The Sagesse is a beautiful expression of Grenache from Côtes du Rhône. Notes of black raspberry, thyme & black currant give lift to this wine, while it’s year old vines provide depth. Michèle Aubery-Laurent does not use sulfur during fermentation. If you want natural wine at it’s best, start here.
Marcel Lapierre helped launch the natural wine movement with his quest to produce delicious, highly drinkable Gamay without sulphur or chemicals. The estate has since set the standard for proper natural wine. The winemaking is now done by his son Mathieu & remains lively, fresh, and exuberant.
The brainchild of four close friends brings a favorite producer, Envínate, which literally translates to “wine yourself”. They focus on distinctive parcels in regions with influence from the Atlantic. ‘Taganan’ comes from incredibly rugged volcanic terrain & produces an equally wild white wine.
Envinate is a brilliant producer out of the Canary Islands, making terrior-rich wine that showcases the unique landscape on which these grapes are grown. This is volcanic mountain wine we’re talking about, reflecting the maritime climate with notes of salinity, refreshing acidity & smoky strawberry fruit.
Protégé of the venerable Robert Michel, Guillaume Gilles is making a name for himself in Cornas. He’s crafting decidedly classic Cornas (no de-stemming, aging in old demi-muids & no fining or filtering). The Le Rieux vineyard at 450 meters produces incredibly fresh and bright fruit layered with spice.
Michèle Aubèry-Laurent has done it again with this beautiful expression of Viognier. Her production is small and rare. She and her son, Maxime, take a holistic approach to winemaking and push boundaries in order to produce incredible wines. The floral and citrus fragrances of this wine will leave you swooning.
Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras Blanc Un Sang Blanc 2019
Nacho Gonzales of La Perdida prides himself in his experimental and boundary-pushing wines. ‘Malas Uvas,’ (meaning ‘bad grapes’) is no exception: Palomino and Dona Blanca are both white varieties that are excluded from the designated list of traditional grapes to the region. 8 days of skin contact also give the wine a definitive adventurous flair.
Nacho Gonzales is ambitious. He seeks out vineyards that are extreme, remote, and challenging to cultivate. ‘O Poulo’ is no exception, sourced from old vines that Nacho has been nursing back to health since 2014 in a small, high-altitude, isolated vineyard. The result is a robust, bold, and rustic bottle.
Michele and David have used their Smith-Chapel label to represent fruit that has been grown in their own parcels toiled with their own hands. The label is a representation of the old street signs around Beaujolais. Michele says, “it’s like drinking salty lemonade with a lick of limestone.”
Waris Larmandier Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut Particules Crayeuses NV
From one of Châteauneuf’s most lauded vineyard sites, this cuvée of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Clairette is crafted by masters of the region’s rocky, wind-whipped terroir. This wine is positively classic, with notes of garrigue, chalky minerals, and bright red cherry. A gem for the cellar.
Ashes & Diamonds Cabernet Sauvignon Red Hen Vineyard 2018
The fruit for this bottle comes from legendary biodynamic Napa Valley estate, Aurajo, in the Oak Knoll district of Napa Valley. The well-draining gravel soils of Oak Knoll mirror that of Bordeaux, resulting in an elegant, powerful, and structured Cabernet Sauvignon.
We are big fans of Ostertag around here, and this punchy riesling is no exception. Volcanic sediment and pink sandstone make up the soil in the Muenchberg parcel, imparting a steep minerality that cuts nicely through the slight sweetness in this bottle. Try with roast pork or meaty fish for a treat.
Profoundly aromatic with enchanting notes of wild mountain flowers and white-fleshed fruit. A genetic cross between Riesling and the red grape Schiava, Kerner thrives in Alto Adige. This one is complex, with stony minerality and a clean finish. A food-friendly, delightfully easy-drinking wine.
You simply cannot get a better bottle of Burgundy for under a hundred bucks than the Guillemot’s family best cuvèe from the Serpentières vineyard. Young or old, it always delivers everything we love about Burgundy, no more, no less. It’s fresh and youthful today, but will live for decades in the cellar.
Les Hauts Baigneux is a recent domaine, formed only in 2013 by old friends Nicolas Grosbois and Philippe Mesnier. Their farming is organic, fermentation is indigenous, and neither filtration nor fining are used. This classic, ripe and nutty Chenin has loads of character.
