BURGUNDY, FRANCE
BRIGHT SILKY ELEGANT 
CLASSIC / 750ML

From the distributor: 2019 Bourgogne Cuvée de Noble Souche Comes mostly from vines planted in 1947 in Champ Forey (80%) to the east of the village with the other 20% coming from vines in Chambolle Musigny. The fruit is hand-picked and 100% de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel to produce a fresh, vibrant style. The palate shows a generosity and depth rare for this level. Ripe, stylish and beautifully balanced for enjoyment now. Very limited.

Created in 1987, the Marsannay Villages appellation is a relatively new one in Burgundy but an ancient and well respected source of fine wine. Located on the southern outskirts of Dijon at the northern end of the Côte de Nuits, Marsannay missed out when the first Villages appellations were handed out in 1930. But it wasn’t because the terroir was deemed inferior. It was simply that there was very little Chardonnay or Pinot Noir planted.

The terroir of Marsannay is based on the same complex Jurassic limestone-based geology that runs the entire length of the Côte d’Or. But for the previous hundred years or more, Marsannay’s winemakers had been focussed on the growing suburban population of Dijon. A task made much more commercially successful with wines made from Aligoté and Gamay. 

The Collottes have been grape growers in Marsannay for four generations, but it wasn’t until 1981 that a young, 16 year-old Philippe Collotte bottled the first wine under the name of Domaine Collotte. He subsequently purchased some mature vineyards of about 40 years of age in both Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny, to further expand the domaine’s repertoire.

In 2013 Philippe was joined by his daughter Isabelle, who had just completed her viticulture and oenology studies at the Lycée Viticole de Beaune. Whilst Isabelle focusses particularly on the production of the domaine’s white wines, there is no doubt that her addition to the team has helped refine the quality of the wines across the board. Today Domaine Collotte farms 17ha of vines (16ha currently in production) in Marsannay, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny. This a source of accomplished, stylish and very attractively priced Burgundy.

100% de-stemmed with week long cold soak at 10c gradually raising temperature with pigeage for first half of ferment following by remontage for second half before pressing and ageing in 25% new oak for top reds. Rousseau Allegro barrels used for all wines to allow each terroir to express themselves consistently.

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE

CLASSIC / 750ML

From the Distributor: Philippe has been at the helm of Domaine Tessier since 1981, where his main goal is to produce honest, sincere and enjoyable wines that speak of their origin and natural balance. The vines benefit from biodiversity; encouraged by grassing in between the rows and strictly no chemical input. Across the Domaine you will find the usual Loire suspects: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Côt, Romorantin and L’Orbois. The former was originally a Burgundian variety but it is now exclusively grown in and labelled as Cour-Cheverny. L’Orbois, also known as.  Philippe blends the native Orbois with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to make his utterly delicious Cheverny Blanc.

Philippe’s vines have been certified organic since 1998 and he treats the vineyards with maximum respect, working the soil or treating according to the requirements of the vineyard not a recipe. He harvests exclusively by hand, rare in his part of the Loire, into crates so that the grapes can be sorted before being processed.

To continue the same spirit used in the vineyards, minimal intervention is used in the winery with no added yeasts or sulphites during production. He ferments and ages his wines in a wide selection of vessels and materials and even has some Georgian qvevri installed in the winery; we knew we were in the right place when we spotted those in the cellar. Philippe believes in making the technical analysis of each wine available online so that anyone consuming the wine can know exactly what they are drinking. This transparency comes through faith and knowledge of the journey from grape to glass, where the life of the soil, local environment and vine are respected equally. It is Philippe’s philosophy that his artisanal wines should give the drinker pleasure but also be healthy, alive and natural. We know exactly what he means - their vibrancy and purity is evident in the glass!

CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
TIGHT TEXTURAL CRANBERRIES
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / BIODYNAMIC / 750ML

Intentionally flat, this is a unique still red wine made from 95% Pinot Noir & 5% Chardonnay with only 240 bottles made. Vincent Charlot is one of those thrilling producers, proud of the life in his soil, and in his wines. In addition to making Champagne with bubbles, he focuses on a number of wines that are not refermented in bottle. These are dry and elegant wines with tension. They're incredibly interesting wines that shed a unique light on a region that focuses on purity and terrior. There is something curious about the wines and are of course age worthy and have a place on the table with food, like their bubbly siblings. Lets all try to drink more Champagne, bubbly or not, toute la journée - all day every day!

From the distributor: “When I drink wine, I want to taste its terroir – this is what I’m in it for. I want to see the personality of the place where it was born, I want to be moved, to create emotion,” Vincent Charlot explains with so much passion that you suddenly feel the need to get your hands on a bottle of good grower Champagne and drink it, NOW. A passion that’s easy to fall for, especially once you discover the natural richness that he’s the shepherd of: the Charlot estate consists of no less than 39 different plots with extremely diverse soils and expositions. “The heavier clayey soils give wines of exotic, vinous generosity; silex translates into tangy gunpowder notes. And my chalk-borne cuvées, such as the L’Or des Basses Ronces, can transport you to the beach at low tide, so strong is their iodine grip and mineral energy,” Charlot poetically praises the virtues of his variegated vineyards.

His dedication to this mosaic leads him to vinify each parcel separately and release up to 27 (!) different cuvées each year, with quantities ranging from one single barrel (~300 bottles) to 5,000 bottles per wine. In a region where the grandes marques count their nonvintage bottles in millions, Vincent firmly stands on the geeky grower side, releasing only vintage wines. He is the breed of Champenois that reminds you that, although sparkling, Champagne is wine above all–and we love that.

An essential step on this terroir-showcase route is farming: Charlot proudly calls himself “the peasant of terroir” instead of winemaker and all of his plots are cultivated organic and biodynamic. (Only 2% of the Champagne vineyard are farmed biodynamically, btw.) Vincent has grown into this approach gradually, with foundations laid during his apprentice years in Alsace (he was in school with the local natural trailblazer Christian Binner that we also import). There, many vineyards were already organic and covered with grass back then in the early 1990s; when Charlot returned to Champagne and took the domaine (selling grapes to the local co-op back then) over from his parents at the turn of the new millennium, he was looking for ways to harmonize his new finds with the family heritage.

“I have never tilled the soil since then–mixing the layers destroys biodiversity, in my opinion,” he asserts. His trust in a natural balance is so strong that he even avoids seeding the plants himself, save for an occasional lavender or rosemary to “keep the bees happy in summer if there are too few flowers otherwise”. Convinced that the plants are there for a reason, and they allow the grower to read the soil, Charlot prefers to guide his farming by observation and the natural mycorrhiza happening under his vines.

Charlot wasn’t sold on biodynamics right away, though, he admits; he had multiple training sessions with Pierre Masson, one of the French pioneers of the philosophy, but only fully adhered to it when he saw the results live in his own vines. “I just felt great in my vineyards, witnessing the incredible biodiversity,” Vincent recalls what led him to apply for the Demeter and Ecocert certification in 2010. After some initial disputes with his neighbors over their use of helicopter spraying (not allowed in organics, of course), he succeeded in obtaining the seals and has been enjoying the resplendent ecosystem of some 90 different species ever since: “There’s lamb lettuce, wild mint, forest strawberries, mushrooms, pheasants breeding…” he muses and a vivid image mixing Rousseau’s canvas, an all-seasons farmer’s market and David Attenborough’s documentaries arises in our heads; a late spring / early summer view of Vincent’s vineyard fully backs this fantasy.

Given his precious natural material, the cellar work is kept to a minimum in order to showcase it: the grapes are harvested manually at optimum ripeness, and then spontaneously fermented, since Vincent believes that the yeast is like a “little mushroom selected by the terroir to express it”. Very often, the wines decide not to go through malolactic: “I don’t know why, to be honest, my cellar isn’t that cold,” Vincent laughs, “but I leave that to the wine and the results are beautiful, with balanced alcohol and pronounced acidity.” The vins clairs spend usually about 9 months on lees in seasoned barrels from Bordeaux and Burgundy: “I always use 3- or 5-year-old barrels, since I’m not interested in getting tannins from the wood. I already have these, perfectly ripe, from my skins and seeds,” Vincent describes.

Once the wines are bottled, the secondary fermentation is started with grape must concentrated by evaporation, mixed with 5 neutral organic yeasts, never sugar. The wines then spend several years on lees – some around four, some up to eight, and after disgorgement, they are topped up with the same champagne and dosed with no more than 4 grams per liter, i.e. falling under the Extra Brut category. Some of the wines are released as “Charlot-Tanneux”, a family label that Vincent uses for wines coming from smaller parcels that aren’t officially certified due to their small size (and proximity to conventionally farmed vineyards of his neighbors) but enjoy the same biodynamic care and minimal winemaking as the Vincent Charlot wines.

The resulting wines in both cases are sensual, serious, and sensitive, all at the same time. Terroir notes, fruit, elegance, energy, acidity, body, creaminess… all the elements necessary for an outstanding wine experience are in poised balance here, and the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts: opening a bottle of Charlot is a highly recommended ritual to enjoy in a big enough glass, with or without food. And preferably with some like-minded friends who will be equally happy spending the night discovering layer after layer after layer of these incredible terroir bijoux, courtesy of Monsieur Charlot.

http://www.jennyandfrancois.com/wines-2/france/vincent-charlot/

CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
STILL NUTTY SUR VOILE
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / BIODYNAMIC / 750ML

Intentionally flat, this is a unique still Champagne made from 100% Chardonnay and aged sur voile (under flor like in the Jura) with only 300 bottles made. Vincent Charlot is one of those thrilling producers, proud of the life in his soil, and in his wines. In addition to making Champagne with bubbles, he focuses on a number of wines that are not refermented in bottle. These are dry and elegant wines with tension. They're incredibly interesting wines that shed a unique light on a region that focuses on purity and terrior. There is something curious about the wines and are of course age worthy and have a place on the table with food, like their bubbly siblings. Lets all try to drink more Champagne, bubbly or not, toute la journée - all day every day!

From the distributor: “When I drink wine, I want to taste its terroir – this is what I’m in it for. I want to see the personality of the place where it was born, I want to be moved, to create emotion,” Vincent Charlot explains with so much passion that you suddenly feel the need to get your hands on a bottle of good grower Champagne and drink it, NOW. A passion that’s easy to fall for, especially once you discover the natural richness that he’s the shepherd of: the Charlot estate consists of no less than 39 different plots with extremely diverse soils and expositions. “The heavier clayey soils give wines of exotic, vinous generosity; silex translates into tangy gunpowder notes. And my chalk-borne cuvées, such as the L’Or des Basses Ronces, can transport you to the beach at low tide, so strong is their iodine grip and mineral energy,” Charlot poetically praises the virtues of his variegated vineyards.

His dedication to this mosaic leads him to vinify each parcel separately and release up to 27 (!) different cuvées each year, with quantities ranging from one single barrel (~300 bottles) to 5,000 bottles per wine. In a region where the grandes marques count their nonvintage bottles in millions, Vincent firmly stands on the geeky grower side, releasing only vintage wines. He is the breed of Champenois that reminds you that, although sparkling, Champagne is wine above all–and we love that.

An essential step on this terroir-showcase route is farming: Charlot proudly calls himself “the peasant of terroir” instead of winemaker and all of his plots are cultivated organic and biodynamic. (Only 2% of the Champagne vineyard are farmed biodynamically, btw.) Vincent has grown into this approach gradually, with foundations laid during his apprentice years in Alsace (he was in school with the local natural trailblazer Christian Binner that we also import). There, many vineyards were already organic and covered with grass back then in the early 1990s; when Charlot returned to Champagne and took the domaine (selling grapes to the local co-op back then) over from his parents at the turn of the new millennium, he was looking for ways to harmonize his new finds with the family heritage.

“I have never tilled the soil since then–mixing the layers destroys biodiversity, in my opinion,” he asserts. His trust in a natural balance is so strong that he even avoids seeding the plants himself, save for an occasional lavender or rosemary to “keep the bees happy in summer if there are too few flowers otherwise”. Convinced that the plants are there for a reason, and they allow the grower to read the soil, Charlot prefers to guide his farming by observation and the natural mycorrhiza happening under his vines.

Charlot wasn’t sold on biodynamics right away, though, he admits; he had multiple training sessions with Pierre Masson, one of the French pioneers of the philosophy, but only fully adhered to it when he saw the results live in his own vines. “I just felt great in my vineyards, witnessing the incredible biodiversity,” Vincent recalls what led him to apply for the Demeter and Ecocert certification in 2010. After some initial disputes with his neighbors over their use of helicopter spraying (not allowed in organics, of course), he succeeded in obtaining the seals and has been enjoying the resplendent ecosystem of some 90 different species ever since: “There’s lamb lettuce, wild mint, forest strawberries, mushrooms, pheasants breeding…” he muses and a vivid image mixing Rousseau’s canvas, an all-seasons farmer’s market and David Attenborough’s documentaries arises in our heads; a late spring / early summer view of Vincent’s vineyard fully backs this fantasy.

Given his precious natural material, the cellar work is kept to a minimum in order to showcase it: the grapes are harvested manually at optimum ripeness, and then spontaneously fermented, since Vincent believes that the yeast is like a “little mushroom selected by the terroir to express it”. Very often, the wines decide not to go through malolactic: “I don’t know why, to be honest, my cellar isn’t that cold,” Vincent laughs, “but I leave that to the wine and the results are beautiful, with balanced alcohol and pronounced acidity.” The vins clairs spend usually about 9 months on lees in seasoned barrels from Bordeaux and Burgundy: “I always use 3- or 5-year-old barrels, since I’m not interested in getting tannins from the wood. I already have these, perfectly ripe, from my skins and seeds,” Vincent describes.

Once the wines are bottled, the secondary fermentation is started with grape must concentrated by evaporation, mixed with 5 neutral organic yeasts, never sugar. The wines then spend several years on lees – some around four, some up to eight, and after disgorgement, they are topped up with the same champagne and dosed with no more than 4 grams per liter, i.e. falling under the Extra Brut category. Some of the wines are released as “Charlot-Tanneux”, a family label that Vincent uses for wines coming from smaller parcels that aren’t officially certified due to their small size (and proximity to conventionally farmed vineyards of his neighbors) but enjoy the same biodynamic care and minimal winemaking as the Vincent Charlot wines.

The resulting wines in both cases are sensual, serious, and sensitive, all at the same time. Terroir notes, fruit, elegance, energy, acidity, body, creaminess… all the elements necessary for an outstanding wine experience are in poised balance here, and the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts: opening a bottle of Charlot is a highly recommended ritual to enjoy in a big enough glass, with or without food. And preferably with some like-minded friends who will be equally happy spending the night discovering layer after layer after layer of these incredible terroir bijoux, courtesy of Monsieur Charlot.

http://www.jennyandfrancois.com/wines-2/france/vincent-charlot/

CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
STILL AUTOLYTIC BLANC DE NOIR
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / BIODYNAMIC / 750ML

Intentionally flat, this is a unique still Blanc de Noir white wine made from 100% Pinot Meunier sur lies (on lees) with only 280 bottles made. Vincent Charlot is one of those thrilling producers, proud of the life in his soil, and in his wines. In addition to making Champagne with bubbles, he focuses on a number of wines that are not refermented in bottle. These are dry and elegant wines with tension. They're incredibly interesting wines that shed a unique light on a region that focuses on purity and terrior. There is something curious about the wines and are of course age worthy and have a place on the table with food, like their bubbly siblings. Lets all try to drink more Champagne, bubbly or not, toute la journée - all day every day!

From the distributor: “When I drink wine, I want to taste its terroir – this is what I’m in it for. I want to see the personality of the place where it was born, I want to be moved, to create emotion,” Vincent Charlot explains with so much passion that you suddenly feel the need to get your hands on a bottle of good grower Champagne and drink it, NOW. A passion that’s easy to fall for, especially once you discover the natural richness that he’s the shepherd of: the Charlot estate consists of no less than 39 different plots with extremely diverse soils and expositions. “The heavier clayey soils give wines of exotic, vinous generosity; silex translates into tangy gunpowder notes. And my chalk-borne cuvées, such as the L’Or des Basses Ronces, can transport you to the beach at low tide, so strong is their iodine grip and mineral energy,” Charlot poetically praises the virtues of his variegated vineyards.

His dedication to this mosaic leads him to vinify each parcel separately and release up to 27 (!) different cuvées each year, with quantities ranging from one single barrel (~300 bottles) to 5,000 bottles per wine. In a region where the grandes marques count their nonvintage bottles in millions, Vincent firmly stands on the geeky grower side, releasing only vintage wines. He is the breed of Champenois that reminds you that, although sparkling, Champagne is wine above all–and we love that.

An essential step on this terroir-showcase route is farming: Charlot proudly calls himself “the peasant of terroir” instead of winemaker and all of his plots are cultivated organic and biodynamic. (Only 2% of the Champagne vineyard are farmed biodynamically, btw.) Vincent has grown into this approach gradually, with foundations laid during his apprentice years in Alsace (he was in school with the local natural trailblazer Christian Binner that we also import). There, many vineyards were already organic and covered with grass back then in the early 1990s; when Charlot returned to Champagne and took the domaine (selling grapes to the local co-op back then) over from his parents at the turn of the new millennium, he was looking for ways to harmonize his new finds with the family heritage.

“I have never tilled the soil since then–mixing the layers destroys biodiversity, in my opinion,” he asserts. His trust in a natural balance is so strong that he even avoids seeding the plants himself, save for an occasional lavender or rosemary to “keep the bees happy in summer if there are too few flowers otherwise”. Convinced that the plants are there for a reason, and they allow the grower to read the soil, Charlot prefers to guide his farming by observation and the natural mycorrhiza happening under his vines.

Charlot wasn’t sold on biodynamics right away, though, he admits; he had multiple training sessions with Pierre Masson, one of the French pioneers of the philosophy, but only fully adhered to it when he saw the results live in his own vines. “I just felt great in my vineyards, witnessing the incredible biodiversity,” Vincent recalls what led him to apply for the Demeter and Ecocert certification in 2010. After some initial disputes with his neighbors over their use of helicopter spraying (not allowed in organics, of course), he succeeded in obtaining the seals and has been enjoying the resplendent ecosystem of some 90 different species ever since: “There’s lamb lettuce, wild mint, forest strawberries, mushrooms, pheasants breeding…” he muses and a vivid image mixing Rousseau’s canvas, an all-seasons farmer’s market and David Attenborough’s documentaries arises in our heads; a late spring / early summer view of Vincent’s vineyard fully backs this fantasy.

Given his precious natural material, the cellar work is kept to a minimum in order to showcase it: the grapes are harvested manually at optimum ripeness, and then spontaneously fermented, since Vincent believes that the yeast is like a “little mushroom selected by the terroir to express it”. Very often, the wines decide not to go through malolactic: “I don’t know why, to be honest, my cellar isn’t that cold,” Vincent laughs, “but I leave that to the wine and the results are beautiful, with balanced alcohol and pronounced acidity.” The vins clairs spend usually about 9 months on lees in seasoned barrels from Bordeaux and Burgundy: “I always use 3- or 5-year-old barrels, since I’m not interested in getting tannins from the wood. I already have these, perfectly ripe, from my skins and seeds,” Vincent describes.

Once the wines are bottled, the secondary fermentation is started with grape must concentrated by evaporation, mixed with 5 neutral organic yeasts, never sugar. The wines then spend several years on lees – some around four, some up to eight, and after disgorgement, they are topped up with the same champagne and dosed with no more than 4 grams per liter, i.e. falling under the Extra Brut category. Some of the wines are released as “Charlot-Tanneux”, a family label that Vincent uses for wines coming from smaller parcels that aren’t officially certified due to their small size (and proximity to conventionally farmed vineyards of his neighbors) but enjoy the same biodynamic care and minimal winemaking as the Vincent Charlot wines.

The resulting wines in both cases are sensual, serious, and sensitive, all at the same time. Terroir notes, fruit, elegance, energy, acidity, body, creaminess… all the elements necessary for an outstanding wine experience are in poised balance here, and the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts: opening a bottle of Charlot is a highly recommended ritual to enjoy in a big enough glass, with or without food. And preferably with some like-minded friends who will be equally happy spending the night discovering layer after layer after layer of these incredible terroir bijoux, courtesy of Monsieur Charlot.

http://www.jennyandfrancois.com/wines-2/france/vincent-charlot/

BURGUNDY, FRANCE
LIVELY TIGHT FUN
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

A complex rose made from multiple sites throughout Burgundy. Mon Plaisir, is about as complex as a rose can get. Brimming with vibrant fruit, acidity and unadulterated pleasure.   

From the Producer: In 2010, Pierre-Henri was granted creative agency at Domaine Rougeot, and oversaw wholesale improvements in the winemaking processes that are reflected in the quality we know today. Like his inspiration, Lalou Bize-Leroy, Pierre-Henri is passionate about working with a high percentage of whole bunches for reds and very little sulphur to champion and fully express the fruit. He buys grapes from well located plots with sustainable soil management practices, producing lower but healthier yields. The vineyards of his choosing all engage in organic or low footprint farming methods and his wines are made without oenological ingredients, preserving their regional voice.Pierre-Henri prefers to press both his white and red grapes using a modern version of an ancient vertical grape press. Although made with the latest technology, this unconventional press differs from the pneumatic, horizontal press preferred by most producers and produces higher acid extraction and greater clarity of must. The result is dynamic, complex and elegant wines.

Both reds and whites are matured in supremely balanced, artisan oak barrels where indigenous yeasts within the oak are allowed to work their magic. The superior barrels give grace and richness to the wines without overbearing oaky notes.

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
SUPPLE RASPBERRY JUICY
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

Carbonically macerated Gamay - full force aromatics with a creamy-jubey punch. That being said, the Puzelat Brothers have also managed to coax out a herbal/henna note that gives this incredible Gamay a serious edge.   

From the Distributor:100% Gamay. As for their entry-level white Vin Blanc, the Vin Rouge is made with sourced, organically farmed fruit from friends in the Cher Valley (the Puzelats' home turt in the Touraine). The bunches are kept whole and fermented spontaneously and carbonically with a short maceration and no sulfur. The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks and bottled with a maximum of 20 mg/l of SO2. In 2019, this is a gorgeous juicy fresh wine, showing lovely round black raspberry and blackberry fruit, supple, sapid and refreshing, really a perfect thirst-quenching Gamay. There is never enough of this beautiful wine to go around, so don't delay. As always the glass is hard to put down as it should be and is a benchmark of which there are now many imitators.

Isolated from other agriculture, the vines of Tue-Boeuf are part of a mosaic of hedges and forests which make up a balanced ecosystem. While some vines are 115 years-old, the majority of the parcels date from the renovation of the vineyards in the 1960’s by Jean and Solange Puzelat. The Puzelat brothers began working in their family Domaine in the early 1990s, and at the heart of the operation is the 10-hectare family estate—the Clos du Tue-Boeuf—in the Cheverny appellation. Two things define the Puzelat brothers' rare wines: the diversity of their cuvées, and their tenacious work with nearly-extinct grape varieties that were common in the Loire not so long ago, but were put aside by the AOC for reasons having more to do with commercial simplification than quality and terroir. The vineyards are tended on organic lines (their father never used chemicals), weed control being achieved by ploughing, and grass planted to provide further competition. The fruit is hand-harvested by a large and willing team, many of them part of the extended family - perhaps not that surprising when you consider that Thierry and Jean-Marie are just two out of seven children.

Dead vines are replaced by tip-layering adjacent vines, an ancient method which avoids the over-representation of clones in the vineyard; it has the advantage of being very cheap, but the disadvantage of creating a vine which is franc de pied, on its own roots, rather than on a phylloxera-resistant rootstock.

Once picked the grapes are transferred to the winery and are fermented with minimal intervention; the whites are pressed and the juice decanted off and transferred for fermentation into cask, where the wine remains on its lees until it is bottled straight from this vessel, without racking.

As for the reds, whole bunches are fermented in open-topped 40-hectolitre wooden vats beneath a blanket of carbon dioxide, with pressing by foot once fermentation is underway. The wine is then transferred into casks where, like the white wines, they remain until they are bottled without further racking.

For small-volume fermentation's Puzelat also has some 30-hectolitre fibreglass vats and some smaller vessels. The cellars are temperature controlled, although the vats themselves aren't; the environmental control might help a little in damping down the fermentation temperatures though. Sulphur use throughout is minimal, with most wines seeing no added sulphur except perhaps for a small dose at the time of bottling.

MONTBRISON SUR LEZ, FRANCE
TAPENADE SPICE VELVET
CLASSIC / ORGANIC BIODYNAMIC / 750ML

Partially destemmed Syrah fermented for 15 days in concrete tanks. A pure expression of Syrah. Lively dark fruits balanced out with savoury olive tapenade, tar and stemmy grip. A truly dynamic wine, every year it has something else to offer. 

From the Distributor: My dream of Syrah; is produced entirely from old (65 year old) vines from the Gramenon estate and delivers pure, billowing aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, violet, lightly seared meat and gravel. Plush and velvety in the mouth, it has sensual tannins and lively acidity that give it a super definition, shape and long finish. This is one of my favourite wines of anywhere every single year and I am assured by Michele we have another absolute beauty in 2020. The fruit is fermented without sulphur using indigenous yeasts. Everything is moved by gravity, there are no pumps.  Some cuvees are aged in vat and others in old demi-muids and foudres. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration with only some cuvees receiving light amounts of sulphur.

This style of non-interventionist winemaking 'par excellence has forged the estate a legendary reputation and following. The wines age wonderfully when correctly stored, a 1991 Ceps Centenaires tasted recently only just starting to fade but still delicious, it's once sultry youth transformed over time into a gentle and beautiful whisper.

The original estate in Montbrison-Sur-Lez lies in the Drôme and interestingly, following consolidation, the vines they now have are all located in the cold, Northern Drôme department and not the Vaucluse department that lies underneath, where 95% of Côtes du Rhône come from.

Michele and Maxime sold a couple of parcels - notably all of the vines in Valreas that used to produce their Côtes du Rhône "L'Elementaire" and a parcel of Syrah in Vinsobres that used to go into the "La Papesse" - in fact with the sale of the Syrah and it's now complete absence from the blend, "La Papesse" has lost it's right to the AOC Vinsobres. They don't mind of course, they always want to make the best wine possible and were not entirely happy with the Syrah. To replace the surface that has been sold they found a superb isolated (they love isolated parcels) 2 ha parcel in Taulignan of Grenache and Syrah that they harvested for the first time in 2019.

RHONE VALLEY, FRANCE
PEPPER SWATHE BLUE
CLASSIC / 750ML

A blend of fruit from multiple Southern Rhone Vineyards.  An elegant wine that speaks of both old and new world practices. Broad blue fruited profile with a welcoming peppery edge.  

From the Producer: Les Graviers is a negociant blend of Syrah from three sources in the Rhone Valley. The majority comes from the southern parts of the Drôme and Ardèche regions, and a smaller amount from vineyards around Tournon.  Three sources: 40% Ardeche Sud Saint-Martin d’Ardeche, 40% Drome Provencal, 20% Rhone Septentrional.

Cave Julien Cécillon was founded in 2011 and is the beloved project of winemakers Julien Cécillon and Nancy Kerschen. With vineyards in the appellations of Saint Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage in France’s Northern Rhone Valley, the estate is dedicated to producing elegant, terroir-driven wines.

American Nancy Kerschen, and Julien Cécillon, a native of Tournon-sur-Rhône and nephew of Jean Louis Grippat, met through an enduring fascination with both wine and international travel. In 2011, having combined experiences working for various international wineries (Yves Cuilleron, Christophe Curtat, Fabrice Gripa, JC Cellars, Clos du Val, Saintsbury, Indevin and Saronsberg) the two decided to embark on their own winemaking endeavour.  Cave Julien Cécillon is the product of that union.

​Respecting the unique environment of each appellation, the estate applies sustainable grape-growing techniques in the vineyard to achieve the best expression of terroir in every bottle. Based on their collective experiences, they blend modern techniques with old world traditions and growing methods to achieve well-structured, graceful, food-friendly wines.

BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
LINE FINE EXCITING
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

Two mates making incredible Gamay from 90-year-old vines in Regnie, Beaujolais. In the early days Sarnin + Berrux were so keen to get the ball rolling they made their wines in a cellar with no electricity/equipment. However, today they reside in a small powered cellar in Monthelie. The wine is perfectly aromatic with a pleasant rustic edge. 

From the Distributor: For two guys who were neither Burgundian or born into winemaking, Jean-Pascal Sarnin and Jean-Marie Berrux could have fooled us. In fact, when the two met in 2006, Jean Marie was only a few years into his winemaking career at a large Domaine. The two met simply as neighbours when Sarnin moved in next door to Berrux, quickly discovering a mutual love of opening good bottles over an apero.

Of course it’s always over a few good bottles that the best ideas are born. Being both food lovers and natural wine enthusiasts, they thought it was about time they tried their hands at making the style of wines they loved to drink. And so their winemaking story begins in the vintage of 2007.

The two took the concept of natural living to the extreme, making four white wines from the vintage with no water, no electricity and limited equipment. Slowly finding their feet (and some amenities), in 2013 Sarnin and Berrux took residence in Monthelie, in a suitably old Burgundian house, complete with ancient wine cellar.

However, life didn’t necessarily get easier for the two with the move. Committed to sourcing organically grown grapes was not an easy task in the region given the overall demand. Plus, not being from the region didn’t exactly help matters, so it took time and persistence for Sarnin and Berrux to finally secure the quality they wanted. These relationships are now cemented, with the two able to source from the same vineyards year on year: Pinot Noir (Volnay area, 60 year old vines), Passe-Tout-Grain (Morey-St-Denis, 70 year old vines), Bourgogne Blanc (Cotes de Beaune area, 35 year old vines), Volnay (50 year old vines) and Gevrey-Chambertin (45 year old vines). For the Gamay, the two source the grapes from the same grower in Regnié from very old vines of 80-90 years old.

With grapes secured, the focus from Sarnin and Berrux remains on making quality natural wines, wines that are alive, precise and well made. With a nod to the past, the wines are made using traditional and ancestral techniques, including natural vinification with just the addition of a small amount of sulphur (15-20mg/L) before bottling on most wines.

All wines are fermented in wooden tanks, and aged in 3-10 year old oak barrels for about 12 months, excluding the Aligote, with no fining or filtration. All white wines are aged on lees, without batonnage, with one single racking before bottling. All red wines are whole bunch (not carbonic), with pumping over and foot stomping during the vinification process. 

In recent years, the Pinot Noir has transitioned from an AOC Bourgogne Rouge out of the AOC system. Like many natural producers, they have found it challenging to gain approval as their wines taste outside mainstream, standard Burgundy they are benchmarked against. It is for these characteristics that we love and are moved by these wines, they are wines made by wine lovers first and foremost.

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
GUAVA LEES LIVELY
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / 750ML

Light lees driven red, brimming with guava, overripe strawberry and sweet saline seaweed reduction. The reduction and light spritz dissipates in minutes to unveil a stunning energised red, served chilled or as is.

From the producer: The Pineau d’Aunis had just 4 days of whole bunch maceration to make it into a lightish red. The Cabernet Franc was destemmed and macerated for 10 days.

The juice was then transferred to concrete tanks and stainless steel tanks for fermentation and maturation.

Millennial movie buffs might know that Bangarang was the battle cry of the Lost Boys in the Stephen Spielberg movie Hook, immortalised when Robin Williams as Peter Pan used it to call them for help. The movie was a favourite of Joseph and Sylvestre Mosse when they were children and we suspect still is. (The lot number of this wine is Hook3.)

This wine is just perfect for summer drinking slightly chilled.

LANGUEDOC + LOIRE, FRANCE
BRIGHT CLEAN PRETTY
CLASSIC / HVE3 / 750ML

A clean-cut Pinot Noir from two very different regions in France, the Languedoc and the Loire Valley. The differences in climate and site build a robust ripe Pinot Noir that highlight variety rather than place. Strawberries, ripening plums and wet straw.   

Sourced from the Paris wine company: The fruit that goes into the Deux Moulins cuvée is a blend of Pinot Noir from the Loire Valley and the Languedoc. The Loire Valley component comes from sand and gravel vineyards in Chateaumeillant and adds elegance and finesse. The Languedoc fruit adds a fruity richness. Together, they create an exceptionally delicious French Pinot Noir.

https://pariswinecompany.com/product/vin-de-france-pinot-noir/

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
CLEAN TEXTURE PURE
CLASSIC / ORGANIC BIODYNAMIC / 750ML

Chardonnay from 30-year-old vines, aged in 500l Futs, without batonage. A fresh yet rich Chardonnay from Touraine.  

From the Distributor: The Marquis de C is a beautiful wine made from 100% Chardonnay grapes, which is rare in the Touraine region of the Loire Valley with Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc being more common. The grapes were pressed and the juice transferred to 500 litre wooden fûts for fermentation and maturation on lees for 12 months without any battonage. The grapes were hand harvested from thirty year old vines in early October with a yield around a very low 25 hectolitres per hectare. The vineyard soils are flint and flint clays sitting over limestone.

The name for this wine comes from one of the works of the prolific 17th Century French author Charles Perrault who either adapted or was the originator of many fairy tales including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots. It is from Puss in Boots that the character Marquis de Carabas is to be found and this fictional character is from where the name for this wine is derived.

Francois and Pascaline Plouzeau maintain an immaculate vineyard near the fascinating village of Richelieu which lies south of Tours quite close to the Chinon region. Here they implement strict biodynamic vineyard practices which are certified by Ecocert and Biodyvin. A feature of their lovely wines is the wonderful set of labels produced by local artists that reflect the naming of the wine. So the racy Cendrillon white, as the name suggests, has a Cinderella theme. Tasmanians will note a Samek-like whimsy in some of the paintings.

Their wines have been very well-received in the United States with the Washington Post raving about the straight Sauvignon Blanc and Parker rating the Cendrillon highly in edition 172 of the Wine Advocate.

BURGUNDY, FRANCE
SLEEK PLUM FLORAL
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

A complex example of the Clos Vougeot vineyard made up of six separate parcels. The Classique is 100% whole bunch and fermented in concrete vats and then aged in oak built and toasted for the specific vintage. The wine is deeply complex - ripe powerful fruit with refined tannins and a youthful shyness. A wine built to age. 

From the Distributor: The Cuvée Classique (as this wine is known) is drawn from the Domaine's parcels on the mid-slope of the clos as well as parcels on the lower and upper parts of the vineyard. There are six parcels in total. The main parcels are situated in the middle of the clos and include the lieux-dits: Montiottes Basses, Quatorze-Journaux and Quartier Marei Bas (home also to the 1910 planted vieilles vignes parcel). The smallest holdings are those in the Quatorze-Journaux and Baudes-Saint-Martin lieux dits, two parcels at the bottom of the slope that sandwich Etienne Grivot's vines, and La Plante l'Abbé, at the top of the clos, near the Château and the Grands-Echezeaux border.

These vineyards have been managed organically for well over 20 years and now average around 67 years of age. As for all the reds here, this is 100% whole bunch, fermented in concrete with wild yeasts and then aged in 50% new oak. The barrels are fashioned according to each season by Stéphane Chassin in Charente.

The 2016 was fashioned from just 20 hl/ha and is superb. A highly perfumed red burgundy with loads of spice, ripe plum and blackberry fruit, and a plush and silky texture with fine tannins in support. Deep and powerful, yet fleshy and sweet fruited with earthy, tobacco notes on the long complex close. When you consider the pricing now being paid for GC wines of equivalent quality, this still represents very fair pricing."A ripe and very fresh nose offers up notes of maraschino cherry, plum, raspberry, spice and distinct floral wisps. There is excellent concentration to the succulent but quite powerful big-bodied flavors that possess a sleek mouthfeel thanks to the relatively refined tannins shaping the youthfully austere finish that flashes fine depth on the highly persistent finish. I like the balance and this should age effortlessly." 91-94 points, Allen Meadows, Burghound, Issue 69"Healthy dark red. Sappy perfume of cherry, raspberry, cranberry and red licorice

BURGUNDY, FRANCE
LINE FINE EXCITING
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

For two guys who were neither Burgundian or born into winemaking, Jean-Pascal Sarnin and Jean-Marie Berrux could have fooled us. In fact, when the two met in 2006, Jean Marie was only a few years into his winemaking career at a large domaine. The two met simply as neighbours when Sarnin moved in next door to Berrux, quickly discovering a mutual love of opening good bottles over an apero.

Of course it’s always over a few good bottles that the best ideas are born. Being both food lovers and natural wine enthusiasts, they thought it was about time they tried their hands at making the style of wines they loved to drink. And so their winemaking story begins in the vintage of 2007.

The two took the concept of natural living to the extreme, making four white wines from the vintage with no water, no electricity and limited equipment. Slowly finding their feet (and some amenities), in 2013 Sarnin and Berrux took residence in Monthelie, in a suitably old Burgundian house, complete with ancient wine cellar. 

 However, life didn’t necessarily get easier for the two with the move. Committed to sourcing organically grown grapes was not an easy task in the region given the overall demand. Plus, not being from the region didn’t exactly help matters, so it took time and persistence for Sarnin and Berrux to finally secure the quality they wanted. These relationships are now cemented, with the two able to source from the same vineyards year on year: Pinot Noir (Volnay area, 60 year old vines), Passe-Tout-Grain (Morey-St-Denis, 70 year old vines), Bourgogne Blanc (Cotes de Beaune area, 35 year old vines), Volnay (50 year old vines) and Gevrey-Chambertin (45 year old vines). For the Gamay, the two source the grapes from the same grower in Regnié from very old vines of 80-90 years old.

 With grapes secured, the focus from Sarnin and Berrux remains on making quality natural wines, wines that are alive, precise and well made. With a nod to the past, the wines are made using traditional and ancestral techniques, including natural vinification with just the addition of a small amount of sulphur (15-20mg/L) before bottling on most wines. 

 All wines are fermented in wooden tanks, and aged in 3-10 year old oak barrels for about 12 months, excluding the Aligote, with no fining or filtration. All white wines are aged on lees, without batonnage, with one single racking before bottling. All red wines are whole bunch (not carbonic), with pumping over and foot stomping during the vinification process. 

 In recent years, the Pinot Noir has transitioned from an AOC Bourgogne Rouge out of the AOC system. Like many natural producers, they have found it challenging to gain approval as their wines taste outside mainstream, standard Burgundy they are benchmarked against. It is for these characteristics that we love and are moved by these wines, they are wines made by wine lovers first and foremost.

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
FIZZY LIGHT SMILE
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / 750ML

Handpicked and pressed/co-fermented Chardonnay and Melon de Bourgogne made in Muscadet, Loire Valley. A fun Pet Nat with hints of cool tea, fermenting fruit and ripe melon. Fizzy sunshine.  

From the Producer: La Tourlaudiere is located halfway between the villages of Vallet and La Chapelle Heulin. The vineyard covers almost 21ha, and is crossed by the Poyet, a tributary stream of the Goulaine. Roland vinified his first harvest in 1976. Jeanine made her debut as a winemaker in 1982. In 1984, they came together, under the name of Petiteau-Gaubert. The couple combined there terroirs and vines from their family heritage, dating from the 17th century. Romain has been working on the estate since 2006. Since 2018, the estate is in organic conversion, for the entire surface and certified AB for 1 ha.

ARDECHE, FRANCE
CHERRY SPICE CASSIS
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

Grenache fermented for 6 days on skins. Aged on Lees in inert vessels before being sent to bottle without Sulphur. Fruit forward with bright cherries, cassis and henna. Unfiltered, unfined - raw.

From the Distributor: The region of Ardeche lies on the cusp between Northern and Southern Rhone. On the western bank of the river, up in the hills, is an affordable and dynamic wine area where an increasing number of young wine growers work with the same varieties as its well known neighbour. La Vrille et le Papillon (the tendril and the butterfly) is located in Valvigneres, the epi-centre of the Ardèche natural wine scene.

Meryl Croizier’s connection to vines and agriculture in Ardeche runs deep, his grandparents were vignerons and farmers. At the age of 18 Meryl spent vintage working with Gerald and Jocelyne Oustric at Domaine du Mazel, ecological producers for over 20 years, also located in Valvigneres. These brothers have been instrumental in the growth and nurturing of new winemakers in the area, renting vines to Sylvain Bock and Andrea Calek at the beginning of their wine paths. Meryl subsequently completed formal studies of Agriculture in Dijon and Oneology in Montpellier.

In 2012 Meryl and Geraldine, with three young children in tow, returned to the family vineyards to commence their own project. It was time to settle having spent many years travelling with Meryl working from the Macon through to the Madiran in the south west.

They have 5 hectares of vines comprised of Syrah, Merlot, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier and Ugni Blanc, planted on clay limestone soils with lots of pebbley rocks. They converted the handful of small plots that were not already farmed as such to organics, eschewing herbicides and pesticides. Since 2014 they have introduced tisanes and biodynamic practices also.

For their first two harvests, 2012 and 2013, Meryl and Geraldine made their wine in cellars belonging to friends. By 2014 their own cellar was complete and Le Vrille et la Papillon’s home was established. Vinification is done with wild yeasts only, the wines do not go through fining or filtration.

These wines have purity, vibrancy and freshness along with structure and acidity. They offer exceptional value as well as drinking pleasure.

CHABLIS, FRANCE
FOSSIL CITRUS FRESH
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

Gently harvested and whole bunch pressed to stainless steel vats where it is aged on lees. A refreshing Petit Chablis made by Guillaume Vrignaud (Domaine Vrignaud) the Grandson of George Deschamps. The wine is unmistakable Chablissiene.    

From the producer: Everyone has their interpretation of what Chablis should be, the style it should take. Operating 29 hectares around Fontenay-près-Chablis, Domaine Vrignaud has a very specific approach to the terroir. To be turned towards the future is first of all to be aware of its heritage and to wish in every way to defend it. At the Domaine, this involves knowing the plots located on the Portlandian and Kimmeridgian strata, taking care of the vines, whether they are clones or whether they come from mass selection and naturally organic farming. Organic Agriculture is not an end, it is a way of thinking, a means of revealing the terroir.

A wine is born in the vineyard, not in the cellar. Pressing, vinification limiting inputs, the use of vats or barrels bring to light the soils, subsoils, climate, berries and know-how of the Domaine. This know-how and this constant attention nourish a style of Chablis wines day after day. More than a style of wine, it is the culmination of a philosophy. This philosophy, our philosophy, is balance. The balance between the vines and the environment, the berries and the geology, the wines and the emotions that they must provoke in each of the tasters.

BORDEAUX, FRANCE
PLUM STRUCTURE CLOVE
CLASSIC / 750ML

Plum heavy Malbec, The medium-bodied wine has been polished with a touch of oak. Blueberries, baking spices, with a subtle acid wash.

From the Distributor: Vignoble Mingot is a third-generation family-operated winery, on the right bank of Bordeaux in the area of Savignac-de-l'Isle. This is where their historical Chateau Marechaux property is located 7 kms north of the vineyards in Lalande de Pomerol.

BORDEAUX, FRANCE
FINE CEDAR SUMPTUOUS
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

Punching well above its 'Cotes' weight class, Franck and Carine Richard organically farm 10ha of truly delicious Cabernet Merlot blend. The wine is fresh with fine tannins and a plump fruit heavy centre that is reigned in by spice fuelled Cabernet. One of the best valued and enjoyable wines I've had from Bordeaux in a very long time.    

CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
FOCUSED PURE TYPICITY
CLASSIC / BIODYNAMIC / 750ML

The Parcelles is a stunning representation of Bouzy. Each release is made up of roughly 80% of the vintage written in Roman Numerals on the front label, the rest is a cross-section of previous vintages. The Paillard wines are a focused insight into minerality - chalky textures with crushed apple, chamomile and subtle lees 'cream'. The most exciting Champagne we've been introduced to this year!

From the Distributor: Domaine Pierre Paillard is eleven hectares of vineyard situated on the south side of the Montagne de Reims in the village of Bouzy. The vineyards are grown organically, and they use biodynamic practices to invigorate the vines. Extraordinarily, the entire vineyard of Domaine Paillard has the highest Champagne classification of Grand Cru.

The Paillard family owns 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay grapes, blending Pinot Noir oriented Champagnes. The Paillards only use these ‘noble grape’ varieties and their entire production comes exclusively from their own vineyards.
Over the course of 200 years, the Paillards identified and procured 30 prime plots of vineyard in Bouzy, resulting in outstanding Champagne. Diverse topographical distribution, differently aged vines and this remarkable patch of terrain, produce complexity, richness, power, fruit and minerality.

The village of Bouzy is well known for producing grapes with good maturity, richness and generosity. Bouzy grapes are sought after and used in the top cuvées by the best known brands of Champagne.

For 20 years at Domaine Paillard, the vineyards have been treated without chemicals. The family has worked hard to breed and develop robust vines with natural disease resilience, avoiding chemical intervention. This is a key reason for the Paillard’s consistently high quality of Champagne.

Interestingly, the Paillards have a different timeframe compared to other producers in order to achieve the balance in their Champagne. They employ a patient and prolonged cellar maturation to create their trademark elegance, finesse and complexity.

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
COMPLEX FUN STARRY
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / 750ML

A Pet Nat that has been blended with previous vintages of wine. This technique gives an added dimension of complexity. Spicy, biscuity, rich and beautiful lifted aromatics. 

From the producer: This pétillant naturel is a non-vintage blend of Cabernet Franc (40%) and Chenin Blanc (40%) made as a pet-nat (but a complex one). The reason it is non-vintage is that 20% of the juice is a still wine from the previous vintage which the Plouzeau family say is to provide the wine with maturity and wisdom!!

The grapes from the current vintage were direct pressed (to ensure that the resultant wine was white and attained that distinct texture derived from red grapes with white juice) and then fermented in tank then cooled a little to slow the fermentation.

It was bottled between 18 – 20 grams per litre of residual sugar where it kept fermenting to produce the bubbles until it was quite dry.

It was aged for a year and riddled by hand for a month then disgorged in February of this year. It has no added sulphites. The name translates as a “billion stars”.

Francois and Pascaline Plouzeau maintain an immaculate vineyard near the fascinating village of Richelieu which lies south of Tours quite close to the Chinon region. Here they implement strict biodynamic vineyard practices which are certified by Ecocert and Biodyvin. A feature of their lovely wines is the wonderful set of labels produced by local artists that reflect the naming of the wine. So the racy Cendrillon white, as the name suggests, has a Cinderella theme

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
TEXTURE UNIQUE LAYERED
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

Belargus is making Chenin Blanc in a way I've never tasted before. It has a complexity I have only seen in Burgundy and an aromatic profile that I've never encounter. Flinty reduction with saw-like acidity, stone fruit, underripe melon and creme fraiche.   

From the Distributor: The Loire Valley, also known as ‘the King’s Garden’, has been growing grapes for centuries. Domaine Belargus is set upon on many-thousand-year-old terroirs from Savennières, Quarts-de-Chaume and the Layon Valley.
Domaine Belargus is an Organic operation and has recently begun implementing biodynamic practices. These principles are being applied at Belargus by two pioneers of the region: Jo Pithon, who has advocated for organic farming for more than 30 years, and Guy Bossard (Domaine de l’Ecu in Muscadet), who has pioneered Biodynamic practices in the region for decades. This dream team is putting in every effort to rejuvenate some of France’s greatest vineyards.

Historically, the Anjou wine region has mostly grown Chenin Blanc and was once known for producing wines for royalty across Europe from the 11th to 19th century. The Chenin Blanc variety may now be less known than Chardonnay, but its incredible attributes place it in the same class. The variety is suited to the stunning geological complexity of the region like no other. Formed 500 million years ago and renowned for its schisteous soils, Anjou Noir is also home to purple, black and layered schists, pudding sandstone, magmatic rocks, rolled pebbles, fine clays and aeolian sands. The combination of variety and earth is unrivalled.

BURGUNDY, FRANCE
STRUCTURE PRECISION LENGTH
CLASSIC / 750ML

A rare gem, in 2019 the Clerget Family managed to purchase a small amount of fruit from the fabled slopes of Corton. The wine was the last to be picked and 40% remained whole bunch throughout the fermentation period. Only four barrels were produced. The wine has considerable power, with a fine oak and stem tannin. The wine will only improve as it uncoils. 

From the Producer: At the Clergets, going down to the cellar means going back in time. Go on a journey through 7 centuries and discover the secrets of a family that has lived in Burgundy since 1268. The family’s love for the Burgundian terroir is expressed in each of their vintages. A story woven from father to son over 28 generations.

RHONE VALLEY, FRANCE
PEACH NECTAR WEIGHT
CLASSIC / 750ML

A blend of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne. Simon Gastrien made the move from cooking to winemaking as a young man. With his experience working with produce and harmonising flavours and textures, the progression to winemaking was relatively easy. However, understanding his 5ha vineyard took time. After a string of unfortunate growing seasons, L'effrontee was born. A beautifully weighted white blend that speaks of the region. White petals, peach and fruit nectar.

From the producer: The very first vintage of Hameau Toucheboeuf comes from a plot that froze two years in a row, producing a smaller grape but determined to prove itself ... A wine as "stubborn" as its creator.

In the hillsides of Hameau Toucheboeuf, the vines grow in the middle of the weeds. Without pesticides. It is here, where the Rhône valley meets the landscapes of the Pilat Natural Park, that Simon Gastrein ages his wine as he builds his estate. Intuitively. Simply. By letting the terroir, the seasons and its fantasies express themselves freely, with the certainty that "nature does things well if we let it be generous

A cook by training, he spent his youth in the vineyards and forged his palate with a wine-loving grandfather. He left, far away, in South America, before returning to train on the job and in the lands of André Perret. Intuition had made him plant Marsanne and Roussanne alongside Viognier, Gamay and Syrah. He followed up with Cugnette and Black Mornen. That is 5 hectares of vines, worked in IGP Collines Rhodaniennes or young cuvées under the Vins de France label. Since 2020, he has been developing a Saint-Joseph and a Condrieu.

SANCERRE, FRANCE
LIVELY SINEW THOUGHT-FILLED
ORGANIC / NO SO2 / 75OML

A deeply complex Sauvignon Blanc - trademark acid backbone with primary fruits kept in check by time in old oak. Slightly botrytised fruit brings with it a glycerol weight. Such a dynamic wine.

From the distributor: Sauvignon blanc from a 3ha parcel in Verdigny. 30-year-old vines on average, grown on clay and limestone. 30% botrytis. Direct press, then fermented and aged for two years in tank, then one year in old barrels. Zero SO2.

Sébastien Riffault makes Sancerre like no other. These are incredible wines with a cult status, found in some of the world’s top restaurants, bars and wine shops. Whilst the majority of the region is filled with chemical induced vineyards and austere, formulated wines, Sébastien’s wines are atypical. One of the main factors is that he picks late so that the grapes are partly affected by botrytis – however, the wines are vinified dry. This coupled with long élevage and zero additions (apart from 10ppm SO2 in Les Quarterons) brings about wines of a unique and ethereal nature. They are complex wines of contemplation.

He ploughs between the vines with horses, and forgoes the use of machinery. The grapes are picked by hand, and more importantly, sorted by hand (grape by grape), to ensure only quality berries are used, and that any gray rot is removed – a risk when botrytis is found. The grapes are fermented naturally in tank and then stay in tank for two years. All wines (except Les Quarterons) are then transferred to old wood except for another year of ageing. They are never fined or filtered and are bottled by gravity. These are seriously intriguing and complex wines, and are not to be missed.

RHONE VALLEY, FRANCE
EARTH BOLD PLUM
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

The wine is predominately made up of powerful fruit from Gigondas, Southern Rhone Valley. The wine has weight, but also maintains a degree of elegance. It is fermented in concrete and aged in both large oak vessels and concrete. Ruby fruits, a hint of olive tapenade and filling-fine tannins.   

From the Producer: Domaine Saint-Damien is run by Joel and Amie Saurel and their son Romain who has now taken charge of the winemaking. The Saurel family had been tending vineyards for four generations, dating back to 1821, and until recently had been selling all of the grapes to negociants. In 1996 Joel resumed producing wine at the estate and in 1998 they brought on consulting winemaker Philippe Cambie. Vinification is classic with wines being fermented in large old cement tanks and aged in either cement tanks or large old foudres for the Gigondas.

Today the estate is comprised of 17 hectares of vineyards of which 12 are in Gigondas. All their vineyards are certified organic since 2012. The vines are an average age of 50 years and are very low yielding. The wines of Gigondas are bottled according to individual terroir (particularly soil type) known as the Saint Damien Trilogy.

BURGUNDY, FRANCE
GRIP CHERRY LENGTH
EDGY / BIODYNAMIC / 750ML

The vineyard is south facing sitting at 200masl. The wine is 100% whole bunch Pinot Noir. Once fermentation has commenced it is foot stomped and left on skins for two weeks. The wine offers dark cherries and a broad tannin profile that rides the fruit spectrum all the way to the end. 

From the distributor: Humble, sensitive, generous, honest.... there are so many adjectives that could describe Isabelle and Pierre Vantley, owners and vignerons of Domaine des Rouges Queues. I have met them and tasted their wines a few times on my journey and I have always liked the energy in what they produce. 

Located in the town of Sampigny-lès-Maranges, this lovely couple farm six hectares of certified organic/biodynamic principal vineyards in Maranges, Santenay, and the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune. These wines are an excellent representation of good farming in Burgundy and they have worked the vines without chemicals since 1998, date where they started the domaine. Showcasing unique, expressive character of the terroir that is sometimes lost in the bigger estates. These are pure, alive and raw wines crafted with loved by this avant-garde couple that do almost everything themselves.

Situated at the southernmost end of the Côte d'Or, they are relatively more affordable than any other famous appellations of Burgundy.

BURGUNDY, FRANCE
PRETTY PULP TANNIN
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

Organic fruit sourced from Beaujolais. The Gamay spent a small amount of time going through Carbonic Maceration before being foot stomped. The resulting wine is pretty with a slight stemmy grip. An insightful expression of how powerful the variety can be. 

From the distributor: Purchased certified organic Gamay from Beaujolais. 100% whole bunch, semi-carbonic maceration then foot stomped in tank. Ten months elevage before being racked to bottle. Humble, sensitive, generous, honest... there are so many adjectives that could describe Isabelle and Pierre Vantley, owners and vignerons of Domaine des Rouges Queues. I have met them and tasted their wines a few times on my journey and I have always liked the energy in what they produce.

Located in the town of Sampigny-lès-Maranges, this lovely couple farm six hectares of certified organic/biodynamic principal vineyards in Maranges, Santenay, and the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune. These wines are an excellent representation of good farming in Burgundy and they have worked the vines without chemicals since 1998, date where they started the domaine. Showcasing unique, expressive character of the terroir that is sometimes lost in the bigger estates. These are pure, alive and raw wines crafted with loved by this avant-garde couple that do almost everything themselves.

Situated at the southernmost end of the Côte d'Or, they are relatively more affordable than any other famous appellations of Burgundy.

VEZELAY, FRANCE
PURE EXCITING PRECISE
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

A truly inspiring wine. The Chatelaine sees no oak and is a raw unadulterated example of Chardonnay. By keeping the Chardonnay 'pure' the site and season are forced to centre stage. the site - Vezelay, is comprised of various types of clay (blue-red) over shallow limestone. the combination of the two soil types gives it a unique typicity that straddles both Burgundy (Cote D'Or) and Chablis. The season - was shorter than average yielding higher levels of alcohol (13.5%) over a shorter period of time. The alcohol level in the Chatelaine isn't overwhelming and in fact, complements the fruit profile and underlying minerality of the wine.      

From the Distributor: The wine comes from grapes from the vineyards on the pretty south-facing slopes of the Vézelay hills.The grapes are harvested by hand and then fermented naturally in stainless steel tanks. This is a beautifully-textured wine, showing that white wines of considerable elegance can be produced in this region. All of the La Cadette wines are made with skill and care and result in clean, clear, flavoursome wines of great elegance. Rarely do you find such consistency of flavour and texture as in the wines of this Domaine. It is easy to determine why many of the great restaurants of Europe including Le Chateaubriand and others stocks the wines of this Domaine.

CHABLIS, FRANCE
RACY TALC FRESH
CLASSIC / BIODYNAMIC / 75OML

Goisot is situated on deep chalky soils just outside of the Chablis AOC. The wines showcase the personality of the region with a gentle flair added by the producers oak regime and lees integration. I lively drop that accentuates the versatility of Chardonnay.    

From the Distributor: Goisot is located just outside the Chablis AOC. In 2014 Guilhem Goisot inherited a small, 0.4-hectare parcel of Chablis in Bienes, just north of Chitry, planted by the father of his wife, Marie, in 1976. The lieu-dit is called Faucertaine and the fossil-ridden, limestone soils here--which Goisot likens to his Côte d'Auxerre Gondonne vineyard--have been farmed biodynamically since the Domaine took over in recent years. Fermented in tank before aging in used 500-litre barrels on lees, this, just the second vintage, is a chip off the Goisot block. Expect a scintillating, sculpted Chablis with controlled ripeness and texture cloaked in minerals and racy freshness. Some serious power to go with the deliciousness and mineral intensity that are so typical of the best Chablis.

BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
FRESH PEPPER BRAMBLE
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / 750ML

The Organic grape grower Thibault Charnay has finally made his first wine and it's a cracker. Sourced from his own small vineyard based in Anse. The vineyard is trellised on golden limestone that gives the wine a briny edge. In the glass, it is peppery, with red-berried compote, bramble tartness and chalky tannins.  

From the Distributor After creating and running his own construction company for nearly a decade, Thibault Charnay returned to the family Domaine in 2012 to work in the vineyards around his hometown. He purchased a few additional hectares of vines, and today, he farms 12 hectares of Gamay on the classic Pierres dorées (golden limestone) around Anse in the southern part of the Beaujolais. 

For many years, thanks to his ready access to tractors and other machinery, Thibault helped his wife Emilie’s family carry out the organic treatments in their vineyards. Inspired and nudged by his brother in law Raphael at Domaine Saint Cyr, Thibault decided to convert his own Domaine to organic farming in 2019, as well as vinify and bottle his own production (rather than sell it off to the négociants). 

https://pariswinecompany.com/producer/domaine-charnay/

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
PURPLE CURRENTS GRAIN
CLASSIC / BIODYNAMIC / 750ML

Gently macerated Cabernet Franc. Lovely grainy tannins with cherry cola, currents and encompassing oak. Slightly riper, leaving only the subtlest herbaceous notes. 

From the distributor: Arnaud Lambert is considered to be one of the most talented winemakers in the Loire, producing the best wines in and around Saumur. Practising bio-dynamic viticulture and bringing a Burgundian approach to his winemaking, his Cabernet Francs are perfumed, fresh and make for delicious drinking over the warmer months.

Fruit for this wine is sourced from a 3.7 ha west facing site on light silty sand over limestone on the southern side of Brézé. It's 100% destemmed and fermented with partial whole berries with indigenous yeast in concrete tanks with a very gentle maceration using infusion and no pump overs.

BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
UNDERGROWTH VIBRANT HAWBERRY
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / 750ML

A robust example of Gamay. The fruit wasn't solely carbonically macerated so a darker edge is present. Undergrowth with salivating astringency gives a serious edge to this vibrant Gamay.

Sourced from Paris Wine Company: Pleine Tête is a shockingly simple and delicious Gamay from humble Beaujolais-Villages vineyards, situated in the shadow of the Mont Brouilly. Vinified in the semi-carbonic, vin nature style, this wine is a subversive wink to the vino-industrial complex that still dominates the Beaujolais. Baptiste designed his own label, inspired by the street artist Banksy's famous mural of a revolutionary preparing to hurl a bouquet of flowers, but of course in the Beaujolais, one must be ready to fight with Gamay.

It says Baptiste Bertrand on the label, but everyone calls him Bart. Located in Beaujolais, Baptiste farms 4.5 hectares of vines on clay-limestone soils around Charentay, a small commune that makes up part of a swath of Beaujolais-Villages vineyards between Mont Brouilly to the south and Morgon to the north. Baptiste originally studied ecology, with a specialization in environmental management and cartography. After working for organizations and nonprofits for a decade around France, he found himself back home in Beaujolais, where he spent three years managing a local project related to local vineyards. When that project came to an end, a friend suggested that he takes over some vines from a retiring winemaker.
 
Baptiste is the first producer in Charentay to be certified organic, and his wines are produced using simple traditional equipment and minimal intervention. The winery is housed in a large, century-old winemaking complex that a friend had purchased to renovate into several apartments, then offered to let Baptiste use the existing press room and cellar for its original purpose. Baptiste uses a small vintage wooden basket press for the crush, then all wines are fermented in large concrete tanks. Nothing is added except occasional doses of sulfur when needed. Most of the wine is aged in concrete, though a small portion goes into used barrels. In 2020, Baptiste began experimenting with fiberglass eggs.

https://pariswinecompany.com/producer/baptiste-bertrand/#wines

RHONE VALLEY, FRANCE
PEPPER SWATHE BLUE
CLASSIC / 750ML

A blend of fruit from multiple Southern Rhone Vineyards.  An elegant wine that speaks of both old and new world practices. Broad blue fruited profile with a welcoming peppery edge.  

From the Producer: Les Graviers is a negociant blend of Syrah from three sources in the Rhone Valley. The majority comes from the southern parts of the Drôme and Ardèche regions, and a smaller amount from vineyards around Tournon.  Three sources: 40% Ardeche Sud Saint-Martin d’Ardeche, 40% Drome Provencal, 20% Rhone Septentrional.

Cave Julien Cécillon was founded in 2011 and is the beloved project of winemakers Julien Cécillon and Nancy Kerschen. With vineyards in the appellations of Saint Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage in France’s Northern Rhone Valley, the estate is dedicated to producing elegant, terroir-driven wines.

American Nancy Kerschen, and Julien Cécillon, a native of Tournon-sur-Rhône and nephew of Jean Louis Grippat, met through an enduring fascination with both wine and international travel. In 2011, having combined experiences working for various international wineries (Yves Cuilleron, Christophe Curtat, Fabrice Gripa, JC Cellars, Clos du Val, Saintsbury, Indevin and Saronsberg) the two decided to embark on their own winemaking endeavour.  Cave Julien Cécillon is the product of that union.

​Respecting the unique environment of each appellation, the estate applies sustainable grape-growing techniques in the vineyard to achieve the best expression of terroir in every bottle. Based on their collective experiences, they blend modern techniques with old world traditions and growing methods to achieve well-structured, graceful, food-friendly wines.

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
PUNCTUAL FLINT TAUT
CLASSIC / BIODYNAMIC DEMETER / 12.5% ALC

Located south-east of Sancerre Pabiot makes beautifully poised Sauv blanc. The vines are farmed Organically, also adhering to biodynamic principles. The wine is a clear example of place - strapping acidity, subtle stone fruit and sherbet.

From the producer: For this cuvée, we use all our young vineyards between 4 and 10 years old. Planted on clay-limestone and flint clay soils in Pouilly Sur Loire. Aging takes place in stainless steel tanks on the lees for around 6 to 8 months. The bottling of Prélude is always the first of the new vintage, therefore the name Prélude.

PROVENCE, FRANCE
GAMAY SAVOURY CHIRPY
ROSE / 750ML / 13%

A thoughtful rose produced on the Triassic Plateau made up of clay and limestone. A poppy Gamay based rose, that offers apple, silage and a shortcrust savoury edge.  

From the Distributor: Situated in the village of Cabasse, fifty kilometres from Saint-Tropez, Domaine Gavoty has all the magic of Provence. Purchased by Philémon Gavoty in 1806, the Domaine remains a family affair under Roselyne Gavoty. Throughout the last two centuries, the Gavoty family has persevered, sometimes against the odds, to see their village gain the viticultural recognition it deserves. Cabasse now stands proud as an official part of the Côte de Provence appellation.

The vineyard is planted on the ancient “Triassic plateau” – a prime, clay and limestone rich soil layer.  Some plots of vineyard are planted on challenging and rocky earth. This forces the Domaine to conduct most farming by traditional hand methods, meaning little has changed in 200 years of harvesting at Gavoty. The vines are sheltered from the most extreme Provençal weather by beautiful thickets of oak and pine forest. These old forests are integral to both the vitality and sustainability of the Domaine, stabilising the local climate and creating better growing conditions for the vineyards. But the extremities of Provençe are also key to what makes Gavoty wine so exceptional. The roasting summers and bitter winters mean grapes mature slowly. To endure, the vines are forced to find water deep within the limestone rich soil. This in turn brings a trademark minerality and freshness to Domaine Gavoty wines that embodies the region and consecrates the hardships of the climate.

Another of Domaine Gavoty’s delightful idiosyncrasies is not environmental but auricular! The family have a resplendent musical heritage including Bernard Gavoty (1906-1980) – a music critic for France’s “Le Figaro” newspaper who, mystifyingly, wrote under the English pseudonym “Clarendon”. Today, the Domaine’s top three cuvées of white, red and Rosé share this quirky, anglo nom de plume. The family’s musical heritage is also celebrated in their exquisite labels, which proudly feature the Domaine’s ancient emblem, a Grecian lyre. Roselyne Gavoty, grand-daughter of Bernard ‘Clarendon’ Gavoty, has now been at the helm of the Domaine since 1985. She continues a family legacy with humility, first class winemaking and a passion for this pocket of Procençal paradise.

PROVENCE, FRANCE
SUMMER SAVOURY CLEAN
CLASSIC / 750ML

A refreshing layered Provence rose. Extremely pale in colour due to the gentle handling during the picking and processing of the fruit. The wine is textured and fresh, a surprisingly savoury rose that is sleek rather than flamboyant.

From the Distributor: Cuvée Tentations Rosé is Made from 50% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, and 15% Tibouren. Bright red fruits lift from the glass, but, as with all these wines, there are wonderful layers of spice and non-fruit complexity beneath. The palate has a wonderful texture that sets it apart from other wines in the region. Huge drinkability too. Bring on summer!

Clos Cibonne is one of 18 Cru Classé growers in the Côtes de Provence AOP, and is in fact the most southerly. The estate’s 15 hectares of vineyards are located a mere 800 metres from the coast and are surrounded by hillsides at the base of a bowl that faces the sea. This topography creates air circulation that extends the growing period whilst cooling the vines. The soil is a mixture of schist & clay. After harvest, the wines are fermented in stainless steel & some are then aged under Fleurette (a thin veil of yeast) in 100-year-old, 500L foudres.

The estate is managed organically, although is not certified. Grapes are all harvested by hand and the resultant wines are some of the most transparent in  Southern France - the spices, herbs and salt that you can literally taste on the breeze, fill these wines.

Whilst as with most estates in Provence, rosé is the focus, we are thrilled to also import one of Clos Cibonne's red wines, made exclusively from a local grape Tibouren. Lighter framed than many other Provence reds, this is fresh and vibrant, with a distinctly Mediterranean twang.

COGNAC, FRANCE
PARMESAN CAPER SAVOURY
GIN / 500ML / 42%

Gin aged in Cognac barrels with grated parmesan, capers and bergamot. Mouthfilling gin that is great by its self or with a splash of tonic.   

From the Producer: Umami Gin is a product in its own universe. Named after the fifth taste; savouriness, or how we describe it – saltiness without the salt. The base flavour for this spirit comes from South Italian capers which are brought in directly from the cooperative. They’re distilled at 45 degrees to maintain the fresh iodic aroma.

We combine this distillate with an infusion of Parmigiano-Reggiano, Italian parmesan cheese, which is glutamate-rich (the molecule which is responsible for our tongue's ability to taste umami).

Combined with juniper, two other ingredients, and a base of neutral grain spirit, the blend is left to rest in an old cognac barrel for several months. The result is a fresh, lightly savoury gin with an entirely unique flavour profile.

Botanicals: Sicilian capers, Juniper, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Bergamot, ex-cognac barrel finish.

PROVENCE, FRANCE
CLEAN SAVOURY REFINED
CLASSIC / BIODYNAMIC / 750ML

Savoury dry rose made in a true Provence style. Organically farmed Grenache and Cinsault offer textural notes of melon, peach and persimmon.

From the Distributor: This rosé displays a wonderfully full fruited and fleshy appeal, showing more density and textural layering than many other Provence counterparts.  The low intervention winemaking throws elements of funk and texture, adding to the profile of peach, melon and wild strawberries.

Our 22 hectares of vines situated in the Vallée des Borrels are influenced by the sea due to their proximity to the Mediterranean. Our vines in terrace farming get all their resources in ancient lands from primitive era offering an acidic and ARGILOSCHISTEUX soil. All our vines have the appellation Côte de Provence and Côte de Provence La Londe. It allows us to elaborate wines with all the specificity of the local Provence. Moreover, biodynamic Agriculture implanted since the beginning allows the vines to reveal all the potential. In this place where biodiversity is preserved and protected, we are satisfied to make you discover the fruit of our labour, our passion.

The entire vineyard, aged from 10 years for the youngest, to 60 years for the oldest, is cultivated half in gobelet pruning, and half in tying wires.

CAHOR, FRANCE
WEIGHT TOBACCO SKILLFUL
CLASSIC / ORGANIC PRACTICES / 750ML

Malbec at its best. A weighty red that warms the cockles and is fit for a fireplace. Oak balanced, with notes of tobacco, prune and a whiff of tar. The Clos De Gamot has unbelievable aging potential, time will only make this wine better.

From the Producer: The philosophy of the Jouffreau family is simple: be good farmers. give things time, observe nature, be respectful. This approach has seen vines ageing back to 1885 still producing intense, great fruit. The vineyard is located on the second and third of the Lot river's terraces, composed of pebbles, gravel, and quartz mixed with alluvium of the Lot. With no use of herbicide, the workload on the vineyard is enormous. From a winemaking perspective, grapes are sorted when they join the cellar. Each plot is vinified separately, with gentle pumping over to keep a harmonious structure. Wine is aged for 18 to 24 months in old oak pungent with some 40 years old foudre (70hl and 100hl).

Jean Jouffreau’s daughters and his son-in-law Yves Hermann have continued to lovingly care for the family vines, with Yves' son now joining the legacy. The tradition continues, with the focus on bottle maturation remaining. “A wine, like a person,” says Yves, “should have a personal story to tell over time.” With the range of vintages the estate offers, it is possible for consumers to affordably capture history in a glass. We’ll drink to that!

Clos de Gamot is vibrant. Violet notes lead, with pure and fresh dark fruits, and approachable crunchy tannins. Skillful use of oak rounds out the package, with a long, persistent finish.

QUERCY, FRANCE
SAVOURY BALANCED LAYERED
CLASSIC / 750ML

A small family operation based in one of the smallest appellations in France, Coteaux du Quercy. A red blend revolving around ripe Cabernet. Elegantly structured with a plush wedge of Merlot that makes it oh so approachable. Also, the wine is made by one of the nicest families in Europe.

From the Producer: Located just 20 minutes from Cahors, the estate has been run by generations of Gisbert vignerons since 1778, focused on making wine to be shared amongst good company (and preferably over long lunches). The vineyard is nestled between fields of sunflowers and fruit trees, with vines wrapping around the church of Saint Etienne- its bell tower keeping watch over the grapes.

Making the best wine possible from sustainable vinification methods is primary for our family, sticking to tried and tested processes from generations past, in order to create balanced and elegant Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Côt blends, as well as delicious Cabernet Franc and Rosé. Camille and son Roger knew they were on the right track as the land was cultivated for vines, finding multiple reminders of the Roman ambitions to also make wine on the site. The remnants of amphora, and of course the mosaics, continue to serve as a reminder of simple, yet effective, winemaking.

BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
CRYSTALINE POISE LIMESTONE
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 750ML

Husband and wife team David and Michele make their wines in Beaujolais, however, they also source fruit from the Macon. The Aligote is from the sloped hills of Ige, Macon. Strong acid drive with a tactile talc line. Preserved lemons and apples occupy centre stage.   

From the Distributor: 2019 Bourgogne Aligoté is from Igé, Mâcon. The grapes are grown on a single parcel of land, sloped with marl and calcaire soil, giving the wine a unique citrus note. Michele best describes this as “like drinking salty lemonade with a lick of limestone”. The wine was pressed and fermented with no sulphur added. Unfined and unfiltered, it sees fermentation and elevage in stainless steel

Domaine Chapel is a Beaujolais estate founded by husband and wife team David Chapel and Michele Smith-Chapel in the cru village of Régnié. It was in Beaujolais, while working at Domaine Lapierre in 2013, that David met Michele, a wine director based in New York. After living together in New York, the Chapels returned to Beaujolais to found Domaine Chapel. The Chapels produced their first wine - a 2016 Juliénas “Côte de Bessay” - in partnership with Mathieu and Camille Lapierre, winemakers and owners of acclaimed Morgon estate Domaine Lapierre.
​
​Currently farming 4 hectares of vines on the slopes of Beaujolais,  Domaine Chapel is divided between the crus Chiroubles and Fleurie. Working by hand, in organic agriculture, the focus is always to promote the health of the soil and work with respect for the natural environment.

2018 was an important year for Domaine Chapel, as they started farming 3 plots in two different crus of Beaujolais: Fleurie (Charbonnieres) and Chiroubles (Saint-Roch and Poullet). Sitting at 460m and 400m respectively the subsequent work they’ve done has been organic and by hand, using only garden tools and a cable plough. The following year, they began farming one additional hectare of old vines in the parcel Charbonnières.

Domaine Chapel has recently introduced Smith-Chapel wines, an exploration of high altitude parcels located on the slopes of Beaujolais and the nearby Mâconnais region. They partner with growers who work with respect for the land they care for, who are either already certified organic or are in the conversion period.
The wines are bottled in lightweight glass to create a minimal impact on the environment when shipped. There is a Nomacorc cork-like closure, made from carbon-neutral sugarcane, a renewable resource which is also recyclable.

SANCERRE, FRANCE
CURD CHALK GOOSEBERRY
CLASSIC / ORGANIC BIODYNAMIC / 750ML

30-40 year old Sauvignon Blanc vines planted on shallow Kimmeridgian soil. Drinks like lemon curd, gooseberry with malo lees weight. Classic Sancerre grown and matured with the lunar cycles in mind.

From the Distributor: Established in 1749 in the heart of Sancerre, Domaine Fouassier is one of the oldest wine growing families in the Loire Valley with a history that spans several generations. For centuries they have dedicated themselves to preserving and capturing the terroir and the noble Sauvignon grape varietal through an extensive range of appellation wines. The new century began with the arrival of Fouassier’s 10th generation, Benoit and Paul.  In continuing to honor the terroir as their ancestors did, the brothers took things one step further, converting to organic and biodynamic farming and winemaking. In 2011, they were certified by ECOCERT and BIODYVIN, both of whom recognized Domaine Fouassier as 100% compliant with all international organic and biodynamic guidelines.

BROUILLY, FRANCE
WILD TARTS GENEROUS
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / 1500ML

The Grilles is a 1.5Ha vineyard located next door to the Cotton Cellar in Odenas. A richer style of gamay that is fermented in concrete and then aged in old foudres. A true cru Beaujolais with raw grip and aromatics swaying from light musk to strawberry tarts. Bloody delicious.

Sourced from the Paris Wine company: Pierre Cotton's family has been farming and producing wine at the same cellar in Odenas since 1856. Legend has it that the large chai, with its cavernous cellars, was built in the 18th century to make the wines for the nearby Château de Pierreux, and that over the years, it has housed a rotating group of producers.

Today, Pierre and his partner Marine are the sole producers to make wine here. After working for a short stint as a motorcycle mechanic, Pierre spent two years in the Loire Valley before returning to the domaine. In 2014, he reclaimed 1 hectare of Côte de Brouilly for his first cuvée - 100% Cotton. Over the next few years, he reclaimed another 2 hectares around Brouilly from the family holdings, purchased 1 hectare in Fleurie, 1 hectare of Regnié, and 1 hectare of Beaujolais, as well as planted a small patch of Beaujolais Blanc on a unique vein of limestone near the Domaine.

Inspired by tasting wines with compatriot friends Yann Bertrand, Jules Metras, and Keke Descombes, Pierre’s wines are all farmed organically and made without any sulphur. Vinification is semi-carbonic in large cement tanks, and then the wines are aged for 8-9 months in old foudres that range in size from 14 to 42 hectoliters.

In 2020, Pierre's partner Marine Bonnet officially joined the Domaine. Marine has a background as an agronomist specialized in viticulture, and Pierre and Marine now manage both the vineyards and winemaking together.

 https://pariswinecompany.com/producer/pierre-cotton/

SAINT-POURCAIN FRANCE
SIP BERRIES SLURP
CLASSIC / 13.0% ALC / 750ML

An absolute pleasure to drink, suitable for any occasion. Light notes of strawberries, rhubarb pepper grind and rosehip tea.

From the producer: A blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir, this fresh and fruity wine gives it a beautiful, fairly sustained cherry colour. Its nose is powerful, very fruity (raspberry), slightly spicy and peppery. The palate is tasty but also balanced and fleshy, is very fruity with an interesting length allowing it to pass the next summer happily. A convivial Auvergne wine par excellence which can be enjoyed as an aperitif, obviously with cold cuts and grilled meats, but also with Mediterranean cuisine. To drink chilled 14 ° C, during the year.

RHONE VALLEY, FRANCE
BOUNCY FUN LIGHT
CLASSIC / 750ML

The literal translation is 'the ungrateful grapes'. Gamay for a long time was considered a simple farm wine, hiding in the shadows of Pinot Noir. However, with improved farming and vinification Gamay has found its self with a glowing identity of its own. A light hyper aromatic Gamay, strawberry milk, fairy floss and roses.  

JURA, FRANCE
FLINT CASHEW COMPLETE
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / 750ML

The longefin vineyard has been certified Organic since 2007, however, Didier goes a step further taking a holistic stance in his vineyards promoting diversity and sustainability. The wine is a nutty reductive Savagnin aged in topped barrels. Muted fruits bring forward honeyed toast and lees.

From the Producer: This uncompromising vigneron knows that his oxidative end result is as much a product of natural winemaking as it of natural farming. He believes good wine starts with the vine, and his hard work and dedication to his vineyards are a tribute to nature.

Didier Grappe completed his studies at the viticulture wine school in Beaune, Burgundy in 2001, and in 2007 his domain was certified organic by Ecocert. Situated in Saint-Lothain within the Côtes-du-Jura appellation, Domaine Didier Grappe farms 3.5 hectares of local varietals across three separate parcels around the village—Champs Rouge, Novelin, and Longefin.

Half a hectare is planted with the red varietals (Pinot Noir, Poulsard, and Trousseau), with three hectares dedicated to Chardonnay and Savagnin. These are rooted in grey and red marl soils, which he tends to with the utmost respect. No chemical treatments are used in the vineyard, and his winemaking involves no cultured yeasts or tannins, and is void of chaptalisation, acidification, filtering, and fining. “Grapes only”, as he would say.

His wines are much like his personality—refined and restrained, with a slight amount of tension.

JURA, FRANCE
NUTTY SALTY KUMQUATS
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / 620ML

This is from a 0.8HA plot of his oldest Chardonnay vines planted on Marl. Fermented and aged in 400L barrels. More showy than the Jurassique - very polished and sexy but still with the underlying Jura twang.

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
BRIGHT PEPPERS PURE
CLASSIC / 750ML

The 'Cheverny' is a blend of Sauvignon 82%, Orbois 11% and Chardonnay 7%. A beautifully balanced lees-textured blend that has a refreshing green chilli edge. A pure white wine grown on sandy clay soils.

From the Distributor: Philippe has been at the helm of Domaine Tessier since 1981, where his main goal is to produce honest, sincere and enjoyable wines that speak of their origin and natural balance. The vines benefit from biodiversity; encouraged by grassing in between the rows and strictly no chemical input. Across the Domaine you will find the usual Loire suspects: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Côt, Romorantin and L’Orbois. The former was originally a Burgundian variety but it is now exclusively grown in and labelled as Cour-Cheverny. L’Orbois, also known as.  Philippe blends the native Orbois with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to make his utterly delicious Cheverny Blanc.

Philippe’s vines have been certified organic since 1998 and he treats the vineyards with maximum respect, working the soil or treating according to the requirements of the vineyard not a recipe. He harvests exclusively by hand, rare in his part of the Loire, into crates so that the grapes can be sorted before being processed.

To continue the same spirit used in the vineyards, minimal intervention is used in the winery with no added yeasts or sulphites during production. He ferments and ages his wines in a wide selection of vessels and materials and even has some Georgian qvevri installed in the winery; we knew we were in the right place when we spotted those in the cellar. Philippe believes in making the technical analysis of each wine available online so that anyone consuming the wine can know exactly what they are drinking. This transparency comes through faith and knowledge of the journey from grape to glass, where the life of the soil, local environment and vine are respected equally. It is Philippe’s philosophy that his artisanal wines should give the drinker pleasure but also be healthy, alive and natural. We know exactly what he means - their vibrancy and purity is evident in the glass!

LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
HERBAL ELEGANT RAW
LEFT OF CENTRE / PRACTICE ORGANIC / 750ML

Forest wine, an isolated vineyard surrounded by rugged forest. Axel Prufer encourages biodiversity as a way of working with nature to produce the most delicious grapes. His wines are raw and incredibly expressive. 100% Grenache, soft tannins surrounded by mountain herbs and red berries.

From the Producer: Les Lendemains qui Chantent is a beautiful and quite restrained wine (in the sense that it is elegant rather than exuberant) made from 100% Grenache from vines that are at least 35 years old. The vineyard itself is situated at 450 metres above sea level in the forests of the rugged Parc Naturel Regional du Haut-Languedoc which lies inland from the city of Beziers.

It exhibits very soft tannins and lovely herbal and flower aromas. There is a distinct minerality associated with this wine derived from the decaying granite and quartz soils.

It is Axel’s leading cuvée, but he only releases it in years where the crop is exceptional! And this year it is certainly exceptional. This is a stunning wine of great elegance and charm which may benefit by being poured into a carafe just before drinking.

Axel Prüfer was born and raised in East Germany but moved to France as a young man to take up a career in wine making. He produces delicious wines naturally with as little intervention as possible – many of his wines have no added sulphur.

In fact, on a visit to his winery we tried one of his cuvees which had been bottled without sulphur and one that had been bottled with minimal amounts of sulphur and the result was simply amazing. The one without sulphur stood head and shoulders above the other for freshness, vitality and flavour.

He has been described as a ‘darling of the natural wine bar movement’. He is a quiet, thoughtful and engaging young winemaker who is totally committed to producing non-interventionist wines.

We visited him in the mountains behind Beziers and were fascinated by the lengths he goes to in ensuring that his grapes are healthy and his wines are pure. Every sentence he utters is the result of deep thought.

We discussed the problems of grapes grown in monocultures such as in Chablis and Champagne and then crammed into his small truck to bump our way up hillsides through thick forest and then for the final part of the way by foot until we reached his remote vineyard surrounded by forest. There is absolutely no chance of spray-drift here!

Because the forests are the natural habitat of wild boars, Axel collects human hair from the hairdressers in the local village and spreads it around the boundary of his vineyard. He says that the boar pick up the human scent from the hair and avoid the vineyard. The vineyard is a picture of health with spiderwebs everywhere and an amazing biodiversity on display.

All this is for nothing of course if the wine doesn’t taste delicious. Axel only uses natural yeast to ferment his wines and he adds no sulphur at all (we put a ‘Contains Sulphites’ warning on the label because some sulphites can be naturally produced during the wine making process). This gives them a liveliness that is most appealing.

He uses tanks made from stainless steel or fibreglass or large, old barrels that impart no oak flavour. The tanks have ‘floating’ lids so that no air can get at the wine if he does not have enough to fill a tank.

BEAUJOLAUS, FRANCE
PLUSH COMPLEX LIVELY
EDGY / BIODYNAMIC ORGANIC / 750ML

An intriguing insight into how complex Gamay can be. Fruit forward, with wild herbs, henna and a rewarding rawness. 

From the Producer: The average age of the vines: between 45 and 70 years. First vines worked on biodynamic principles (500, 501 ...) since 2012. Vines certified in organic farming. Cup size according to the lunar calendar to regenerate the wood. Alternating soil ploughing and controlled natural grassing. Association of plants for spraying (nettle, buckthorn, etc.).

Cold carbonic maceration (around 10-12 ° C in vatting) for 20 to 22 days, avoiding any handling. Without sulphur or yeast. 50% in a 600 litre demi-muid, 25% in a 300 litre barrel, 25% in a 225 litre barrel for 8 months. Old barrel of minimum 6 wines. Racking and bottling by gravity, without filtration, without sulphur and according to the cycle of the moon. Keep in bottle for 10 months before sale.

Since 2008, all nine hectares of the estate have been conducted using biology and, gradually, since 2012, using biodynamic. The soil is the basis of our work. On its good health depends that of the vine and the quality of our wines to come. Paying attention to it and understanding its microbiology remains, in our opinion, the best path to take to guarantee its balance and translate the full expression of the terroir.

The preparations play a fundamental role in biodynamics. In order to preserve a living and evolving soil and to promote the symbiosis of microorganisms of plant and animal species, we add “500” to our soil. These organic preparations made from horn dung are used in addition to a supply of compost. In spring, we alternate phases of tillage (ploughing) with spontaneous grassing. The goal? Favour endemic flora in order to let a part of "wild nature" take back its rights... In this vein, we continually seek to improve the structure and humus contained in our soil. To meet its nutritional needs, a supply of organic matter is essential. Using a methodology developed by us, we produce "homemade" compost invigorated with biodynamic plant-based preparations. All of the treatments are carried out by combining plant extracts (nettle, horsetail, buckthorn, etc.) and/or essential oils.

AVIZE CHAMPAGNE FRANCE
CHAMOMILE COILED EXCITING
CLASSIC / BIODYNAMIC / 750ML 

Agrapart composes their champagne from 70 vineyards across 7 villages; Avize, Cramant, Oger, Oiry, Avenay Val d’Or, Bergères-les-Vertus and Mardeuil. The ‘7 crus’ is a combination from all 7 villages, it is a blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir. The 7 crus, goes through full malolactic fermentation and spends 3 years on lees. A stunning example of a richer grower champagne.  

From the distributor: The Agrapart range begins with a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs called Les 7 Crus, referring to the seven Côte des Blancs villages from which it is sourced; Avize (younger vines, 20-40 years), Cramant, Oger, Oiry, Avenay Val d'Or, Bergères-les-Vertus and Mardeuil. Crafted from estate-owned vineyards, Les 7 Crus is typically blended from two different years, with half of the older vintage raised in neutral 600 oak casks. This release is a blend of 2013 and 2012. 90% Chardonnay 10% Pinot Noir; full malolactic fermentation; aged 3 years on lees; 7g/l dosage."A blend of Chardonnay with a touch of Pinot Noir, is vibrant and lively, with fresh notes of apple and citrus. It's an outstanding non-vintage brut, showing an uncommon complexity and finesse, and it finishes with long aromas and an elegant minerality." Peter Liem, champagneguide.net".The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru 7 Crus is a lovely, introductory-level Champagne from Agrapart. Bright and focused, but also with more than enough mid-palate richness to be accessible upon release, the 7 Crus is super-expressive today. The inclusion of 10% Pinot Noir a few years back has changed the 7 Crus in a meaningful way in making the wine more accessible in its youth. The creamy, spiced finish is hugely appealing, but there is a lot to like here, including the wine's overall balance." 91 points, Antonio Galloni, vinous.com

BURGUNDY, FRANCE
PURE DELICATE BRIGHT
CLASSIC / 750ML

I first tried these wines at a small Restaurant in France called Pot D'Etain. The bottle was to this day the great red Burgundy (Les Malconsorts) I've had in my life. The Clos Vougeot is a delicate example of the vineyard with at least 80% of the fruit being destemmed. It spends roughly two weeks on skins before being pressed to oak (60-100% new oak) for a minimum of 16 months. I still get giddy thinking about that wine.

From the Distributor: The rapid, Lazarus-like rebirth of this Domaine seems to have caught some quarters of the French cognoscenti by complete surprise. In fact it has been the English speaking commentators like Allen Meadows, Jasper Morris, Jancis Robinson and Clive Coates that have been the first to pick up the scent. This is a tale of Domaine François Lamarche, an Estate that has, without doubt, one of the finest collections of vineyards in the entire Côte or, more specifically, Vosne Romanée/Echézeaux. After a long period of underperformance, the Domaine has managed to turn its fortunes around and is today producing wines that honour the lofty expectations of their holdings. To be specific about these holdings, Domaine François Lamarche are sole owners of La Grande Rue - one of the four, legendary Grand Cru monopoles of Vosne-Romanée - as well as holding choice parcels of Echézeaux, Grands Echézeaux, Clos de Vougeot, Suchots, Chaumes and Malconsorts! Terroir was never a problem here!

The upturn in quality has been the result of a gradual series of key changes, most significant of which has been the emergence and ensuing influence of the Domaine's 6th generation, Nicole and Nathalie Lamarche, who now control every aspect of Domaine François Lamarche’s operations. Since 2007 Nicole Lamarche has been solely in charge of the vineyards and winemaking while her cousin, Nathalie Lamarche, has had the role of régisseur, or general manager. Since taking the reins of this jewel of an estate, these ladies have seriously reduced yields, converted the vineyards to organic viticulture (certified from 2010), implemented procedures to handle their grapes more gently and have stopped fining or filtering. The barrel suppliers have also been changed and there is less new wood used. In short they have pulled out all stops to produce the highest possible quality from their remarkable patrimony of vineyards. These changes, combined with a new, gravity-fed cuverie and a much needed upgrade of equipment and new cooling apparatus (that had already occurred in 2010), has resulted in a rapid improvement in quality that continues to improve each year.

BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
CHERRY BUNCH QUENCH
CLASSIC / 750ML

A serious Beaujolais that is still cheeky and light at heart. Grown on dark granitic soils, with carefully managed vineyards to keep yields down and wine complexity up! A charming Gamay with vibrant lifted fruits and a lovely stemmy edge that gives a sandy mouth feel. Very gluggable.     

From the Producer: This Beaujolais cherrybomb is drawn from 20- to 40-year-old vines grown on dark granite soils around the homestead in Saint-Vérand (in southern Beaujolais). The winemaking here has remained unchanged for decades, with traditional whole-bunch, semi-carbonic fermentation in concrete tanks and then maturation in both tank and ancient oak casks still the order of the day.
 
As opposed to his age-worthy Crus from Moulin-a-Vent, Fleurie, et al., Chermette's aim here is to produce something light-bodied, bright and cherry-fruited with reach-for-another-glass charm. So exuberant you could be tasting out of barrel. There's a gentle spicy complexity from the whole bunches matched by waves of crushed raspberry and spiced cherry. supported by mouth-watering acidity and silky tannins.

The late Marcel Lapierre once said of Beaujolais, “Ça se bois sous la douche.” (It’s a wine you can drink under the shower). While this captures the simple deliciousness of much Beaujolais, it doesn’t do justice to the wines being produced by the finest artisans like Pierre-Marie Chermette. Of the wines of Domaine du Vissoux we would be more likely to say, “Il est trop bon pour être bu sous la douche!” It’s too damn good to be drunk in the shower!  Beaujolais can be the most joyful, compelling and life-affirming of wines. Yet in the hands of a master it can also be a wonderfully refined, long-lived Burgundy. Domaine du Vissoux is a producer capable of fashioning such wines. This is why their wines can be found in many of France’s finest restaurants and why Vissoux remains the highest-rated Beaujolais producer in the leading French wine guide, Les Meilleurs Vins de France.

Owners Pierre-Marie and Martine Chermette were among the first in Beaujolais to use sustainable agricultural practices, shunning the use of any chemicals in the vineyard and encouraging as much life in the soil as possible. They prune hard to keep yields low, harvest by hand when the grapes are fully ripe and regularly carry out ‘green harvests’ to further reduce the yields and ensure full ripeness for the harvest. The wines are made with minimal intervention: wild yeasts, minimal sulphur additions and no filtering if possible. Ageing is in traditional up-to-the-ceiling, neutral oak casks.

2009 was the vintage Beaujolais needed. Their ripe, fleshy personalities made the region sexy all over again. Everyone loved them. So what about 2010? Surely not? No it can’t be? Can it? Yes indeed! Another brilliant vintage for Beaujolais (and also a brilliant year across most European wine regions). Stylistically, much like Burgundy to its north and indeed the Rhône to the south, the 2010 wines are more pure, more fragrant, juicier and brighter than 2009 - somehow with more mouth-watering exuberance. Sounds almost too good to be true? Just like in the Côte d’Or, 2010 will be the vintage that many Beaujolais lovers prefer. Both are great vintages but the ‘10’s are just finer. It will come down to a question of taste.

The Wines: To get specific, the two Villages cuvees are pure and crunchy, smothered in lovely bright fruit. Simple, yet highly effective weapons of mass deliciousness. The two Fleurie wines combine explosive floral perfume with pure fruited seduction in the mouth; in 2010 they are the equal of the very finest Côte D’Or village wines. The Brouilly is the ‘meaty’ cuvee; full of smoky raspberry fruits with an uplifting, inky minerality. And last but certainly not least, the Moulin-à-Vent is intense and regal, its sumptuous, aromatic fruit sporting a structured Côte D’Or frame. It is both seductive and profound and ten plus years will not weary it. Without doubt the benchmark of the range and one of the greatest wines of Beaujolias!
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Not only do the Chermettes produce outstanding Beaujolais from the crus of Moulin à Vent, Brouilly and Fleurie, but they also make some of France’s most highly regarded Crème de Cassis from their own fruit which we offer below. If there is a finer cassis made anywhere in the world, we have not tasted it. And now Pierre-Marie is producing some Crémant Blanc de Blancs which, as expected, is absolutely superb (otherwise he would not do it)!

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
PERSISTENT FLORAL EVOLVING
LEFT OF CENTRE / ORGANIC / 750ML

Whole bunch fermented then pressed to amphora and large format oak. A spice fuelled light red with exotic fruits - guava, green mango and mangosteen.

From the Producer: Manually harvested in 20kg bins. Natural fermentation (natural yeast) in vats. Whole bunch maceration over 15 days. 12 months aging half in barrels (600L), half in Amphora. No filtration. Purple and light color, floral and peppery aromas (Sechuan pepper). A bold attack of spice evolves into floral notes. A delicate and persistent mouth. A remarkable wine full of finesse and elegance.

In January 2008, Charlotte and Thomas embarked on a marvellous winemaking adventure with the acquisition of the Terre de l'Élu domain (ex Clos de l’Élu), on the schist-rich lands of the Anjou Noir. With many years’ experience as a wine consultant (Thomas), in the fields of communication and management (Charlotte), they are both deeply passionate about the life of this domain which lies on the finest terroirs of the Layon valley. The 20 hectares are farmed organically and the domain offers a structured range of different wines. If it was the Chenin that attracted Thomas and Charlotte to Anjou, the red grape varieties (Cabernet Franc, Grolleau, Pineau d'Aunis) continue to inspire them with deep, rich vintages that are expressive and full of finesse.

Under this name, Terre de l'Élu, nothing changes in the way we manage our vines or produce our wine. However, we felt cramped in the straitjacket of appellations, and following several remarks on the non-conformity of the organoleptic qualities of our wines, we preferred to give priority to our freedom and creativity rather than trying to make wines that do not resemble us.

The word "Clos" being reserved for appellation wines only, we have therefore created a new name: Terre de l'Élu. A name full of meaning for the Breton winegrowers who love to take to the sea so much!

AY CHAMPAGNE FRANCE
MOOD MOUSSE GENEROUS
CLASSIC / BRUT DOSAGE 7g L / 750ML

A Pinot Noir predominant (80%) Champagne, Aÿ Grand Cru 100%, aged ‘en latte’, laying horizontally for 2 years to maximise lease contact. A generous wine offering ripe strawberry, toasted notes, and a dry clinical finish.

From the producer: Like all of the blends, the Champagne GATINOIS Brut Tradition is a true reflection of the Aÿ terroir’s unique character. It is made from the “heart of the terroir” of the family Domaine. Predominantly Pinot Noir (80%) which brings richness, structure and a delicious character. The 20% of Chardonnay adds a feminine touch to the blend. There is also a significant proportion of reserve wines in the blend (30%). The champagne is aged “sur lattes” (horizontally on racks) in our cellars for a minimum of 2 years before the yeasts are disgorged. A deep golden hue with coppery reflections indicates the richness of this blend. The nose opens with fresh notes of pears and lime blossom which give way to more intense, complex aromas and a characteristic Pinot Noir vinosity. Our Brut Tradition is fresh on entry to the palate with a good balance between fruit and finesse, a nice round structure and ripe fruit aromas which evolve into toasty notes. With its discreet sugar dosage (7g/l), this Champagne is well-suited to aperitifs, accompanied by foie gras toasts or sushi. Try it with seafood or a sea scallop carpaccio.

BEAUJOLAIS FRANCE
BRIGHT CRUNCH GAMAY
CLASSIC / ORGANIC / 13% ALC / 750ML

The Domaine is situated on the lofty slopes of Bel Air, overlooking the capital of Beaujolais, Beaujeu. Since 2009 their vineyards have been organically tended. The ‘Granits Bleus’ is an excellent example of the serious side of gamay. A coil of carbonic driven red fruits backed up by weathered rock and a welcoming tannic chew.

Domaine de Bel-Air has a deeply rooted history in Beaujolais dating back almost 180 years. Somewhat poetically, the original estate house of the Domaine is perched on the hill of Bel-Air overlooking the town of Beaujeu, capital of the Beaujolais region. But despite this long history, the destiny of the Domaine dramatically changed in 1986 when Jean-Marc Lafont, current owner with his wife Annick, took over the estate. Jean-Marc immediately took a different approach. In 1989, the vineyards started to be grown without chemicals and since 2009 they have been grown organically. To have his vineyard’s soil develop a biodiversity is a vision Jean-Marc cherishes. This biodiversity is essential to elaborate distinctive wines, which are synonymous with the location at which they are produced. Under the watch of Jean-Marc, the Domaine’s holding has been consolidated to 23 hectares in total.Jean-Marc’s father worked at Domaine de Bel-Air and Jean-Marc grew up running around the vineyard and helping out where possible. He has strong memories of his childhood at Domaine de Bel-Air and still remembers the different aromas floating around in the winery from that time.  It is that love affair and a deep connection that drove him to buy the Domaine and work as hard as possible to bring it to where it is today. You can identify that positive energy in his wines. Today, the Domaine has exceptionally old vineyards located in Beaujolais’ prime locations within the appellations of Morgon, Brouilly, Fleurie, Régnié and Moulin à Vent. Jean-Marc’s experience coupled with his natural curiosity, provide him with a profound understanding of his native region. Jean-Marc has seen the region evolve from the mass production of inexpensive wines to more terroir* driven wines of extreme finesse. What’s more, he has always led the charge to improve the quality of the wines by experimenting with new methods in order to enhance the limitless resources of the Beaujolais soils. From blue or rose granite to clay, manganese or schist, the variation of soils on the hills of the different Beaujolais villages brings fantastic diversity. The wines from Morgon, Brouilly and Fleurie are generous with vibrant red and black fruits, floral notes and spice. The colour oscillates from deep red to black and shows you how intense these wines are. An intensity that is very seductive and driven. The Moulin à Vent on the other end is more structured, spicy with some hints of violet and truffle when aged a bit. There are two special cuvées produced from two of the best vineyards of the Domaine with an average age of 80 years old that undergo oak maturation for 12 to 15 months. These two cuvées, Brouilly “Gorge de Loup” and Moulin à Vent “Granit et Manganèse” are examples of the capacity of certain Beaujolais vineyards to perform like a 1er or Grand Cru from Burgundy, its northern neighbour. These two cuvées can age for more than 15 years and be incredibly complex and impressive.