The Chillable Collection
Chilled, colorful and ready to serve. Our summer collection of orange, rosé and light red favorites goes straight from the fridge to the table—perfect for picnics, patios and warm-weather gatherings
Featured Orange
Location: United States, California
Winemaker: Evan Lewandowski
Grapes: Pinot Gris
About Ruth Lewandowski Wines, from the Producer: I’ve said it a thousand different ways since the beginning of Ruth Lewandowski Wines, and I think its most comprehensible to explain ‘Ruth’ as a concept more than a living breathing individual. A concept born out of the affiliation of my own philosophies of farming and winemaking (which indeed spill over to inform so many of my life beliefs) and one small but very significant text in the Old Testament of the Bible, the book of Ruth. Without sounding ‘preachy’ and so as not to offend the sensitive, and in the interest of concisely summing things up, I don’t believe there to be a deeper, more compelling depiction of the natural cycle of death and redemption (both in the physical realm we can see and the spiritual realm we often do not) than this one short book.
Death is, indeed, the engine of life.
Nothing that is alive today could be so without something having died first. This is the redemptive nature of our universe, of our planet, of our soils, plants, and ultimately you and I. The cessation of things is necessary to begin anew, even more fully. From the wreckage of death and tragedy at the beginning of the book of Ruth, a young woman finds life, finds beauty and is able to truly live…not simply in spite of the death, but because the death occurred at all. The regeneration of the life of our soils occurs only through organic matter…all completely dead, broken down carbon-based items. A natural fermentation is the building up and dying off of multiple strains of yeast and bacteria, each paving the way for the next strain to take over (and each leaving their altogether unique signatures of flavor, aroma, and textural compounds).
Who is Ruth? Well, with this sort of explanation, I suppose I could say that there is a bit of Ruth in all of us.
Location: France, Loire, Loir-et-Cher
Winemaker: Valérie & Louis Forgues
Grapes: Chenin Blanc, Orbois (Menu Pineau)
Soil: Clay, sand, silica
Winemaking: Skin maceration, an ancestral winemaking method, for our old Orbois and Chenin vines : a logical and respectful return to history.
A radiant orange color, a very fresh, subtle nose with notes of wild strawberries, plums and exotic fruits on the palate, supported by light tannins. Aromas of mango and touches of spices.
From the Producer: Valérie worked in Germany and met her husband during her meetings in Paris. She returns to France and the couple decided to take over a vineyard.
In 1997, they move to the Domaine de la Méchinière. In 2008, Valérie finds herself alone with her 2 children. She receives help from Didier BAROUILLET, from Clos Roche Blanche, one of the first organic winegrowers in the region. Didier guides her towards Organic Agriculture and natural winemaking.
Thanks to him, Valérie is able to find meaning and an ethic in her work in accordance with her conscience.
Louis was born in 1997, the year the family arrived at the Domaine. He grew up in the vineyards and, together with his younger brother, helped his mother from childhood. His studies as a Centrale engineer allowed him to go abroad, but he regularly returned at harvest time to help out at the Domaine. He quickly became essential. He was in Poland when the Covid made him question his path.
At the beginning of 2022, he decides to stay at the Domaine and open up new horizons.
The Salamander
It has been living for years in one of our vineyard, in a quiet and isolated place. We regularly see it in the company of a toad. The presence of such a rare and mythical animal in our world is an invaluable opportunity. We are happy and proud to make it our ambassador.
Respect for life
The well-being of our vines resonates with the harmony of our land and its inhabitants and is reflected in our wines. By working the soil, we provide the oxygenation necessary for its subterranean life, and the flora present regulates itself naturally. This life enriches our soil and encourages the reintroduction of more balanced fauna.
By returning to virtuous pruning methods such as the gobelet or Royat cordon, we are choosing to preserve our vines. Their smaller, more concentrated grape production contributes to the character of our wines.
We harvest by hand. Our vinifications are gentle and unhurried, to express the essence of our grapes. Fermentations take place thanks to their endogenous flora. Our wines are unfiltered and settle naturally. We age our wines, taking the time required for their balance and development.
Location: France, Alsace
Winemaker: Jean-Pierre Rietsch
Grapes: Savagnin Rose
Winemaking: Organic farming, hand harvest, Half wine is direct press, Half is macerated on the skins for 15 days. Aged 8 months. Indigenous yeast fermentation. Unfined and lightly filtered. This wine is Rosé in appearance.
Location: France, Alsace
Winemaker: François Bléger, Domaine Bléger, Saint Hippolyte
Grapes: Gewürztraminer
Soil: Granite
Winemaking: Grapes are sorted while harvested by hand, then macerated for 12 days as whole bunches (natural carbonic maceration). Gentle pressing, then 9 months of élevage in foudre and stainless steel tanks.
From the Importer Jenny & François: François Bléger has helmed his family estate in Saint Hippolyte since 1996, taking it over from his father, who previously sold the grapes directly. François began vinifying his own wine in their sandstone cellar, manually harvesting a variety of typical local grapes including Auxerrois, Muscat, Riesling, Pinot gris, Pinot noir and Gewurztraminer. His niece, Clémence, has been working with him the past few years, helping shepherd their conversion to organic farming. Here, they’ve provided us with a structured yet wonderfully easy-drinking new skin contact beauty!
‘Les Vins Pirouettes’ is a collective project launched by Christian Binner, the renowned Alsatian winemaker (part of our book, of course), who’s been making legendary zero-zero wines in his Ammerschwihr winery for more than 20 years. Saddened by the sight of organic and biodynamic grapes being sold for little to cooperatives, Christian decided to encourage these growers to make wine under their proper name instead, thus promoting the idea of soulful terroir wines made with zero nonsense both in the vineyard and the cellar.
Alsace is a great region for this goal, btw: thanks to the Vosges range protecting it from the West, it’s a sunny and dry area, exercising lower disease pressure on the sensitive Vitis Vinifera. And, given its colorful geology, the region is a true patchwork of soils and subsoils ranging from granite to limestone and volcanic plots. Combine it with the 13 typical local varietals and you have the ideal hotbed for a breathtaking span of flavors and styles, especially when respectfully grown; it would be a sin to let them disappear in some insipid cooperative wines.
Hence Pirouettes! A friendly, open association of an ever-growing number of like-minded vignerons. As we’re writing this, it consists of 14 organic and biodynamic small growers whose first names you’ll always find on the bottle, along with a title referring to the method (Pet-nat, Crémant…), cru (Bildstoecklé, Frankstein) or style of wine. The Glou Glousare—surprise surprise—highly drinkable, Tutti Frutti connotes a white blend of multiple grapes, Eros serves flamboyant macerated whites… All the wines are made with zero-additions in the winemakers’ own cellars, with the gentle helping hand of the project’s enologists Xavier Couturier and Pierre Sanchez. “It’s important to say that Pirouette is by no means a négoce,” the team explains. “On the contrary, each cuvée is vinified at the winemaker’s own place, respecting its history and character.” And since selling the wine is equally important yet not easy (it’s difficult to be a brand manager when you’re a full-time vineyard person), Rémi Ségura has joined the project to spread the word and is supported by Christian Binner’s reputation.
« Pirouettes » is the name they chose to symbolize the fun they’re having, but also because “these wines are like beautiful artistic figures, the result of certain know-how and mastery. Pirouette is a gesture of freedom, emotion, and joy,” Christian explains. Indeed, it’s an appropriate name for this liberated movement of skillful artisans, and a beautiful legacy for the winemaker who pushed it forward.
Location: Chile, Itata/Bío Bío
Winemaker: Roberto Henríquez
Grapes: (Skin Contact) Semillón
From us at M&L: 1 single block of vines producing around 3000kg of fruit per vintage. The wine is herbaceous with aromatic notes of apricot, Medjool date and fresh cucumber.
From the Importer T. Edward: Roberto Henríquez studied agronomy and enology at the University of Concepción. From there, he travelled and worked with winemakers in Canada, South Africa and finally in the Loire Valley with Rene Mosse. Rene had a profound effect on Roberto’s perspective on winemaking and his progression into organic and biodynamic farming.
Roberto, originally from Concepción, returned home after his time in abroad to begin making his own wine. Returning to the traditional Pipeño methods of the original winemakers of Chile felt intuitive to the winemaking style he had adopted. The rest of his story to present is pure progression to the pursuit of the most pure wines in a true Chilean context.
His vineyards were personally and carefully selected. Working with long term fermage agreements, he farms all the land himself (with the help of farming animals). To the north, in Itata, he is working with a vineyard of old vine Semillon and blends that with Corinto (aka Chasselas) and Muscat d’Alejandria producing an orange style wine. A little further south, in Bío Bío, he is farming Pais, from which he makes the Pipeño and the Santa Cruz de Coya.
He works with carbonic macerations and ages in old Rauli wood barrels. His wines are light-bodied, translucent, refined, and full of character!
Location: United States, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Winemaker: Brianne Day
Grapes: 46% Viognier, 44% Pinot Gris, 10% Muscat
From the Producer: Founded by winemaker and owner Brianne Day in the 2012 vintage, Day Wines is a producer of boutique, artisanal bottlings made from fruit sourced exclusively from a small group of Oregon growers who utilize Biodynamic, Organic and/or Sustainable vineyard practices. To create distinct expressions of our corner of the world, we focus on fruit harvested from the esteemed Willamette Valley to exotic varietals found in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley AVA.
Location: Italy, Lazio
Winemaker: Gianmarco Antonuzzi & Clémentine Bouveron
Grapes: Moscato Giallo
Soil: Volcanic, rich in iron
Winemaking: Organically and biodynamically managed vineyards. The winemaking process involves spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, fermented on the skins and the wine is aged in a combination of stainless steel and old oak barrels.
This wine is intended to ‘illustrate the beauty of nature and remind us of its fragility if exploited’. It is being sold to raise awareness for and support local farmers and residents that have come together to protest against plans to build an industrial geothermal electricity plant on the banks of Lago di Bolsena.
From us at M&L: Gianmarco Antonuzzi and Clémentine Bouveron tend around 14 hectares of land, with vineyards amongst olive groves, chestnut trees, shrubs and oaks. Sat around Lago di Bolsena near Gianmarco’s childhood town of Gradoli in Lazio’s north, the soils are volcanic, rich in iron and minerals.
Vines are planted at a density of up to 10,000 plants per hectare, from a mix of massale selections and ungrafted vines. Everything is done by hand, with careful attention to the needs of each plant and while biodynamic principles are employed, the approach here goes above and beyond.
Each year they produce a dizzying number of different wines which are vinified in an ancient cellar in the village’s centre where nothing is added at any stage. To taste here is a real treat, Gianmarco is a master of élevage and a real patience in this respect results in some of the purest, most delicious wines we have tried. This is a fascinating project, where the passion and dedication of two people is single handedly putting one of Italy’s lesser known villages firmly on the map.
Location: France, South West, Gaillac
Winemaker: Plageoles family — Florent and Romain
Grapes: 40% Muscadelle, 40% Ondenc, 5% Mauzac, 5% Verdanel, 5% Loin de l’œil, 5% Sauvignon Blanc
Soil: Bush vines on clay-limestone
Winemaking: Estate-owned, certified organic, farmed by the Plageoles family themselves. Hand harvest. The Muscadelle is whole-bunch macerated for 11 days, pressed and then aged in demi-muids for 9 months, the remaining varieties are direct-pressed and aged in tanks. Both spontaneous and ML fermentation happen spontaneously. The two parts are blended at the end of elevage. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, with a tiny bit of sulfur (20ppm total).
The Terroirists wines come from the Plageoles family’s own impressive bush vines; unlike their other wines that are single-varietal, this range is based on blends (or field-blends) of multiple indigenous varieties.
From the Importer Jenny & Francois: The wines of Gaillac as a whole are on the map today as wines of quality due to the hard work and adventurous spirit of the Plageoles family. It all started with Robert Plageoles, who took great pride in bringing back the lost indigenous varieties of the area. He researched and replanted over a dozen varieties (7 in the Mauzac family alone) indigenous to Gaillac that had all but vanished. Robert did painstaking work, often going in to the forest to find wild vines growing, and going to seed banks to resurrect these grapes. Robert’s son Bernard continued this work, and now his sons Florent and Romain have taken up the cause of natural wines in Gaillac.
The terroir in Gaillac is made up of clay, limestone, sand and silex soils. Gaillac receives more sunshine than Bordeaux and is graced by a cool maritime climate. Between the historic family vineyard of Très Cantous and the Roucou-Cantemerle vineyard totaling 20-hectares, they farm Mauzac Vert, Mauzac Noir, Ondenc, Duras, Muscadelle, and Prunelart. To drink the wines from Plageoles is to experience the fruit and terroir of living history.
The Plageoles are one of the oldest winemaking families in the AOC, and they are thoroughly invested in retaining the traditions and quality for the AOC that had been often overlooked, that however, have now been receiving well-deserved praise.
Location: United States, California
Winemaker: Evan Lewandowski
Grapes: Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, Malvasia, Kerner, Trebbiano and Moscato Bianco
Winemaking: Organic farming. Hand harvest. whole cluster, lightly, (hence the Italian term “Tatto’) skin fermented with indigenous yeast. Each was vinified separately by way of whole cluster skin maceration during fermentation. The bombastic and imminently drinkable skin contact one.
About Ruth Lewandowski Wines, from the Producer: I’ve said it a thousand different ways since the beginning of Ruth Lewandowski Wines, and I think its most comprehensible to explain ‘Ruth’ as a concept more than a living breathing individual. A concept born out of the affiliation of my own philosophies of farming and winemaking (which indeed spill over to inform so many of my life beliefs) and one small but very significant text in the Old Testament of the Bible, the book of Ruth. Without sounding ‘preachy’ and so as not to offend the sensitive, and in the interest of concisely summing things up, I don’t believe there to be a deeper, more compelling depiction of the natural cycle of death and redemption (both in the physical realm we can see and the spiritual realm we often do not) than this one short book.
Death is, indeed, the engine of life.
Nothing that is alive today could be so without something having died first. This is the redemptive nature of our universe, of our planet, of our soils, plants, and ultimately you and I. The cessation of things is necessary to begin anew, even more fully. From the wreckage of death and tragedy at the beginning of the book of Ruth, a young woman finds life, finds beauty and is able to truly live…not simply in spite of the death, but because the death occurred at all. The regeneration of the life of our soils occurs only through organic matter…all completely dead, broken down carbon-based items. A natural fermentation is the building up and dying off of multiple strains of yeast and bacteria, each paving the way for the next strain to take over (and each leaving their altogether unique signatures of flavor, aroma, and textural compounds).
Who is Ruth? Well, with this sort of explanation, I suppose I could say that there is a bit of Ruth in all of us.
Location: France, Franche-Comté
Winemaker: Hugo Courvoisier
Grapes: Pinot Auxerrois
Soil: From a south exposed 2.8 ha parcel with a 35% slope and soils of limestone scree
Winemaking: Organic farming. Hand harvest. Fermentation began spontaneously using only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts. 2day skin maceration. No sulfur additions were made during the vinification of this wine.
From the Importer Terres Blanches:
An hour northwest of Arbois, the village of Vuillafans sits tucked into the heart of the Vallée de la Loue, where steep, limestone slopes rise dramatically above the Loue river. Here, Hugo Courvoisier farms just over 3 hectares of Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, and Gamay, crafting crystalline, terroir-driven wines from this isolated Jura satellite.
Hugo grew up in northern Jura, a place where the raising of cattle for Comté production is more common than vineyards. Both of his grandfathers farmed cattle for cheesemaking—one also distilled spirits, while the other tended a small parcel of vines in the lower Jura and made a little wine. Some of his earliest childhood memories are of harvesting grapes and tending cattle. However, his early path seemed far removed from wine—he initially studied computer science—yet the pull of the land and the region’s agricultural traditions kept calling him back. Determined to change course, he enrolled in viticulture and enology school in Burgundy, where he immersed himself in both the technical foundations of winemaking and the philosophy of terroir expression. Reflecting on his abrupt career shift, Hugo explains: “I have always loved wine and the agricultural world—free, independent—a job where you start with cultivating the vines and follow through to creating the wine. Superb.”
At the completion of his studies, Hugo apprenticed in the Côtes de Nuits before returning to the Jura to work with Stéphane TISSOT to learn the intricacies of biodynamic farming. He then moved to Beaujolais to work with Clément David-Beaupère in the village of Julienas. At each stop Hugo learned the importance of good farming, meticulous cellar work, and the patience required to craft low-intervention wines of place. In 2017 Hugo moved to the “other side” of the business and took up a position with a wine merchant and wholesaler in Lyon, before returning home to become an agent for Jura vignerons. It was during this time that Hugo discovered the picturesque Vallée de la Loue, eventually purchasing a home in the village of Vuillafans.
Still longing to farm and produce his own wines, in 2021 Hugo jumped at the opportunity to purchase a small vineyard just outside of Vuillifans. Planted in 1990, the steep 2.8-hectare vineyard is exposed full south on soils of limestone scree overlooking the Loue river. The long rows of 100m increase in altitude from 1,150 to 1,475 feet (350-450m) as you go up the 35% slope. In 2022 Hugo added small parcels of Pinot Noir (.3ha) and Gamay (.1ha). From the outset, Hugo converted the vineyards to organic farming (certification expected in 2025) and began working with low-input, regenerative methods.
Setting up a cellar in the heart of Vuillafans, which he shares with Les Vignes à FanFan, Hugo produced his first vintage in 2022 . His winemaking is uncompromisingly natural: spontaneous fermentations with native yeasts, no fining or filtration, and no additions. To date Hugo has not used sulfur in the vinification process, but he is not opposed to it if he thinks it necessary. The wines are bright and pure, marked by tension and minerality, with a precision that belies the domaine’s youth. His inaugural 2022s immediately impressed us for their clarity, energy, and depth—a thrilling debut from a producer poised to shine the spotlight on what is possible in this emerging viticultural region.
Location: France, Roussillon
Winemaker: Tom Lubbe
Grapes: Macabeu, Muscat d’Alexandrie, Muscat Petit Grain
Soil: Schist, marl
Winemaking: Whole-cluster maceration. The grapes are co-fermented in concrete. The wine is then rackedto 2500L foudres to age on the lees.
‘Cuvée Marguerite’: The wine is a blend of three parcels and named after Tom's wife Natalie's grandmother.
From the Importer Louis/Dressner Selections: How does a New Zealander who grew up in South Africa end up starting an iconoclastic estate in the Roussillon? This isn't exactly an everyday occurrence, but so it goes for Tom Lubbe of Domaine Matassa. In the late 90's, Tom was working at the only estate in South Africa using indigenous yeasts and lower yields. Interested in working with Mediterranean varietals, Tom managed to score a three month internship at the legendary Domaine Gauby in the village of Calce. Gérard Gauby quickly befriended Tom and asked him to come back for three consecutive vintages as a cellar hand. During that time, Tom met his wife Nathalie, who just so happens to be Gérard's sister.
The birth of their first child made Tom reconsider moving back to South Africa, opting instead to stay in Calce to start his own estate. Matassa was founded in 2003, with the first vintage entirely produced in the recently married couple's living room. Gérard felt so bad about this that he gave Tom the old Gauby cellar in 2004!
Tom works with many of the traditional Catalan varieties: Carignan, Mourvèdre, Grenache (mostly Lladonner Pelut, the ancient Catalan strain of Grenache), Grenache Gris, Muscat d'Alexandrie and Muscat Petits-Grains. These grapes are often co-planted together, particularly in the very old vines. In total, 20 hectares are cultivated on lime, clay, schist, marl, black slate and black marl soils. While Tom still farms some of the very low yielding old vines around the village of Calce, he has vastly expanded to different areas where yields are more generous, typically in the 25/30 hl/ha range (still relatively low for the region). These include the lieu-dit Coume de l'Olla as well as a 2019 acquisition of eight hectares planted above his new farmhouse (read more about this in our 2019 visit).
The vineyards are worked naturally without any chemical aids and Tom is certified organic by Ecocert. And while he does occasionally use biodynamic techniques to activate and nourish his soils, over the years this has become less of a priority. Instead, an adamant dedication to cover crops has completely transformed his soils and in turn the wines. Tom is convinced that the increased insect life within the soils, particularly worms, has changed the flavors of his wines. Another shocking effect: a drastic drop in alcohol. Tom has always harvested much earlier than most, usually starting with the Muscat in early August. In 2005, they would typically reach a potential of 13.5% alcohol. In 2018, they came in around 10.5%.
Much has also changed in the cellar over the years. All the wines have now intentionally been declassified to Vin de France. As mentioned above, the alcohol is much lower, rarely more than 12%. The white wines are all macerated on their skins, a choice that goes back to "Alexandria" 2008, the first Matassa wine of its kind. For the reds, whole-cluster infusions take precedent to maceration and extraction, with white grapes often co-fermented. If oak is used, it is not to bring structure to the wine but rather oxygen. Longer élevages have been abandoned to bottle wines much earlier. Everything is bottled without filtration or fining. Sulfur, which Tom had used judiciously in the past, has not been added to any of the production since the 2015 vintage.
Location: France, Loire, Touraine
Winemaker: Vincent Roussely
Grapes: 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Menu Pineau, 10% Chenin Blanc
Soil: Clay, limestone
Winemaking: Certified organic. Hand harvest. 3-weeks skin maceration in tank. Fermented with indigenous yeast.
From the Importer Stork Wine Company: Back in the 18th century, Clos Roussely was an outbuilding of the enormous castle perched at the center of the village of Angé-sur-Cher. Even today, its meter-and-a-half thick walls do a better job of insulating the ancient winery than most modern constructions, and the 250-year-old, hand-dug caves are stacked floor-to-ceiling with perfectly conditioned barrels. The transition from outbuilding to winery began in 1917, when Anatole Roussely purchased it with the intention of converting it into a winemaking facility. He was the first of four generations to pour his life's work into the Clos, and today his great-grandson, Vincent Roussely, carries on the tradition with the same meticulous attention to detail.
In 1917, Anatole, the great-grandfather, bought the Clos and set up shop as a winegrower and distiller. Marcel, the grandfather, developed the vineyard and in 1947 created a wine trading company. At the beginning of the 1980s, Jean Claude and Nicole, Vincent's father and aunt, devoted themselves to the development of the trading company and left it to a winegrower from the village to take care of the Clos vines. Vincent Roussely decided to take over the operation and buildings of the old trade in 2001. From then on, he continues to bring this place back to life, to develop it to better welcome and share his passion for wine.
The vineyard is located in the heart of the village of Angé and overlooks the shores of the Cher. Located in the Touraine and Touraine-Chenonceaux appellation area. It extends over 8 hectares certified in Organic Agriculture (since 2007). The oldest vines of the domain are 80 years old. The clay-limestone terroir with filled with flint soil, as well as the temperate climate allow a superb expression of Sauvignon Blanc. This grape represents about 80% of the estate. The other grape varieties of the estate are Côt, Pineau d'Aunis, Cabernet Franc and Gamay.
The soil is maintained with respect by plowing and scratching the soil. No herbicides, pesticides or chemicals are ever used in the vineyard. The oldest vines are plowed by horse and many different types of trees and plants have been planted throughout the vineyard to protect the vines and promote biodiversity within the farm. The vineyard is also home to horses, donkeys and sheep. Harvest is done manually.
The vinification takes place in cellars dug into the tufa under the vineyard. These galleries were dug 250 years ago and specially adapted for winemaking and wine aging. They sum up the philosophy of the estate, modern but traditional. Custom shaped stainless steel tanks have been built inside the rock walls itself. Imagine a tank with a wall of 1.20 meters thick!The constant temperature between the seasons allows for slow fermentation and storage of the wine without thermal variations. Some cuvées are aged in 400 liter French oak barrels, cleaned and steamed annually. The wines are made naturally without commercial yeast or fining. This is accomplished by rigorous work in the vineyard and then the cellar. It guarantees authentic wines that respect the place they come from as well as the consumer. Sulfur is used in small amounts.
Time does its work and not chemistry ...
Location: France, Rhône
Winemaker: Thomas & Jean-Daniel Ozil
Grapes: 70% Marsanne, 30% Sauvignon Blanc
Soil: Clay, limestone
Winemaking: Organic farming. Syrah is 10 days whole cluster maceration. Marsanne macerated on the skins for 10 days. Wine is made with native yeasts, unfined, unfiltered, zero sulfites added.
From the Producer: The Ozil estate is established at Mas de Bourret, a typical Ardèche dwelling located not far from Vallon Pont d'Arc, a few steps from the Gorges de l'Ardèche and the Grotte Chauvet 2. The cellar dug into the rock, next to the bread oven, the office installed in the old pigsty, the hay loft which has given way to housing…all testify to a peasant history, in communion with nature. Brothers and winegrowers, Thomas and Jean-Daniel offer you natural and organic wines.
Location: Germany, Mosel
Winemaker: Sybille Kuntz
Grapes: Riesling
Soil: Sandy soils
Winemaking: Organic farming. Hand harvest. After crushing and destemming, the grapes go into open vats to ferment on the skins for 5–6 weeks. Then, they’re pressed into foudre and remain on the lees until spring. All Riesling wines are aged on the lees for a minimum of five months before being filtered using a diatomaceous earth filter.
An intensely aromatic skin-contact Riesling, springing forth with notes of apricot and orange. The palate is equally compelling, showing tangy citrus flavors that meld seamlessly together with the wine’s subtle tannins. Pale orangey gold. Intensely aromatic with apricot, orange and barley sugar. Tangy, sour-citrus flavors, lots of freshness and the tannins are just right for harmony. I think this would be a very versatile food wine. Long, chewy finish.
From the Importer T. Edward: Sybille Kuntz Winery is a family-owned German winery that specializes in producing high-quality Riesling wines. Founded by Sybille Kuntz in 1990, the winery is located in the Mosel region, renowned for its steep vineyards and mineral-rich soils. Sybille Kuntz grew up in a winemaking family and studied winemaking at the Geisenheim University in Germany. She took over the family winery in 1990 and began to implement her own unique approach to winemaking, focusing on quality over quantity and letting the terroir speak for itself.
Today, Sybille Kuntz Winery is known for its exceptional Riesling wines that reflect the unique characteristics of the Mosel region. The winery produces a limited number of wines each year, with a strong emphasis on handcrafted production methods and minimal intervention in the winemaking process. The wines have gained a reputation for their purity, elegance, and balance, and have received numerous awards and accolades from wine critics and enthusiasts alike. Sybille Kuntz Winery remains a benchmark for quality Riesling wines around the world.
Location: Germany, Pfalz
Winemaker: Sabine Woehrwag
Grapes: Huxelrebe, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay
Soil: Limestone
Winemaking: Organic farming. 10 days contact with the skins, aged in large used wooden barrel. No Filtration or fining—it is intentially cloudy with yeast which gives a little texture to the very low alcohol wines (just 10.5%!).
From the Importer Vom Boden: This is an estate KP Keller introduced us to in 2020 and we took a small flyer on the rosé last year, based solely on the extreme cut of the basic Riesling and, well, we were blown away. This is from the limestone Pfalz, where Pinot Noir does quite well. We’ve secured a bit more of this for 2021 and we expect fireworks.
If you haven’t heard of Frühburgunder it is an early ripening, delicate and elegant cousin to Pinot Noir. Very aromatic, soaring red fruit, lots of citrus, a salty minerality.
All the wines are made of 100% estate fruit, harvested by hand. The estate gave up using pesticides/herbicides in 2006 and instead fights weeds mechanically. Since 2020 they are in the process of becoming certified Organic to hand over their vineyards in best conditions to their sons.
Featured Rosé
Location: France, Provence
Winemaker: Jean-Christophe Comor
Grapes: 45% Grenache, 30% Carignan, 25% Cinsault
Soil: Clay-limestone
Winemaking: Organic farming. The grapes are hand harvested, gently pressed and vinified with indigenous yeasts. High elevation rosé at 1300 feet above sea level.
From us at M&L: The location and terrain of Jean-Christophe Comor‘s estate is so perfect to him that he named it Domaine les Terres Promises (the Promised Land!).
Perched 400 meters above and 30km back from the Mediterranean this is a site that, since antiquity, has proven ideal. The whole estate is over clay/limestone and the altitude allows the 20+ indigenous varieties (!) to ripen slowly, while they retain all the freshness of acidity Jean-Christophe (and we) crave. He is so enamored with his terroir that he refers to working here as “a privilege”.
Since his debut vintage in 2004 Jean-Christophe has consistently produced exceptional, polished, totally natural wines that drink with such pleasant texture that we think of them as perfect introductions to the cornucopia of wines from Provence that exist outside of the famous, fabled Bandol with its sun-tan-lotion rosés and cut-with-a-knife reds.
From the Producers: We settled in 2004 in the foothills of Sainte-Baume to create a wine estate which now covers 15 hectares. We decided to work our vines according to the principles of organic farming, to vinify and age our wines in a natural way (without addition or input).
Our task is to accompany the vine so that the wine expresses, in the most beautiful way possible, all the identity of its land. Each plot has its own personality that can be found in each of our cuvées.
At an altitude of 400 meters, on a Jurassic dolomitic limestone terroir more than thirty kilometers from the Mediterranean, our land has benefited, since antiquity, from privileged conditions for working the vines. We cultivate a dozen red and white grape varieties in organic farming on fairly homogeneous clay-limestone soil.
The altitude of the estate allows us to pick our grapes later while preserving the freshness we value. In respect of nature and the grapes, our harvests are done manually.
Location: France, Rhône
Winemaker: Mathieu Barret
Grapes: Grenache
From the Importer Bobo Selections: Our Jerry Garcia of the Northern Rhône, biodynamic since 2001, Matthieu sits alone with his Vallée du Coulet parcels, his cement eggs and a deference to the purity of savage. His biosphere is in Cornas.
Matthieu Barret was born in Aix-en-Provence in 1975 and studied viticulture in Beaune.
He is the 7th generation vigneron and joined his grandfather in Cornas in 1997. Previously, his family had only been farming and selling grapes.
In Beaune, Matthieu discovered immediately his proclivity with organic viticulture and with living ecosystems. Beginning with the first vintage in 2000, Matthieu worked principally in the vineyard, applying his hand with organic viticulture. Not content with his end result, in 2006 he decided to radically change his vinification process by using less barrels and replacing them with concrete eggs. His ongoing evolution and pursuit of purity and expression continue to dominate his chais.
In 2012, he stopped using machines in Cornas and replaced them with mules, horses, and manual labor. He also started to create ‘green spaces’ around the farm, digging watering holes to nourish an ecosystem with a diversity of species. ie: vines and the forest, meadows and woodlands.
According to Matthieu, the plant is happier in a wild environment rather than in a desert comprised of only vines. This diversity brings a distinct identity to his grapes; when the vineyard biome is treated with respect, he says, this balance is easier to maintain.
Matthieu owns 11 ha in Cornas with of the total 150 ha in the AOP, including his monopole ‘Vallée du Coulet’ in the northern most part of Cornas, most famous for its impossible steep grade and its exposure to Le Mistral. Le Mistral is a famous current of wind that blows from Lyon and ends in Provence. It’s a maddening wind, that keeps this vineyard spectacularly dry even in times of rain.
Location: United States, California
Winemaker: Evan Lewandowski
Grapes: Tinto Roriz, Souzão, Touriga Nacional
Soil: Sandstone
Winemaking: : Tinta Roriz was whole cluster direct pressed (no skin contact). Touriga Nacional and Souzao were foot trodden together and pressed post ~2 hours maceration. Natural fermentation occurred without temperature control or fermentation aids of any sort. The wine went through full native malolactic conversion. It spent 5 months on lees, one racking before blending/bottling. It was bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without additions of SO2.
About Ruth Lewandowski Wines, from the Producer: I’ve said it a thousand different ways since the beginning of Ruth Lewandowski Wines, and I think its most comprehensible to explain ‘Ruth’ as a concept more than a living breathing individual. A concept born out of the affiliation of my own philosophies of farming and winemaking (which indeed spill over to inform so many of my life beliefs) and one small but very significant text in the Old Testament of the Bible, the book of Ruth. Without sounding ‘preachy’ and so as not to offend the sensitive, and in the interest of concisely summing things up, I don’t believe there to be a deeper, more compelling depiction of the natural cycle of death and redemption (both in the physical realm we can see and the spiritual realm we often do not) than this one short book.
Death is, indeed, the engine of life.
Nothing that is alive today could be so without something having died first. This is the redemptive nature of our universe, of our planet, of our soils, plants, and ultimately you and I. The cessation of things is necessary to begin anew, even more fully. From the wreckage of death and tragedy at the beginning of the book of Ruth, a young woman finds life, finds beauty and is able to truly live…not simply in spite of the death, but because the death occurred at all. The regeneration of the life of our soils occurs only through organic matter…all completely dead, broken down carbon-based items. A natural fermentation is the building up and dying off of multiple strains of yeast and bacteria, each paving the way for the next strain to take over (and each leaving their altogether unique signatures of flavor, aroma, and textural compounds).
Who is Ruth? Well, with this sort of explanation, I suppose I could say that there is a bit of Ruth in all of us.
Location: France, Loire, Loir-et-Cher
Winemaker: Jean Quastana
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Gamay
Soil: Clay over broken-down limestone
From the Importer Selection Massale: We were introduced to Jeremy by our good friend Olivier Lemasson. Jeremy worked with Olivier for a few years and managed to grab a couple hectares of land not far from Olivier's main plot in the Loir et Cher, not far from Cheverny. Before that, Jeremy learned the trade at Marcel Lapierre's winery and did a six-month internship at Clos Ouvert in Chile. In four vintages, he has shown that he can make clean, highly drinkable wines with very little sulphur dioxide. Jeremy is still a young vigneron and, in our opinion, he gets better every year.
The vineyard is one plot composed of young vine Gamay, middle-aged Cot, and old vine Gamay on a gentle slope of clay over Silex.
Location: France, Provence
Winemaker: Théophile Milan
Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault
From the Importer Avant Garde: Nestled at the foothills of Les Alpilles the story of Domaine Milan started in 1955. In 1986, Henri Milan took over with the ambition of making the best possible wine with respect to the environment. The Domain includes 10 ha planted with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache Blanc, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Rolle, Muscat.
In the mid 90’s his encounter with Claude Bourguignon (famous microbiologist) and Claude Courtois (Domaine Les Cailloux du Paradis) helped and convinced him to further enhance the identity of his great terroir and ameliorate his winemaking.
Since 2000, Henri has made wine based on their origins blue marl on limestone and yellow sandstone. The reds such Le Papillon or Le CLOS have gained in elegance and freshness thanks to shorter macerations with whole clusters and natural vinification. The famous cuvee Grand Blanc, his blend of all his white grapes, shows more tension and salinity.
Location: France, Corsica
Winemaker: Julie & Mathieu Marfisi
Grapes: Niellucciu
Soil: Silt, Clay on limestone
From us at M&L: A keen sense of place - its history and its landscape - and a clever, intrepid touch in the cellar make the wines of Corsica’s Clos Marfisi something we always look forward to.
Mathieu and Julie, brother and sister team, are fifth generation growers in Patrimonio. Wine is grown in different sites across the island, but Patrimonio is special: an amphitheater of limestone jutting right out of the sea. In some cases there is virtually no topsoil, just bald beautiful stones. This gift makes for appetizingly fresh wines that can also be quite long lived.
Here, Julie and Mathieu only work with native varieties (one way that they stay connected to the area’s venerable history), and they focus on three remarkable vineyards, Grotta di Sole, Gritole, and Ravagnola.
Today we are celebrating the arrival of three gorgeous wines, all from the stunning Ravagnola site. Silt and clay barely cover the west-facing limestone hills here, and the site is planted to a special array of local grapes: Niellucciu, Minustellu, and Carcaghjolu Neru.
Each wine is an ingenious look at how to treat a single parcel. There is a classic Patrimonio of Niellucciu offering deep aromas and deep poise, a field blend showcasing the balance of shrubby herbs and fresh coastal fruits, and an inspired blanc de noir of gravity-pulled free run Niellucciu owing to the fact that there was no white wine made in ‘22.
From the Importer Selection Massale: If you aren’t familiar with Corsica, the main event is Patrimonio. This AOC covers 400ha with half of them being owned by the two largest producers, and the other half split up amongst 30 smaller growers. If you haven’t already guessed, Clos Marfisi is part of the latter. Brother and sister, Mathieu and Julie are fifth generation at the helm of this estate, having taken over from their father, Touissant, when Julie returned in 2001, and her brother in 2012, from having careers elsewhere in France (including the venerable Chateau Pibarnon in Provence).
Now, we thought that we had seen it all in terms of limestone, but Corsica takes the cake. Clos Marfisi’s vineyards (which Touissant planted about 40-50 years ago) rise up from the Mediterranean with southern and western exposures on steep slopes that are practically white with large chunks of broken up limestone. Seriously impressive. Equally impressive is the fact that they never gave into outside pressure and the entirety of the estate is planted to local varieties, so you won’t find any Grenache here. Their father is still very active in the vineyards, and is the main reason that this estate has never been touched by pesticides or herbicides, which were shunned for one reason or another by previous generations of vignerons on the island. This commitment to organics continues and the estate will be certified Bio by the 2018 vintage. Vestiges of the old guard remain in the cellar as well where native yeasts have always been used for fermentations, and sulfur levels are kept to a minimum.
As president of the Patrimonio AOC, Mathieu has a clear vision for where the estate is headed, and we like what we are seeing. Their commitment to honoring the past while shaping their own future is incredibly exciting to us.
In 2020 Mathieu injured his back and couldn't get on a tractor for months, so all his friends — Thomas Santamaria, Nicolas Mariotti Bindi, and Jean-Baptiste Arena took care of working the vineyards for him, so he decided to make a wine called ‘Patrimonio Mon Amour’ as a thank you. It’s a friendly glou glou with very little extraction and no SO2 added during vinification. Four days maceration whole cluster with first-harvest Niellucciu from the Grotta di Sole and Ravagnola parcels. Fresh, not overly complex, and highly drinkable.
Location: Chile, Itata/Bío Bío
Winemaker: Roberto Henríquez
Grapes: Moscatel Rosado
Soil: Granite
Winemaking: Organic farming. Fermented with native yeasts with skin contact until full dryness (3 weeks maceration in total). Still a pink color as the Moscatel is not a red grape, in the style of a ramato wine ultimately. Bottled without filtering, naturally hazy with sediment. Nothing added except a tiny degree of sulfites at bottling. Only released in magnum bottles, a mere 400 made.
From the Importer T. Edward: Roberto Henríquez studied agronomy and enology at the University of Concepción. From there, he travelled and worked with winemakers in Canada, South Africa and finally in the Loire Valley with Rene Mosse. Rene had a profound effect on Roberto’s perspective on winemaking and his progression into organic and biodynamic farming.
Roberto, originally from Concepción, returned home after his time in abroad to begin making his own wine. Returning to the traditional Pipeño methods of the original winemakers of Chile felt intuitive to the winemaking style he had adopted. The rest of his story to present is pure progression to the pursuit of the most pure wines in a true Chilean context.
His vineyards were personally and carefully selected. Working with long term fermage agreements, he farms all the land himself (with the help of farming animals). To the north, in Itata, he is working with a vineyard of old vine Semillon and blends that with Corinto (aka Chasselas) and Muscat d’Alejandria producing an orange style wine. A little further south, in Bío Bío, he is farming Pais, from which he makes the Pipeño and the Santa Cruz de Coya.
He works with carbonic macerations and ages in old Rauli wood barrels. His wines are light-bodied, translucent, refined, and full of character!
Location: United States, California
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Winemaking: Harvested late in the evening on August 28th. All fruit was foot-trodden to enhance color and phenolic extraction, with 4 hours of skin contact before pressing. Native fermentations took place in stainless steel drums and neutral French oak barrels. After primary fermentation, barrels were topped and moved to cold storage to halt full malolactic fermentation.
The Pinot Noir comes from our small block at Barnwell Vineyard, a certified California sustainable vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Grower Joey Barnwell, aside from being one of Bobby’s childhood friends, is a second generation farmer whose family has lived on and farmed this land since the 1970’s. Only organic sprays used while farming.
From the Producers: We are joseph-jibril and we love wine. We believe that the craft of winemaking is inherently personal, so we put our middle names on it (because Bobby Jaam Wines doesn’t have the same ring to it). Our journey started with conversations in a parking lot and became a reality with lots of help and hard work. After years in the cellar making wines for others, we decided to take a leap of faith and start our own project.
Winemaking is an encapsulation of a moment in time. Its energy changes throughout its lifecycle, and perception of it is subjective.
We make crushable wine for all to enjoy. We want our wines to be both fun and serious. . . approachable and interesting, delicious and thought-provoking, all while being clean and sound.
We make minimal intervention wine and focus on providing the necessary conditions for the optimal expression of the vineyard’s fruit. Sometimes the result is opulent, silky, and coating. Other times it is light, floral, and expressive — we never want to stand in the way of that self-actualization.
We recognize the hard work involved in all facets of wine production. It is never just the winemakers–we have support from vineyard workers, cellar interns, truck drivers, growers, friends and family who all work insanely hard to help us encapsulate this ‘moment in time’.
Location: France, Provence
Winemaker: Jean-Christophe Comor
Grapes: 34% Grenache, 33% Mourvèdre, 33% Cinsault
Soil: Clay-limestone
Winemaking: Organic farming. Single parcel located in Castellet. Wine is hand harvested, made with native yeasts, unfined and lightly filtered.
From us at M&L: The location and terrain of Jean-Christophe Comor‘s estate is so perfect to him that he named it Domaine des Terres Promises (the Promised Land!).
Perched 400 meters above and 30km back from the Mediterranean this is a site that, since antiquity, has proven ideal. The whole estate is over clay/limestone and the altitude allows the 20+ indigenous varieties (!) to ripen slowly, while they retain all the freshness of acidity Jean-Christophe (and we) crave. He is so enamored with his terroir that he refers to working here as “a privilege”.
Since his debut vintage in 2004 Jean-Christophe has consistently produced exceptional, polished, totally natural wines that drink with such pleasant texture that we think of them as perfect introductions to the cornucopia of wines from Provence that exist outside of the famous, fabled Bandol with its sun-tan-lotion rosés and cut-with-a-knife reds.
From the Producers: We settled in 2004 in the foothills of Sainte-Baume to create a wine estate which now covers 15 hectares. We decided to work our vines according to the principles of organic farming, to vinify and age our wines in a natural way (without addition or input).
Our task is to accompany the vine so that the wine expresses, in the most beautiful way possible, all the identity of its land. Each plot has its own personality that can be found in each of our cuvées.
At an altitude of 400 meters, on a Jurassic dolomitic limestone terroir more than thirty kilometers from the Mediterranean, our land has benefited, since antiquity, from privileged conditions for working the vines. We cultivate a dozen red and white grape varieties in organic farming on fairly homogeneous clay-limestone soil.
The altitude of the estate allows us to pick our grapes later while preserving the freshness we value. In respect of nature and the grapes, our harvests are done manually.
Location: Germany, Baden
Winemaker: Hans-Bert Espe & Silke Wolf
Grapes: Pinot Noir
From the Importer Vom Boden: Hans-Bert Espe and Silke Wolf have two of the coolest names in German winemaking.
We recognize this fact is completely irrelevant to their practices in the vineyard, in the cellar, and to the outstanding quality of the wines as a whole… probably to everything. Still, it felt wrong not to point out this simple fact.
This ridiculous introduction, however, does provide the perfect logic for our next question: what, then, isrelevant?
What’s most relevant is that the husband-and-wife team of Hans-Bert and Silke Wolf (pictured above) are making inspired, delicate and polished Pinot Noirs in a region dominated by heavy, cumbersome, oak-and-alcohol-laden Pinot Noirs that taste, well, often not so much like Pinot Noir.
What’s most relevant is the scale, the human scale,of this operation. In a region overrun by mega-sized, agriculture/industrial cooperatives, Hans-Bert and Silke farm their own few hectares of vines with great care, making only a little bit of wine, with great care.
The story here is really not that much different than the story at Enderle & Moll. At Shelter, as with Enderle & Moll, we have two people with a vision that puts thoughtfulness in the vineyard and clarity in the wine above yields in the vineyard and alcohol in the wine. The results are unlike all the others.
But ignoring the cooperatives for a moment, if you’ve heard anything about “quality” German Pinot Noir and Baden as a whole, you’ve likely heard someone say “Kaiserstuhl.” This region in Baden – a collection of volcanic hills toward the south – is where the “famous” German Pinots have come from, at least in the last few decades. It’s a hot place, and twenty years ago this factor was probably important for ripening. Not so much anymore, let’s just say that. Although the region is trying to redefine itself, for many the “Kaiserstuhl” has become synonymous with over-oaked, unbalanced and high-alcohol Pinot Noir – as if success for German red wine would be achieving the international plushness of Merlot grown in Portugal.
The vineyards of Hans-Bert and Silke (as well as Sven Enderle and Florian Moll) are north of the Kaiserstuhl. To be fair, they’re only about a half-hour north. But a lot changes in those thirty-or-so minutes. First, you have a much cooler microclimate, with the Black Forest cooling down the area. Second, the volcanic soils of the Kaiserstuhl give way to limestone and loess. You can likely see where this is going: Pinot Noirs with lower alcohols and higher acidities.
Location: France, Alsace, Côtes de Toul
Winemaker: Camille Migot
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Gamay
Soil: Limestone
Vin Gris: The Mosel River begins in Alsace but spends most of its time running north through the Lorraine, the ignored little-brother of Alsace. This is the homeland of rosé, here called “Vin Gris.” For those looking for wines of finesse and delicacy, this is a thrilling region and there is no one better than the young Camille Migot: all hand-harvested, certified organic, all wild-yeast fermentations, NO chaptalization. SERIOUS. The Vin Gris is the calling card of the region, layered rosé that carries the nervous energy of the north.
From the Importer Vom Boden: The Côtes de Toul appellation is small, only about 100 hectares. Second, there are few really serious growers (perhaps only one?) looking to make more than just good-enough, cheap-ish wines.
Camille Migot is most certainly serious. He is a young dude; his first vintage was 2013. Migot’s family has been working the vineyards around here for some 13 generations. Thus he has some pretty concrete ideas of what he will and won’t do. The estate, only five hectares in size, is certified organic and the vineyard work is impressive. If these sites aren’t famous, they are loved. You can feel it (and you can see it). Every grape is hand-harvested. In the cellar, Camille is part of the younger generation looking past the “technologies” of the past few decades and returning to something more basic. All fermentations are carried out by natural yeasts. Élevage can be in both stainless steel or neutral oak; bottling is carried out with only the lightest of filtering.
The soul of the wines in Migot’s Côtes de Toul has more to do with Chablis and Chitry than anything else. They are sharp; the fruit can be very detailed, but the layers are always fine and the overall sensation fresh. The minerality, the acidity of the region, has a texture, a saturating quality that is staining and pervasive.
So Côtes de Toul, eh? Y’up.
Location: Germany, Mosel
Winemaker: Florian Fauth
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Soil: Slate
From the Importer Vom Boden: Florian Fauth is comfortable in his own skin.
Which is saying something these days for a winemaker in the Rheinhessen. The winemaking landscape here, after all, has undergone a nearly inconceivable, 180-degree sea-change in last two decades.
In one sentence, this region has gone from being the armpit of German wine (remember, this was the land of “Liebfraumilch”) to being the white-hot, super star in the spotlight. Winemakers and estates that have been largely ignored for decades, now have people knocking on the door and clamoring for appointments.
There is, really, one major reason for this drastic turn of events: Keller.
Klaus Peter Keller is the most famous practitioner of dry German Rieslings and he’s from the Rheinhessen. More importantly, Keller currently works vineyards in the Rheinhessen. It’s funny: sites that were, only a short time ago, all but unknown to the general public (Abtserde, Kirchspiel, Morstein, etc.) are now mentioned with reverence and awe.
The fact that Keller’s wines have achieved jaw-dropping prices has inspired a small cottage industry of critics, media folks and yes, importers, to ask the all-too-obvious question: “Who is the next Keller?”
In this tense atmosphere, it’s easy enough to understand the jostling and positioning. It’s easy enough to understand the logic of the wines that have grown (in direct relationship to the winemakers’ egos?) in alcohol, texture, richness, alcohol… The goal, one sometimes feels, is not great wine; the goal is to be noticed.
Thus in this context, Florian Fauth, who has continued over the last decade to make wines of clarity and balance, has assumed an surprisingly radical stance. Florian’s good-natured quality, his ease, his sense of proportion and his firm grip on what’s really important: you can see this, you can taste this, in the wines. It’s not that the wines don’t have ambition – far from it. Rather, it just feels like the wines are content in being really good, or in being great, or in being whatever it is they are… without having to shout about it.
What makes this all the more impressive and confusing and interesting is the fact that Florian’s sister is Julia Keller, which makes Klaus Peter Keller his brother-in-law. Seehof is only about a 10-minute drive from Keller; Seehof holds a good number of parcels in some of the aforementioned hallowed vineyards, including Kirchspiel and Morstein. (We know you can’t read the map below, but it’s one of the cooler breakdowns of the vineyards around Westhofen and Flörsheim-Dalsheim. Trust us.)
For the wines of the Rheinhessen, the key is limestone. This is what gives the wines their glycerin-induced sexiness. This is also what gives them the flair of acidity, a presence strong enough to counter the lavish extract and to keep the wines from feeling gooey or too heavy. It’s a delicate balance, to be honest, but when you nail it… well, it’s impressive.
At this moment I don’t know of an estate that makes a more profound “basic” estate wine than Florian at Seehof. The wines, both the dry and off-dry, are crystalline and pure with buoyant fruit and plenty of energy. For the money, you just can’t find anything better.
Location: France, South West, Cahors
Winemaker: Fabien Jouves
Grapes: Malbec, Tannat, Merlot
Soil: clay, limestone
Winemaking: saignée method; long maceration, bottled young
‘À Table!!!’: Brash and full of life, this rosé is dreamy and decadent when paired with a banh mi, any charcuterie, and spicy foods. Thirst-quenching and herbacious and fun!
From the importer Zev Rovine Selections: Fabien Jouves is from an old farming family in Causse and became a winemaker in 2006 when he created his first cuvée, “Mas del Périé”, on the highest slopes of Cahors.
Jouves’ estate, 21 hectares in the junction of Quercy and Cahors, was selected to highlight the many expression of Côt. Reinforcing this is Fabien’s commitment to biodynamic viticulture that respects “life, plant, man, and the environment.” Following biodynamic agriculture adds strength to his terroir by supporting the whole environment from the vines to the animals.
The vinification is completely natural without any oenological inputs. His wines are then aged in concrete vats, barrels, or casks, according to its characteristics and personality.
Location: Germany, Swabia
Winemaker: Jochen Beurer
Grapes: Trollinger, Blauer Portugieser, Zweigelt, Spätburgunder
Soil: limestone, sandstone
Winemaking: saignée method; fermented in stainless steel
From the Importer Vom Boden: Beurer makes a rosé that drinks like biodynamic Gatorade—this wine zings: it is pure energy. It is fresh like a spring garden around 6 a.m. just as the overeager sun pokes its gonzo eye above the horizon, pushing away the wet dew.
An ex-European BMX Champion gone natural wine guru, in Swabia. Some things don’t have to make sense, ok?
Here’s the hypothesis we’ll set out to prove: Jochen Beurer may be one of the most important winemakers in Germany.
His wines are pure energy; they have a universal vibration to them. They seemingly do not follow the laws of physics that govern the rest of the conventional wine world. They float.
Among winemakers in Germany, Beurer is revered and his whites and reds are nearly always considered among the greats. Few winemakers are able to achieve such thrust and such purity, from the simpler Trollinger and Portugieser up to Grauburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc and, yes, Riesling.
Yet Beurer’s influence flows not only through his wines, but through his actions. Jochen is one of the deepest thinkers about the environment beyond the vineyards. A tour with Beurer is as likely to include a discussion of his bees, the vegetation and animals surrounding the vineyards as it is to include a discussion of the soil and vines themselves.
I have met few winemakers who seem to see the “whole” as clearly and succinctly as Beurer does. Jochen farms both organic and biodynamic (he is Demeter certified), yet still he does not speak in easy truths; he seems to be seeking a viticulture that is beyond these simple rules, more integrated, more complete.
Jochen is also one of the kindest humans out there; a bear of a man who is profoundly nurturing. A whole generation of young German winemakers has passed through Beurer’s cellar. We’re getting to the heart of why Beurer is so important to German winemaking.
Nonetheless, it’s not shocking that Beurer is less well known in the U.S. He’s from Swabia, a southern region only recently created by the importer Selection Massale. Swabia is not part of the old-school, canonical history of winemaking in Germany. It is a fertile place, with a diverse array of agriculture. Which brings us to the other reason that Beurer is not as famous as he should be: he does not focus solely on Riesling, but embraces the wild and complicated diversity of Teutonic grapes and wines.
Location: France, Loire
Winemaker: Blandine Floch
Grapes: Cinsault
From the Importer Terrestrial: Blandine Floch is a young and passionate winemaker based near the town of Blois in Touraine. She got her start in 2011 by helping in the vines and cellar of the legendary Olivier Lemasson, quickly falling in love with this new way of life. She eventually went on to train under the likes of Thierry Puzelat, Remi Dufaitre, Domaine du Scarabée, as well as natural pioneers Pheasant’s Tears and Artanuli Gvino in Georgia. These experiences equipped her with the skills she needed to return to the Loire Valley to start her own project, fueled by a love for pure farming and minimalist winemaking.
She currently farms 2.35 ha of rented vines from an assortment of parcels on the plateau above Monthou-sur-Bièvre, and supplements this with some purchased organic grapes. In 2021, due to historically low yields in the Loire Valley, Blandine, along with several other local vignerons, sourced some organic Grenache from the Gard region. In the cellar, she executes all vinifications via natural processes, with respect for the fruit, environment and final consumer. Fruit is meticulously harvested to ensure that only the healthiest and ripest grapes make the cut. All fermentations are done spontaneously with native yeasts, followed by aging in neutral wood, which allows the wines to breathe naturally. Only small amounts of sulfur are used at bottling, allowing the true terroir of the region and vintage to shine through in each cuvée produced.
Location: France, Provence
Winemaker: Jean-Christophe Comor
Grapes: 90% Cinsault, 10% Carignan
Soil: Clay-limestone
Winemaking: Organic farming. Grapes are hand harvested ripe, wholecluster Carbonic macération. Pressed after 12 days, fermentation finishes in Demi-muid in an underground stone cellar. The wines goes 6 months without racking.
From us at M&L: The location and terrain of Jean-Christophe Comor‘s estate is so perfect to him that he named it Domaine les Terres Promises (the Promised Land!).
Perched 400 meters above and 30km back from the Mediterranean this is a site that, since antiquity, has proven ideal. The whole estate is over clay/limestone and the altitude allows the 20+ indigenous varieties (!) to ripen slowly, while they retain all the freshness of acidity Jean-Christophe (and we) crave. He is so enamored with his terroir that he refers to working here as “a privilege”.
Since his debut vintage in 2004 Jean-Christophe has consistently produced exceptional, polished, totally natural wines that drink with such pleasant texture that we think of them as perfect introductions to the cornucopia of wines from Provence that exist outside of the famous, fabled Bandol with its sun-tan-lotion rosés and cut-with-a-knife reds.
From the Producers: We settled in 2004 in the foothills of Sainte-Baume to create a wine estate which now covers 15 hectares. We decided to work our vines according to the principles of organic farming, to vinify and age our wines in a natural way (without addition or input).
Our task is to accompany the vine so that the wine expresses, in the most beautiful way possible, all the identity of its land. Each plot has its own personality that can be found in each of our cuvées.
At an altitude of 400 meters, on a Jurassic dolomitic limestone terroir more than thirty kilometers from the Mediterranean, our land has benefited, since antiquity, from privileged conditions for working the vines. We cultivate a dozen red and white grape varieties in organic farming on fairly homogeneous clay-limestone soil.
The altitude of the estate allows us to pick our grapes later while preserving the freshness we value. In respect of nature and the grapes, our harvests are done manually.
Featured Light Red
Location: France, Loire, Anjou
Winemaker: Didier Chaffardon
Grapes: Grolleau
Winemaking: Organic farming, hand harvest, 3 days maceration, indigenous yeast fermentation
Location: France, Loire, Bellevigne-en-Layon
Winemaker: Jean-François Vaillant
Grapes: Grolleau, Cabernet Franc
Soil: Clay, silt, some shells
Winemaking: De-stemmed with a short maceration and aged in ceramic underground vat. Little/no addition of SO2, no filtering or fining.
From us at M&L: ‘Le P’tit Vaillant’ is a blend of Grolleau and Cabernet Franc, all hand-harvested. Fresh and earthy with a lovely play between the rosehip/petal qualities of Grolleau and the green peppery spice of Cabernet Franc. Can handle a chill.
From the Importer Avant Garde: Since the XVII century, located in the village of Thouarce in Anjou, the Vaillant family has passed on farmland from generations to generations. For the last ten years, sister and brothers have cultivated the estate using the biodynamic principles. The goal is to express the personality of each wines.
55ha of vines of Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and Pineau d’Aunis are planted. The diversity of their cuvees is due to the different type of soils and exposure found: schist sandstone, quartz, gravel, and clay.
Location: France, Loire, Loir-et-Cher
Winemaker: Valérie & Louis Forgues
Grapes: Pineau d’Aunis, Cabernet franc, Orbois, Chenin
Soil: Clay, sand, silica
Winemaking: Bold, generous and seductive in color and mouthfeel.
Bleeding of Pineau d'Aunis blended with our Cabernet Franc and a touch of our very old Orbois and Chenin vines. Intense bouquet of spices and red fruits in a very beautiful combination. A vintage with valiant aromas that shakes up our habits and reveals the freshness of its fruits on a full and fleshy palate. Drink now as an aperitif, with summer meals and any exotic cuisine.
From the Producer: Valérie worked in Germany and met her husband during her meetings in Paris. She returns to France and the couple decided to take over a vineyard.
In 1997, they move to the Domaine de la Méchinière. In 2008, Valérie finds herself alone with her 2 children. She receives help from Didier BAROUILLET, from Clos Roche Blanche, one of the first organic winegrowers in the region. Didier guides her towards Organic Agriculture and natural winemaking.
Thanks to him, Valérie is able to find meaning and an ethic in her work in accordance with her conscience.
Louis was born in 1997, the year the family arrived at the Domaine. He grew up in the vineyards and, together with his younger brother, helped his mother from childhood. His studies as a Centrale engineer allowed him to go abroad, but he regularly returned at harvest time to help out at the Domaine. He quickly became essential. He was in Poland when the Covid made him question his path.
At the beginning of 2022, he decides to stay at the Domaine and open up new horizons.
The Salamander
It has been living for years in one of our vineyard, in a quiet and isolated place. We regularly see it in the company of a toad. The presence of such a rare and mythical animal in our world is an invaluable opportunity. We are happy and proud to make it our ambassador.
Respect for life
The well-being of our vines resonates with the harmony of our land and its inhabitants and is reflected in our wines. By working the soil, we provide the oxygenation necessary for its subterranean life, and the flora present regulates itself naturally. This life enriches our soil and encourages the reintroduction of more balanced fauna.
By returning to virtuous pruning methods such as the gobelet or Royat cordon, we are choosing to preserve our vines. Their smaller, more concentrated grape production contributes to the character of our wines.
We harvest by hand. Our vinifications are gentle and unhurried, to express the essence of our grapes. Fermentations take place thanks to their endogenous flora. Our wines are unfiltered and settle naturally. We age our wines, taking the time required for their balance and development.
Location: France, Languedoc-Roussillon
Winemakers: Cyril & Eliott Cuche
Grapes: Cinsault, Grenache, Grenache Gris
From the Importer Selection Massale: I discovered Blouge not that long ago really, through some cuvées from Matassa I drank at Cave Septime...this whole blending process was quite fascinating to me. Cyril and I discussed the project pretty early on, we first got to work on a rosé base, out of my favorite grape there, Cinsault. And once that was done, we wanted more depth—a little more color, something more Tavel like, more vinous. We started incorporating another component, still Cinsault, but made it carbonic, the way he makes his 2 liter bottling. We threw that in one of his gorgeous circular Italian cement tanks outside the winery. A few month later, this crazy mix of freshness and seriousness was popping out of the glass. I always wondered how Emanuel Reynaud made his wines, and I swear with that glass in my hand, at that particular time, I convinced myself they were made that way.
We decided to add a little bit of white for acid and minerality, and a little Grenache that was slightly reductive to keep the wine fresh through bottling. The result is drinking like Poulsard in texture; it’s not even 12% alcohol, but it’s certainly ripe and southern in many ways. I’ve never been more excited to drink buckets of one of our collaborative bottlings than this latest one, I must admit.”
- Guilhaume Gerard
Location: France, Anjou
Winemakers: Tommy Vernon
Grapes: Grolleau
Winemaking: Organic farming. Hand harvest. 1.5 weeks maceration whole cluster. Native yeast fermentation. Unfined, unfiltered and no added sulfites
From us at M&L: We love reds that put pep in our step. Light and crunchy, this Grolleau has a lot of energy, but it also shows a welcome, salt-and-peppery savoriness. We recently drank it (slightly chilled) alongside Flageolet beans with leeks and seared hake and it was perfect.
Location: France, Loire, Bourgeuil
Winemaker: Catherine & Pierre Breton
Grapes: Pineau d’Aunis
Soil: Loam
Winemaking: Organic farming. Hand harvest. Whole cluster fermentation with wild yeast for 15 days, with light punchdowns every two days during the second week. Aged in oak until March.
The translation of the wine's name is "a bull in a china shop." A "jeu de quilles" is a game of bowling, but in this context "quilles" takes on both its standard meaning "bowling pin," and its French slang definition, "a bottle of wine." The wine is endearingly named after Paul Breton who vinifies the cuvée.
From us at M&L: A poster of Catherine and Pierre’s wine has hung in the shop since day one, a testimony to our memories of their legendary wines of Bourgeuil. We’re blessed again by the couple’s passion and skill with the release, for the first time in Maine, the ‘La Ritournelle’ Rosé 2022! Catherine and Pierre continue to be experts in capturing the perfect balance of earth to fruit that makes Cabernet Franc shine!
From the Importer Kermit Lynch: Catherine and Pierre Breton are the real life bon vivants vignerons of lore. They are passionate about what they do, they enjoy sharing it with others, and they entertain with a generosity and charm. That they make great wine with such integrity makes our appreciation of them complete. The Bretons farm eleven hectares of vines just east of Bourgueil in the village of Restigné. They produce Chinon and Bourgueil, as well as a bit of Vouvray, creating honest wines for both early consumption and longer aging. The Bretons first introduced biodynamic practices into their viticulture in 1994, just after receiving their organic certification in 1991. Recently, they started the three-year process of seeking biodynamic certification. In fact, they have become international icons for the natural wine movement in an area where the climate and soil can make organic viticulture difficult.
The Bretons farm vineyards on varied soil types, including gravel, limestone, clay, schist, and yellow tuffeau. Their wines are made primarily from Cabernet Franc (known in the Loire, curiously, as “Breton”) with small quantities of Chenin Blanc for their Vouvray. Though Pierre is the principal cellar master, Catherine makes a series of cuvées under the label “La Dilettante,” or the Dabbler. Together, they divide their wines into three categories: Natural Wines (for easy consumption), Classic Wines (that represent the typicity of the appellations), and Wines of Terroir (vinified individually by parcel). The Wines of Terroir from Chinon and Bourgueil are destined for long life in your cellar. A 1964 made for unforgettable drinking in 2008! Each of the Breton cuvées is unique, with differences in soil, vinification, and élévage all playing a role while still demonstrating a familial resemblance. Catherine and Pierre are two of the hardest working people we know of in the wine business. This explains why their wines, despite the fact that they are totally natural and unadulterated, are so incredibly consistent; consistently delicious. Their achievements and contributions to the natural and organic wine movement globally cannot be underestimated.
Location: United States, California, North Coast, Sonoma
Winemaker: Evan Lewandowski
Grapes: Arneis, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano
Winemaking: Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Arneis were picked simultaneously and evenly distributed amongst numerous tanks. Remaining varieties vinified separately. The grapes went through full carbonic maceration for a duration ~10 days, after which all tanks were foot trodden. There was a short two-day maceration post carbonic, then wine was bladder pressed. Full native malolactic conversion occurred. Feints spent 5 months on lees in stainless, Flextank and old barrel; one racking before blending/bottling. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. One component received a 20ppm SO2 addition after malo, no sulfites at bottling.
From us at M&L: The return of Evan Lewandowski and his much beloved “Feints” is cause for celebration. This is a wine we’ve come to hoard so that we can keep plenty on hand throughout the hotter months. A picnic wine, of there ever was such a thing: energized and juicy with a tingling, herbal vibe that drinks equally well with burgers, impossible burgers, or just sand between your toes.
Location: France, Alsace
Winemaker: Fabrice Wassler, Domaine Wassler, Nothalten
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Winemaking: Grapes are hand-harvested and sorted in the vineyards. Macerated on skins for 7 days. Elevage in stainless steel vats. Zero addition of sulfur, unfined and unfiltered.
From the Importer Jenny & François: Third-generation winemaker Fabrice took over his family’s 8.5 ha estate in 2001, after leaving to pursue his studies and various professional opportunities. Under the tutelage of his father, he has expanded their production from 7 cuvées to 20 per year, all of which are crafted with a singular dedication and passion that yields vibrant, generous wines.
‘Les Vins Pirouettes’ is a collective project launched by Christian Binner, the renowned Alsatian winemaker (part of our book, of course), who’s been making legendary zero-zero wines in his Ammerschwihr winery for more than 20 years. Saddened by the sight of organic and biodynamic grapes being sold for little to cooperatives, Christian decided to encourage these growers to make wine under their proper name instead, thus promoting the idea of soulful terroir wines made with zero nonsense both in the vineyard and the cellar.
Alsace is a great region for this goal, btw: thanks to the Vosges range protecting it from the West, it’s a sunny and dry area, exercising lower disease pressure on the sensitive Vitis Vinifera. And, given its colorful geology, the region is a true patchwork of soils and subsoils ranging from granite to limestone and volcanic plots. Combine it with the 13 typical local varietals and you have the ideal hotbed for a breathtaking span of flavors and styles, especially when respectfully grown; it would be a sin to let them disappear in some insipid cooperative wines.
Hence Pirouettes! A friendly, open association of an ever-growing number of like-minded vignerons. As we’re writing this, it consists of 14 organic and biodynamic small growers whose first names you’ll always find on the bottle, along with a title referring to the method (Pet-nat, Crémant…), cru (Bildstoecklé, Frankstein) or style of wine. The Glou Glousare—surprise surprise—highly drinkable, Tutti Frutti connotes a white blend of multiple grapes, Eros serves flamboyant macerated whites… All the wines are made with zero-additions in the winemakers’ own cellars, with the gentle helping hand of the project’s enologists Xavier Couturier and Pierre Sanchez. “It’s important to say that Pirouette is by no means a négoce,” the team explains. “On the contrary, each cuvée is vinified at the winemaker’s own place, respecting its history and character.” And since selling the wine is equally important yet not easy (it’s difficult to be a brand manager when you’re a full-time vineyard person), Rémi Ségura has joined the project to spread the word and is supported by Christian Binner’s reputation.
« Pirouettes » is the name they chose to symbolize the fun they’re having, but also because “these wines are like beautiful artistic figures, the result of certain know-how and mastery. Pirouette is a gesture of freedom, emotion, and joy,” Christian explains. Indeed, it’s an appropriate name for this liberated movement of skillful artisans, and a beautiful legacy for the winemaker who pushed it forward.
Location: France, Corsica
Winemaker: Julie & Mathieu Marfisi
Grapes: Niellucciu
Soil: Silt, Clay on limestone
From us at M&L: A keen sense of place - its history and its landscape - and a clever, intrepid touch in the cellar make the wines of Corsica’s Clos Marfisi something we always look forward to.
Mathieu and Julie, brother and sister team, are fifth generation growers in Patrimonio. Wine is grown in different sites across the island, but Patrimonio is special: an amphitheater of limestone jutting right out of the sea. In some cases there is virtually no topsoil, just bald beautiful stones. This gift makes for appetizingly fresh wines that can also be quite long lived.
Here, Julie and Mathieu only work with native varieties (one way that they stay connected to the area’s venerable history), and they focus on three remarkable vineyards, Grotta di Sole, Gritole, and Ravagnola.
Today we are celebrating the arrival of three gorgeous wines, all from the stunning Ravagnola site. Silt and clay barely cover the west-facing limestone hills here, and the site is planted to a special array of local grapes: Niellucciu, Minustellu, and Carcaghjolu Neru.
Each wine is an ingenious look at how to treat a single parcel. There is a classic Patrimonio of Niellucciu offering deep aromas and deep poise, a field blend showcasing the balance of shrubby herbs and fresh coastal fruits, and an inspired blanc de noir of gravity-pulled free run Niellucciu owing to the fact that there was no white wine made in ‘22.
From the Importer Selection Massale: If you aren’t familiar with Corsica, the main event is Patrimonio. This AOC covers 400ha with half of them being owned by the two largest producers, and the other half split up amongst 30 smaller growers. If you haven’t already guessed, Clos Marfisi is part of the latter. Brother and sister, Mathieu and Julie are fifth generation at the helm of this estate, having taken over from their father, Touissant, when Julie returned in 2001, and her brother in 2012, from having careers elsewhere in France (including the venerable Chateau Pibarnon in Provence).
Now, we thought that we had seen it all in terms of limestone, but Corsica takes the cake. Clos Marfisi’s vineyards (which Touissant planted about 40-50 years ago) rise up from the Mediterranean with southern and western exposures on steep slopes that are practically white with large chunks of broken up limestone. Seriously impressive. Equally impressive is the fact that they never gave into outside pressure and the entirety of the estate is planted to local varieties, so you won’t find any Grenache here. Their father is still very active in the vineyards, and is the main reason that this estate has never been touched by pesticides or herbicides, which were shunned for one reason or another by previous generations of vignerons on the island. This commitment to organics continues and the estate will be certified Bio by the 2018 vintage. Vestiges of the old guard remain in the cellar as well where native yeasts have always been used for fermentations, and sulfur levels are kept to a minimum.
As president of the Patrimonio AOC, Mathieu has a clear vision for where the estate is headed, and we like what we are seeing. Their commitment to honoring the past while shaping their own future is incredibly exciting to us.
In 2020 Mathieu injured his back and couldn't get on a tractor for months, so all his friends — Thomas Santamaria, Nicolas Mariotti Bindi, and Jean-Baptiste Arena took care of working the vineyards for him, so he decided to make a wine called ‘Patrimonio Mon Amour’ as a thank you. It’s a friendly glou glou with very little extraction and no SO2 added during vinification. Four days maceration whole cluster with first-harvest Niellucciu from the Grotta di Sole and Ravagnola parcels. Fresh, not overly complex, and highly drinkable.
Location: France, Rhône
Winemaker: Martin Texier
Grapes: 75% Cinsault, 25% Grenache
Soil: Granite
Winemaking: The grapes are pressed and fermented separately in concrete tanks and blended before bottling.
‘Le Preyna’ is the name of an old parcel planted with 75% Cinsault and 25% Grenache in deep granitic soils. This is a typical, light-bodied, everyday wine local to the region.
From the importer Selection Massale: Martin Texier (you may have heard of his father, Eric, the now famous northern Rhône natural wine producer) began making wine in 2014 after a previous life studying economics. After leaving university, he ventured into music (he is an accomplished DJ) and also spent time in New York City learning about the wine trade here (he held internships at both Uva Wines in Brooklyn and Flatiron Wines in Manhattan, as well as the greatest record store in the world, A1 Records). It was after this that he realized that his calling was to follow in his father’s footsteps and return to the vines.
He now has five hectares in and around St.-Julien-en-St.-Alban, planted to classic Rhône varieties, both red and white. There are many different soil types here: clay, limestone, gneiss, schist and granite, making for a wide range of different styles of wine to be made. Martin’s passion is to revive the local traditions of working the natural way, both in the vines and in the cellar (native yeast fermentations, no sulfur). The results he has been getting this early in his career are a clear testament to his skills.
Location: Germany, Pfalz
Winemaker: Sabine Woehrwag
Grapes: Lemberger
Soil: Limestone
Winemaking: 2 weeks of Carbonic Maceration, aged in wooden barrel then bottled with no so2.
From the Importer Vom Boden: This is an estate KP Keller introduced us to in 2020 and we took a small flyer on the rosé last year, based solely on the extreme cut of the basic Riesling and, well, we were blown away. This is from the limestone Pfalz, where Pinot Noir does quite well. We’ve secured a bit more of this for 2021 and we expect fireworks.
If you haven’t heard of Frühburgunder it is an early ripening, delicate and elegant cousin to Pinot Noir. Very aromatic, soaring red fruit, lots of citrus, a salty minerality.
All the wines are made of 100% estate fruit, harvested by hand. The estate gave up using pesticides/herbicides in 2006 and instead fights weeds mechanically. Since 2020 they are in the process of becoming certified Organic to hand over their vineyards in best conditions to their sons.
Location: France, Langeudoc
Winemaker: Axel Prüfer
Grapes: 30% Grenache, 30% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Alicante
Winemaking: Organic farming. Hand harvest, Alicante direct press, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon direct press with infusion of Syrah, Carbonic fermenation of Grenache, indigenous yeast. All 3 vats assembled as soon as they were dry. No added SO2. Unfined and unfiltered.
Location: Italy, Lazio
Winemaker: Gianmarco Antonuzzi & Clémentine Bouveron
Grapes: Aleatico
Soil: Volcanic, rich in iron
Winemaking: Organically and biodynamically managed vineyards. The winemaking process involves spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, carbonic maceration and the wine is aged in a combination of stainless steel and old oak barrels.
This wine is intended to ‘illustrate the beauty of nature and remind us of its fragility if exploited’. It is being sold to raise awareness for and support local farmers and residents that have come together to protest against plans to build an industrial geothermal electricity plant on the banks of Lago di Bolsena.
From us at M&L: Gianmarco Antonuzzi and Clémentine Bouveron tend around 14 hectares of land, with vineyards amongst olive groves, chestnut trees, shrubs and oaks. Sat around Lago di Bolsena near Gianmarco’s childhood town of Gradoli in Lazio’s north, the soils are volcanic, rich in iron and minerals.
Vines are planted at a density of up to 10,000 plants per hectare, from a mix of massale selections and ungrafted vines. Everything is done by hand, with careful attention to the needs of each plant and while biodynamic principles are employed, the approach here goes above and beyond.
Each year they produce a dizzying number of different wines which are vinified in an ancient cellar in the village’s centre where nothing is added at any stage. To taste here is a real treat, Gianmarco is a master of élevage and a real patience in this respect results in some of the purest, most delicious wines we have tried. This is a fascinating project, where the passion and dedication of two people is single handedly putting one of Italy’s lesser known villages firmly on the map.
Location: France, Loire, Vouvray
Winemaker: Catherine & Pierre Breton
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
Soil: Clay, limestone
From the Importer Kermit Lynch: Catherine and Pierre Breton are the real life bon vivants vignerons of lore. They are passionate about what they do, they enjoy sharing it with others, and they entertain with a generosity and charm. That they make great wine with such integrity makes our appreciation of them complete. The Bretons farm eleven hectares of vines just east of Bourgueil in the village of Restigné. They produce Chinon and Bourgueil, as well as a bit of Vouvray, creating honest wines for both early consumption and longer aging. The Bretons first introduced biodynamic practices into their viticulture in 1994, just after receiving their organic certification in 1991. Recently, they started the three-year process of seeking biodynamic certification. In fact, they have become international icons for the natural wine movement in an area where the climate and soil can make organic viticulture difficult.
The Bretons farm vineyards on varied soil types, including gravel, limestone, clay, schist, and yellow tuffeau. Their wines are made primarily from Cabernet Franc (known in the Loire, curiously, as “Breton”) with small quantities of Chenin Blanc for their Vouvray. Though Pierre is the principal cellar master, Catherine makes a series of cuvées under the label “La Dilettante,” or the Dabbler. Together, they divide their wines into three categories: Natural Wines (for easy consumption), Classic Wines (that represent the typicity of the appellations), and Wines of Terroir (vinified individually by parcel). The Wines of Terroir from Chinon and Bourgueil are destined for long life in your cellar. A 1964 made for unforgettable drinking in 2008! Each of the Breton cuvées is unique, with differences in soil, vinification, and élévage all playing a role while still demonstrating a familial resemblance. Catherine and Pierre are two of the hardest working people we know of in the wine business. This explains why their wines, despite the fact that they are totally natural and unadulterated, are so incredibly consistent; consistently delicious. Their achievements and contributions to the natural and organic wine movement globally cannot be underestimated.
Location: France, Roussillon
Winemakers: François-Xavier Dauré
Grapes: 50% Grenache Noir, 25% Carignan Noir, 25% Mourvèdre
Soil: The Carignan Noir and Mourvèdre are planted on schist soils, and the Grenache Noir is planted on clay-limestone soils
Winemaking: Organic farming. The Carignan Noir and Mourvèdre are directly pressed upon arrival in the cellar and co-fermented in a large stainless-steel tank. The Grenache Noir undergoes a 7-day whole bunch maceration in fiber tanks. On the 8th day the Grenache Noir is pressed and transferred back to fiber tanks to complete fermentation. Only the naturally occurring indigenous yeasts were used for fermentation. The components were blended after the completion of malolactic fermentation.
Maturation: Aged 8 months in stainless-steel tanks. Prior to bottling a low dose of sulfur is added to the wine. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
From the Importer Terres Blanches: The village of Espira de L’Agly is located at the very eastern end of the Agly Valley, just 20km from the Mediterranean Sea and 3km northwest of Rivesaltes. Rivesaltes, along with the villages of Banyuls and Maury, is famous for the production of sweet Vin Doux Naturel. A once popular aperitif wine, Vin Doux Naturel was in high demand during the first half of the 20th century. For Rivesaltes alone, the annual production during the 1950’s and 1960’s was upwards of 70 million bottles a year. Today, fewer than 3 million bottles are sold each year. With such a dramatic fall in public demand, many farmers in Espira de L’Agly and the surrounding areas ripped out their vines and converted to orchards. Those who did keep their vines became almost completely reliant on négociants and cooperatives to purchase their annual production. The Daurés are one the brave families who held onto their vines. For that we should all be very grateful, as the current generation is making what we consider to be some of the most innovative and focused wines we have tasted from Roussillon.
If you ask François-Xavier Dauré, F.X. for short, he will tell you he was destined to become a vigneron. Indeed, he is the 4th generation of Dauré to grow grapes in and around the village of Espira de L’Agly. Jokingly he claims to have been born on a tractor, and that is not far from the truth. Many of his earliest memories take place on a tractor with his father. From a young age F.X. worked in the vineyards with his family. However, with the entire production being sold to the cooperative, F.X. needed to look elsewhere to gain experience making wine.
Starting in 2008 F.X. began working with different vignerons in the Roussillon. Intrigued by Organic farming and minimal intervention in the cellar, F.X. joined Tom Lubbe at Matassa in 2015. In July of that same year F.X. took over full control of his family’s Domaine and began the conversion to Organic farming. For the next 5 vintages he worked with Tom in the vines and the cellar at Matassa, while also farming 16 hectares of his own vines. F.X. continued to sell the production of the family Domaine to the cooperative. To be full time at Matassa and farm an additional 16 hectares organically, was a monumental task. For over 4 years (5 vintages) F.X. was in the vineyards hours before sunrise using a headlamp to see his work. People would joke that he looked like a lampyre, which is firefly in French. Searching for a name for his new venture, the proverbial light came on! Domaine Lampyres was born.
2016 was the inaugural vintage of Domaine Lampyres with just 600 bottles of cuvée Anima and cuvée Luminescence produced in F.X.’s garage. This was followed by another garage production in 2017 that saw the introduction of his Contre-Attaque bottling. 2018 was a watershed year for the young vigneron. Encouraged by the results in his first two vintages F.X. converted a small barn into a cellar and decreased the amount being sold to the cooperative. Along with the introduction of cuvées Point Triple and Des Sens in 2018, F.X. created a Rosé bottling that he named for his beautiful daughter Margot who arrived earlier in the year. 2019 was F.X.’s last vintage at Matassa, and a difficult year for all of the growers in the eastern half of the Roussillon. At the end of June temperatures skyrocketed to 118°F (48°C) causing sunburn that destroyed over 50% of the potential crop for the vintage. A difficult year yes, but the wines F.X. produced in 2019 are remarkable. When we stumbled upon F.X. in January of 2020 at a tasting in Montpellier, the character, balance, and tension of his 2019’s was undeniable. To say this is a Domaine to watch is an understatement. Now fully focused on Domaine des Lampyres, we are certain that F.X.’s best vintages are ahead of him.
Location: France, Roussillon
Winemaker: Cyril Fhal & Alice Gendron
Grapes: 85% Mourvèdre, 10% Muscat Petits Grains, 5% Macabeu
Winemaking: Organic farming. Hand harvest. 8-day maceration of whole cluster with indigenous yeasts. No fining, filtering or additions.