothers took over the estate, organic and biodynamic farming replaced conventional practices, the entire harvest goes into the house vintages, and 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 indigenous varieties for which Catalonia holds the secret: sumoll, ull de llebre, xarel·lo, malvasia of Sitges, cartoixà vermell, cariñena (carignan), accompanied by tempranillo and muscat of Alexandria. The vines are old, some of them 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.

Made entirely from the traditional Catalan Sumoll grape variety, this is a natural red whose freshness owes much to the local limestone soil. The harvest is destemmed and macerated for two weeks. Aging, in French oak barrels, lasts thirty months. Calm, deep, intense, and structured, this magnificent and chiseled wine will accompany all that is best.

L'intrépide White 2021

Domaine Einhart

It's undeniable: L'Intrépide, a full-bodied, long, and delicious wine, truly lives up to its name and is fearless. A 100% Pinot Gris macerated wine exists, and it can soar to great heights when vinified with care. Its color is already astonishing, and the rest is just as impressive. Totally magical, on the palate, the lively and full-bodied attack is supported by a lemony freshness characteristic of great limestone terroirs. The lingering finish is highlighted by tannins melted during maceration. The twenty-five-year-old vines, all located on the estate, are harvested by hand; the grapes are destemmed. Maceration, using indigenous yeasts, lasts four to eight days. Aging for eight months in Alsatian barrels on fine lees precedes bottling without filtration. From the vine to the cellar, this wine was made without any additives. Decanting is recommended so that it can spread its wings and express its powerful and complex notes.

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Located in the northern part of the Alsatian vineyard, horizontally above Strasbourg, the Einhart estate is a ten-hectare family estate whose vines are located on the hillsides that rise between the Alsace plain and the Vosges mountains. The soil is clay-limestone and rich in fossils (muschelkalk, i.e. shell limestone and oolite limestone, and lettenkohle or dolomitic limestone). Since 1990, Nicolas Einhart has been at the helm, now assisted by his son Théo. True to his commitments to the TIFLO association, of which he is co-founder, Nicolas devotes his winemaking work to the protection of the land and biodiversity, winemaking without inputs, the refusal of harmful phytosanitary products and the maintenance of ecological refuge zones. His estate has been certified organic since 2011. Like Jean-Marc Dreyer [link], he is resolutely moving towards skin maceration and produces white maceration wines (orange wines) in addition to a red Pinot Noir. Entirely manual harvesting, destemming of the bunches, light punching down and delicate pressing are characteristic of the estate, as well as the separate vinification of each terroir, aging on lees and the absence of filtration before bottling. The wines are pure grape, lively, powerful, invigorating, and transcribe the minerality of the very beautiful terroirs of the Vosges foothills.

MC Macabeu White 2019,

Partida Creus

MC Macabeu 2019 from Partida Creus is a rarity worth grabbing: this vintage may well be the only one of this unique cuvée. A true tribute to the Macabeu, an emblematic grape variety of Catalonia and northern Spain, this wine comes from an old and wild plot, where the vines grow tall, like lianas, offering a reduced and ultra-concentrated production.

A maceration wine with a strong character

Grown biodynamically and vinified without additives, MC Macabeu is a natural and lively wine, which boasts a strong identity. Maceration on the skins for ten days gives it a fine tannic structure and a beautiful aromatic intensity. Unfiltered and without added sulfites, it is a pure reflection of the Catalan terroir and the artisanal expertise of Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa.

An aromatic explosion and captivating texture

To the eye, it displays a bright amber color, characteristic of macerated wines. The nose is an explosion of stone fruit, with intense notes of peach, apricot, orange peel, and white flowers. On the palate, the texture is full, silky, and slightly tannic, balanced by vibrant freshness and a beautiful mineral tension. A long, saline finish adds even more depth to this characterful wine.

Food and Wine Pairings and Tasting Notes

Served around 12-14°C, MC Macabeu pairs wonderfully with Mediterranean dishes, mature cheeses, or fish in sauce and grilled seafood. It will also surprise with spicy or Asian cuisine, thanks to its balance between power and freshness. An authentic and vibrant wine, you absolutely have to try it before it disappears.

BS Blanc de Sumoll Blanc 2019

Partida Creus


A great floral intensity on the nose and a beautiful golden shade tending towards orange, notes of citrus (grapefruit) and roses, a very rich yeasty touch, a beautiful balance of undergrowth and vegetal notes. Resulting from a finely crafted maceration, BS Blanco de Sumoll evokes rosemary, thyme, candied quince and offers a slightly saline finish. It is a still blanc de noirs produced entirely by direct pressing from the Sumoll grape variety, a rare and precious variety of Catalan tradition. BS Blanco de Sumoll is a historic cuvée, the first made by Massimo and Antonella. This beautiful expression of the terroir is a rare wine that should not be missed when a few bottles appear. It is ideal for the table, large or small, special occasions, and refined dishes.

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Partida Creus is an important estate, both in terms of wine and history—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 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.