Full Wholesale List
WRIGHT’S WINES
All of these wines are from small growers who make wines that we find exciting, vibrant and delicious. In general they are at the very least organic, rely on natural yeasts for fermentation with minimal additions in the cellar, sometimes none. The list is subject to change, the wines are from small producers and sometimes are of limited availability. All prices Ex Vat.
Call or email Joel: 07931793232 / joel@wrightsfood.co.uk
JACQUES FEVRIER, LE RAISIN A PLUME, COTEAUX D’ANCENIS, MUSCADET
Jacques Fevrier is a former sommelier who spent time working around the world with conventional and then natural wine and falling in love with the latter, decided it was time to make them himself. He chose Oudon, not the most fashionable of locations, but a place where the terroir was varied, there were quite a few varieties to work with and he could afford to actually buy some land. He’s a thoughtful, skilled winemaker making understated wines that reveal themselves to be packed with personality - a rising star of the Loire. Soils of schiste and granite bring a freshness to the fruit, all wines are unfiltered, unfined and without additions. Wines of real character and honesty from a winemaker who is really getting into his groove.
D'EST EN OUEST 2022 £17
A lovely Petillant Naturel produced from a direct press of 100% Cabernet Franc, Aromatic, with delicious crunchy pink fruit and fine bubbles. Jacques doesn't make much, so it's a joy to have just a few bottles in the country.
PGM 2022 £16.50
The return of Jacques lovely Pinot Gris, given a shorter 7 days on the skins whole bunch it's aromatic, fresh and lively, with plenty of stone fruit and a little tannin too balance the aromatics. Consistently a favourite.
PATIS DES ROSIERS 2022 £14.50
100% Gamay from the mineral soils of Ancenis. Given around 15 days on the skins whole bunch, before ageing in fibreglass. As always exceptional value, lush with silky fruit, but with a lovely tension and backbone to it.
A BOUT 2020 £15.50
Abouriou is a rare varietal, native to this region. In 2020 Jacques took a different approach to this varietal giving it just a two day whole bunch maceration to create a lighter style of this variety, which related to merlot. It has lovely wild dusty fruit, a touch of structure and plenty of length
A BOUT 2021 £16
Because of the frost and mildew in this vintage, Jacques did not have many grapes, so he chose to blend the Abouriou with his Cabernet Franc, Giving a short maceration it's created a delicious light, soft red with silky tannins and plenty of wild black fruit.
CEDRIC GARREAU, GARO’VIN, ANJOU
Cedric Garreau farms 3 hectares of vines around Beaulieu-sur-Layon in Anjou and is not keen on expanding any further as he prefers to do everything himself (aside from the help with picking at the harvest). He is quiet and measured in his approach and this is reflected in his wines, structured, elegant, they speak for themselves. He farms organically, using biodynamic methods, the only sulfites used are to clean the barrels.
SOMNAMBULLES BLANC 2022 £17
100% Chenin Blanc from a single parcel on black schiste. The grapes are pressed direct and the juice is bottled just at the right moment before sugars have finished to give bubbles in bottle. Cedric always gives his Petillants a year on the lees in bottle before disgorgement. This has a beautiful line of acidity, bright fruit and is dripping with minerals, a genuinely gastronomic Pet Nat.
LULU BERLUE 2022 £13.50
A delight to have this charming red wine back in stock. Cabernet Franc & Grolleau Noir, given a carbonic maceration for a couple of weeks, before pressing off and ageing in cuve. Bright with dark fruit, this is a brilliant bistro wine, nimble, lithe and perfect served with a light chill.
METISSE 2020 £14.50A rare jewel, an unsulfited sweet wine from one of the historic homes of the style. Cedric picks the botrytis fruit from each vintage, pressed and ages in barrel, topping up every year in a solar style. Pure, sweet but with amazing acidity it is a delicious wine to serve with dessert or cheese. Incredibly stable, a bottle can be open for weeks.
VINS HODGSON, RABLAY SUR-LAYON, ANJOU, LOIRE
In a bid to become a wine writer Kenji Hodgson moved from British Columbia to Japan to do an internship at a winery in Japan where he luckily fell in with a winemaker trying to work more naturally and first tried some french natural wines. On his return to Canada he met Mai in Vancouver who had been working in vineyards and together after a period working vineyards in British Columbia they moved to the Loire to immerse themselves in the natural wine scene, the production and the people. At first the intention was to move back to Canada and buy vines, but they couldn’t afford the land, so winemaker mentor Mark Angeli suggested buying a parcel in Anjou. They never went back.. All of the wines are produced without additions, they have a rigour and attention to detail that is second to none. Inspiring people making inspiring wines. These are long-lasting true wines of terroir and really they reward cellaring.
Ask for availability
SIMON ROUILLARD, ANJOU
Simon Rouillard is a producer recently installed in Anjou, after spending a number of years working with some brilliant producers - Domaine De La Tournelle, Phillip Bornard & Babass to name a few. He has found two hectares of old vines in Anjou, which require a lot of work and replanting, plus he is planting new parcels of Grolleau & Chenin. In order to supplement this work and help him set up, he is also making some negociant wine from fruit bought from friends in the area. In 2021 he lost 90% of the fruit so most own the production is negociant.
LES CORPS DU SCHISTE 2021 £18
100% Chenin blanc. After a long wait it is a pleasure to have some white wine from Simon. This from 2021 is a white he gave extended elevage in barrel to bring roundness and depth to the wine. It is complex, layered and very pure. Will also age wonderfully.
In the disastrous vintage of 2021 Simon put all his estate fruit into one wine. it's Gamay 70%, Chenin 20%, Grolleau Noir 10%. The grapes were co-fermented for 8 days together in whole bunches, with a light foot-pressing, then aged in tank. It has lovely dark red fruit, but is bright and complex too. An exciting, delicious wine that points to a bright future for this young winemaker. We got just 60 bottles and 6 magnums. Drinking very well.
LE NADIR, FABIEN PERREARD, SAUMUR, LOIRE
After spending a few years travelling the world and creating images as a graphic designer. Fabien was inspired to become a winemaker and follow the path of the new artisanal winemaking scene of Anjou.
In 2018 and 2019 he studied and worked in the wineyards of Saumur: first with Jean-Pierre Chevallier - Chateau de Villeneuve (Souzay), and then with Matthieu Vallée - Chateau Yvonne (Parnay) as well as Aymeric Hillaire - Domaine Mélaric (Puy Notre Dame).
In 2020 he got 1 ha of chenin from Gil Caborderie - Domaine des Cabors in Forges, in the south-Saumurois, where the vines are cultivated in organic farming since 2012, and then I get 1 ha more of chenin/grolleau noir/cabernet franc from a vine-grower of Brossay in the same area and started the conversion to organic growing immediately. Côme Isambert has hosted Fabien in his cave in Saumur since his first vintage, offering advice and help.
He work his 2 hectares alone; a few friends would help for the tillage in spring and for the harvest in autumn. Fabien only uses a tractor for the tillage; the rest of the work is handmade. Treatments are very rarely used. In the cellar he utilises an old wooden vertical basket press and generally ages in barrel. Usually the wine is racked only 2 times : one at the end of the fermentation and one in the end of maturation (made in barrels, fiber tanks and inox tanks). Always without additions.
OCTOBRE 2020 £13.80
50% Cabernet Franc from Brossay, 50% Grolleau from Forges. The grapes were macerated gently whole bunch for ten days and then aged in barrel for eight months. Bright and light on it’s feet this is brimming with wild herbaceous fruit.
CÔME ISAMBERT, SAUMUR, LOIRE
Côme is a brilliant winemaker who produces miniscule quantities in his cellar under a Chateau in Saumur (formerly a mushroom factory.) He vinifies part time, also working as a teacher.. He has worked in wine and the organic sector for 12 years, including time working under Eric Dubois at Clos Cristal, in Austria with Christian Tschida (allegedly pushing him into working more naturally…) He started making his own wines in 2013, buying only organic fruit from suppliers he know who are producing good quality grapes on chalke and schiste. Grapes are always hand-harvested in boxes, with no pumping of the juice, fermentations tend to be slow because of the coolness of the caves where the barrels are kept. Recently Côme has started to work with apples, quince & pears from Normandy, other soft fruit like raspberries plus occasionally.. Carrots.
COSMOBULLES 2020 £15
This delicious Petillant is produced from a blend of all the Loire red varietals, pressed direct and given a long ageing of over two years in bottle before disgorgement by hand. It's aromatic, dry and has a very long finish, a perfect aperitif, but also a sparkling wine with length and depth.
CHENIN BLANC X PINEAU D'AUNIS 2021 £16.50
The second iteration of this unusual, delicious blend of direct press Chenin Blanc & Pineau d'Aunis. Aged in barrel it has a wonderful texture, with acidity and minerality from the Chenin and just a hint of the herbal aromatics and pink fruit of the Aunis. A rare jewel. 11%
CABERNIN 2021 £16
This year's Cabernin is a blend of direct press Chenin, Cabernet Franc and some Chardonnay which had a short maceration on the skins. The chardonnay adds a roundness and fleshy texture to the minerality of the Chenin and savoury notes of the Cabernet Franc. Another delicious one-off from a singular winemaker.
CHIMERE BLANCHE 2020 £9.50
Chimère blanche 2020 Blend of pears ( 80 %) vinified for Perry with grapes of chardonnay and sauvignon blanc (20%), according soft tannins, aromas of pear and acidity of the two fruits. Aged 12 months in fiberglass tank. Has sediment from the perry, can be decanted if wished. Unique and wonderful expression of the symbiosis between these fruits. Clocks in at a brisk 8%
GRIMACE ROSE 2021 £17.50
The third iteration of Grimace, from the cool 2021 vintage. A shorter maceration of three weeks on the skins has given a wine pouring a beautiful pale pink, with lovely pink fruit and a refreshing acidity. A delicious, delicate rose.
ONOMATOPEE 2021 £14.50
Always a favourite from Côme, produced from free run juice, the 2021 version is a blend of Gamay & Grolleau Noir, similar in character to the 2019. Bright, aromatic and very juicy.
LITTLE ROBIN 2020 £15.50
We managed to pick up a few more cases of this beautiful blend of Grolleau Noir, Pineau d'Aunis, Gamay & Cabernet Franc. It's drinking beautifully right now, with soft, silky tannins, bright red fruit and a little structure from the Cabernet.
50 CENT 2020 £12
50% Pear 50% Apple. Picked riper than previous years this is rounded and broad, dry but with lovely chalky fruit. Delicious on its own or with cheese.
L’ÉPHÉMÈRE #9 £10
A delicious wild-fermented beer produced in collaboration with the Hula Hoop brewery, Pear must, Quince was added to the mash. Refreshing & fruity!
FRANCOIS SAINT-LO, RUE DES BELLES CAVES, BERRIE, LOIRE
In troglodyte caves deep in Berrie, near Saumur, François Saint-Lô runs the Rue Des Belles Caves. Working in restaurants & wine bars he then dived headlong into winemaking, learning with producers like Olivier Cousin & Eric Dubois.. Eventually he bought his own place near Berrie, approximately 25km south of Saumur, it was basically an ancient ruin, but has previously been used for wine production and since 2012 has been restored with the help of friends. Like his mentors François prefers to work with horses in the vineyards and all other work is done by hand. In the cellar he & the team use old barrels, fibreglass and two massive antique basket presses that was there when he took over the place.
LES POUCHES 2020 £24.50
100% Chenin Blanc. For the first time in a while, a direct press Chenin Blanc from François and it's well worth waiting for. 2020 was a generous vintage and he set aside some Chenin to press direct - slowly as always, they press in their huge basket press through the night, as slowly as possible. The wine was put into barrel for over two years before bottling and release in 2023.
It has a lovely texture and is full of minerals, fruit and spice, drinking well, but will age with aplomb.
HEY GG! 2021 £18
100% Grolleau Gris given a twenty day maceration. After the popularity of this wine last year it is a pleasure to have this wine back in stock. The pale pink colour belies the depth of fruit of this wine with incredibly precise aromatics and a lot of pink fruit. Drinking beautifully! 9.5%
HEY GG! 2022 £18.50
100% Grolleau Gris given a twenty day maceration. A deeper pink than last year, this is a delicious bright rose, with beautiful pink fruit like blood orange and grapefruit. Perfect for spring!
HEY GRO! 2020 £15
100% Grolleau Noir, given a twenty day maceration. The process is the same as for Hey GG. This Gro has just a touch more structure and elegance, though and is wonderfully ripe for just 10% abv.
HEY GRO 2021 £18 / £40
As always this is 100% Grolleau Noir, given a gentle maceration for around two weeks. In this cooler vintage, it has produced a remarkably open, fruity and rounded wine clocking in at just 8.5%!
HEY GRO! 2022 £18.50
100% Grolleau Noir. Bloody, juicy and full of fruit, this is just the thing for aperitif, or with a plate of charcuterie. Low in alcohol but big in flavour as usual!
HEY GAMIN! 2021 £19
100% Gamay from a tiny 0.3 hectare parcel. They give the grapes a 20 day whole bunch maceration before pressing slowly and then ageing in fibreglass. In the cool 2021 vintage, this has brought a light, expressive wine reminiscent of a poulsard from the Jura, bright, effervescent and full of minerals and fruit!
LES PALENNES 2019 £22.50
100% Cabernet Franc from 60-70 year old vines. Always very expressive in it’s youth, this has wonderful length and very vibrant fruit. A dry, warm vintage has brought a wine of concentration and depth that is built to age and is drinking wonderfully now.
LES PALENNES 2020 £24.50
100% Cabernet Franc from 60-70 year old vines on limestone, given a two week whole bunch maceration. In this warm vintage, this is full of bright dark fruit, with a savoury edge, a really elegant expression of the varietal that is drinking very well already, but as with all of his Cabernet's will age wonderfully.
LE BOIS GUYON 2019 £22.50
100% Cabernet Franc from vines between 80-90 years old. Whole bunch maceration for around two weeks. Wonderfully ripe fruit, with a lovely herbaceous note, this is already drinking really well, though will age wonderfully.
CLOS DES FOLIES, BERRIE, LOIRE
We came across Clos Des Folies through Francois Saint-Lo on a visit there. Romuald & Stephanie have worked in vineyards for 23 years, beginning with Jo Pithon, Francois Poirel and then Olivier Cousin. They took on this domaine in 2014, 2.5 hectares of Cabernet Franc & Grolleau, most of the vines being 60-70 years old. Their son works in the cellar with Francois as his assistant in the cellar, as well as with this domain. You can see the touch of what he has learnt in the wines, with incredibly purity of fruit. I was blown away when I first got to try their wines over whole lamb cooked over fire at Francois’ old cellar. Everything is done by hand with no chemicals used in the vineyard or cellar, no sulfites at all. The wines are brimming with energy - a real treat. Unfortunately there isn't a lot to go around.
MADEMOISELLE SAUVAGE 2020 £13.50
100% Grolleau from vines over 70 years old. Whole bunch maceration for three weeks, then ageing in vat for seven months before bottling. Another wonderful vintage for what is surely one of the most elegant and fine Grolleau in the Loire. Lifted light fruit with just a touch of silky tannins, this is a vintage that will only improve in bottle.
FOLIES ROUGE 2019 £15.50
100% Cabernet Franc from vines just over 55 years old on soils heavy in clay and limestone. They make a maceration alternating whole bunch and destemmed fruit for around three weeks, pressed off slowly then put into barrels for nine months.
ARIANE LESNE, DOMAINE DE MONTRIEUX, VENDOME, LOIR-SUR-CHER
Ariane Lesné worked as a retailer, then a wine agent, then made the move into producing her own wines after falling in love with natural wine over a bottle of Emile Heredia’s Les Verres Des Poets in Paris. She worked at an estate in Burgundy for 5 years, before taking the opportunity to take over the reins at Emile Heredia's estate when he put it up for sale,at the end of 2014. She worked with Emile for the first vintage, but is now ploughing her own furrow in this little appellation, one of the very few in France to have Pineau d’Aunis as it’s AOC red varietal. She works tirelessly in the vineyards, where old vines sit in flinty topsoils with a deeper limestone bedrock, they have been without chemicals since 1999.. In recent years with loss of fruit due to frost and other factors she has supplemented the estate wines with her negociant project Goutte a Goutte; young wines of freshness and fruit.
Goutte a Goutte
HOP HOP HOP 2020 £16.50
Produced from a direct press of 80% aunis, 10% gamay and 10% of a parcel with 8 different varietals inside (Aunis, Pinot Noir, Cab Franc, Gamay Tenturier, Gewurztraminer, Hybrids such as 54-55 & Noah.) It was bottled with zero additions in November 2020 with residual sugar remaining in the wine to finish fermentation in the bottle and give bubbles. This is the second release of the 2020 Hop Hop Hop, disgorged earlier this year and the extra lees ageing has given more complexity and finer bubbles, a very elegant sparkling wine.Domaine De Montrieux
100% Pineau d’Aunis. 2021 was a tough vintage and Ariane lost a lot of fruit to mildew, so decided to combine the young and old vines into one wine. The cooler vintage has provided a wine that is drinking very well already with a lovely soft texture, herbal fruit that classic white pepper finish.
LAURENT SAILLARD, MAREUIL-SUR CHER-LOIRE
Laurent has a deep restaurant background, spending 13 years in New York, opening Balthazar, before starting his own restaurant one of the first to focus on natural wine in the city. Eventually he decided he wanted to start producing himself, moving back to France, to the Loire valley, starting, working for other growers, principally Noella Morantin, starting to make his own wines on the side, When the historic Clos Roche Blanche vineyard came up for sale, he was offered it and because he didn't want the full 13.5 hectares bought it in conjunction with Julien Pineau. Now 8 years in, he has forged his own identity, using the fruit from this beautiful vineyard, walled by forest and organic since the 90's. It hasn't been plain sailing though, with frost an increasingly difficult issue and terrible vintages like the aforementioned 2021, he bought fruit from Domaine De Cambalu in 2020, a 17 hectare organic estate just 15 minutes down the road and has continued that relationship, which has provided him with some varietals he doesn't have on the estate, like Grolleau & Pineau d'Aunis.
LUCKY YOU! 2023 £16.50 / Magnum £38 / Jeroboam £90
As usual this is a blend of Sauvignon & Chardonnay from the Roche Blanche estate, directly pressed and aged in steel. The Sauvignon brings bright fruit, the chardonnay texture and minerality, 2023 is a classic and we have magnums and a handful of jeroboams available.
LA PAUSE 2023 £16.50 / Magnum £38
100% Gamay from the Roche Blanche estate, vines mostly 50+ years old. Laurent gave the grapes a two week whole bunch maceration, then pressed into 500l barrel and a 40hl wood vat. A really beautiful vintage for this wines with lovely silky red fruit, depth and elegance. Perfect in large format, with something grilled.
From his negoce project, we have three wines:
LOIRE & CHER SAUVIGNON 2023 £13.50 / Magnum £32
100% Sauvignon from a neighbour growing organically. Our favourite vintage yet for this wine with a beautiful texture and ripe, but balanced fruit. A little brother to Lucky You! We also have a few magnums of this.
ÇA SE DISCUTE 2023 £14.50
50% regular Aunis/ 50% Aunis teinturier from Cambalu. The grapes are destemmed and macerated for around a week. Bright, light and juicy with beautiful aromatics and just a hint of the classic white pepper of the varietal, this is perfect spring drinking.
UN ETE PARTAGE 2023 £14.50
70% gamay/30% grolleau. Again destemmed and macerated for around a week. Silky dark red fruit, this is a beautiful blend, bright fresh and lovely lightly chilled, a great wine to reach for when the barbecue gets fired.
SYRAH / GRENACHE 2021 £12
In 2021 Laurent, like many in his immediate area was one of the worst hit by the weather of 2021, a mixture of mildew, some frost in April & hail -in August, meant he lost 90% of his crop. To survive he had to buy grapes and as they were not widely available nearby, he travelled to the south of France, where the year had been kinder. Working for the first time with Syrah & Grenache he chose to keep it simple, short macerations of both, aged in tank separately and blended before bottling.
It's a delicious bright wine made for the barbecue or the table, lovely fruit and great with a light chill.
GRENACHE 2021 £13.50
In the disastrous vintage of 2021, where he lost 90% of the fruit on his own vineyard surface Laurent had to act quickly to make enough wine to survive. He went down to the Gard in southern France, harvested some organic Grenache from a friend’s vineyard, and drove back to the Loire narrowing beating the refrigerated truck back to his winery. The grapes were fermented for six days before being pressed off into tank for a five-month élevage. It is remarkably delicious considering he had never worked with the varietal before, all the beautiful bright fruit of the grape, but without being too candied and just a hint of crunchy tannins. Elegant and very expressive.
JULIEN PINEAU, ROCHE BLANCHE, POUILLE SUR CHER
Julien Pineau is now 7 years into his journey, having taken over the reins of Clos Roche Blanche with Laurent Saillard. 2021 was a crazy year, he moved his cellar to his house, just down the road from the vineyard, building a purpose built space. Coupled with this, 2021 was the most difficult vintage in memory, losing 90% of the fruit on the vineyard, this led Julien to purchase fruit from the south, around Provence, where he once worked. He hired a truck and took a team down to friends in the region.
*Negoce
In the disastrous vintage of 2021, Julien lost 90% of the fruit to a mixture of mildew, frost, & hail (hailed in August!) He therefore had to buy fruit to survive - he went to the south, Provence where he had once worked. The wines are very delicious as usual.
MONKEY GONE TO HEAVEN 2021 £12.50
100% Cinsault from domaine de la Providence, Lambesc, Bouche du Rhone, (south east), organic grapes. Julien rented a bus to go with harvesters to Provence to pick beautifull Cinsault. He gave the grapes a one week carbonic maceration, before pressing off and ageing in Inox. Delicious light, vibrant expression of Cinsault.
*Estate
LES SUCETTES A L'AUNIS 2022 £17.50
100% Pineau d'Aunis given a ten day whole bunch maceration. A much better vintage than the disastrous 2021, this has lovely soft fruit and a silky structure, with lot's of herbs and just a hint of white pepper.
COUP D'JUS 2019 £14.50
100% Cot from the Clos Roche Blanche. In 2019 Julien reduced the maceration on the Cot giving it just a week with very little extraction, aged 25% in barrel and 75% in inox tank. All the lovely dark red berry fruit you expect from the varietal but without the jammy heavy tannins you might expect from the varietal. Brilliant expression of the grape from very beautiful terroir.
CHRISTOPHE FOUCHER, LA LUNOTTE, COUFFY
La Lunotte is ran by the enigmatic Christophe Foucher, making very clean, pure and delicious wines always without additions in his tiny Chai in Couffy, near the Touraine river. He is permanently relaxed and certainly enjoys a good time, but his winemaking is very, very precise and farming impeccable. He’s been here since 2002 when he gave up work as an engineer and teacher. All of his wines are bottled without sulphur and are unfiltered and unfined. Vineyard work is led by 20 yers of experience, beyond organic, some biodynamic practises, he stopped spraying copper in 2018. Christophe is a master and we’re so happy to bring his wines to the UK.
LA FLOU 2022 £16
100% Cabernet Franc. A wine that's made in tiny quantities from a small parcel of Cabernet Franc. In 2022 he kept it simple, destemming the fruit and letting it macerate for a few weeks before ageing in tank. It's a beautifully open wine, bright with dark autumnal fruit, satin-like tannins and wonderful depth. Perfect with a wintery stew. Will also age wonderfully.
MAS DE L’ESCARIDA, CUBAGNAC, ARDECHE
Laurent Fell has some of the highest vines in the Ardeche, on south facing slopes at 500m altitude on the edge of the wild and mountainous Cevennes forest. The soil is sandstone formed in the Triassic period coming from the degradation of granite that was recompressed by pressure when the sea settled in this time. There are large quartz pebbles, shale and flint from the glacial scree. This combined with the elevation of the vineyards brings freshness and minerality to the wines. He’s on his own up there, which is beneficial as there is no risk of pollutants from other vineyards and plenty of biodiversity. A beautiful antique press which is situated above the tanks so all the juice flows by gravity.. Bottled with zero additions, these are wines of immense drinkability, stability & value.
FAI VIRAR ROSE 2022 £13
100% Gamay. This is made from only the free run juice of both his young and old fine Gamay. Aged in tank, as always it has beautiful delicate aromatics and a structure between dark rose and light red. Charged with bright red fruit, however you categorise it, it's a perfect summer wine.
SOPLE E JOIOS 2022 £13
100% Gamay from his oldest vines. A similar vinification to the Virar Rouge, but the wine tends to have more depth and concentration. 2022 is a particularly stunning vintage and quite remarkable value.
LO RAVI 2022 £12.50
Syrah & Chatus, a native varietal that is particularly rare and only found in Mountainous vineyards around here and in the Savoie. Laurent destems the fruit and gives it around 7 days maceration before ageing in tank. The Syrah brings lovely dark fruit and the Chats a taut minerality. Delicious!
SOTA MON SOLEU 2022 £13
100% Merlot from 50+ year old vines. Laurent destems the fruit and gives it around 7 days of maceration before ageing in tank. Though 2022 was warm, this managed too have be remarkably fresh, while still brimming with ripe dark fruit.
MAUD ADNOT, VALVIGNERES, ARDECHE
On her first vintage, Maud Adnot is making some of the most pure and delicious wines in the region. Working full time for other vigneron's in their vineyards, she has started her own project as purely negociant, but is looking for her own parcels. Fortunately she has friends with great grapes and this can be easily tasted in her wines, which are delicate, direct, vibrant and wonderfully fresh. All wines are produced without additions.
O TRICOTEE 2021 £16
This is 75% Syrah, 25% Viognier. Syrah from vines planted on rolled pebbles and silt from the banks of the Rhône in Saint Marcel d’Ardèche. Viognier from clay-limestone, marls in Valvignères
The grapes were co-fermented for 6 days with a regular draining of the juice and this cuvee comes from the the assembly of the start of the press raised in a fiberglass tank and the end of the press raised in 500l old oak barrels.
It's a lovely expression of Syrah, the concentrated dark fruit balanced by a hint of peachy Viognier and an almost weightless texture. 
RAPHAËL BEYSANG & EMÉLIE HURTUBISE, SAINT-GERMAIN-NUELLES, BEAUJOLAIS
As a child growing up in Alsace Raphaël worked in the vineyards of the Meyer family in Nothalten and he has barely left the vines since. After some years working in Alsace, he left for the Auvergne working with Vincent Marie of No Control. That’s where he met Emélie, originally from Quebec who worked with Aurelien Lefort and Patrick Bouju before eventually joining up with Raphaël when he was offered the vines in the south of Beaujolais through a contact of Vincent (he still sells some of the fruit to him.) Enough of stellar CV’s - now they plough (no pun intended, but yes they do use draft horses in the vineyard,) their own path. For winemaking generally they macerate whole bunch, dropping the grapes into the Cuve and not interfering before pressing, bottling always without any additions, fining or filtering.
J'AIME JM LITRE 2022 £20.75
In 2022, they bottled their collaboration with Jean-Marc in litre bottles for the first time. As usual a blend of their Gamay with Alsace varietals, this time all white, it's bright, full of fruit and best served nicely chilled.
LAPINS ROUGE 2021 LITRE £20.75
100% Gamay, from Theize, the soils littered with the Pierres Dorées (yellow stones) of the region. This is dense and mineral, benefiting from extra time in barrel, a silky savoury Beaujolais, more Rhone than Bojo.
MAUD ROCHETTE, SAINT-GERMAIN-NUELLES, BEAUJOLAIS
We met Maud working in the cellar of Raphaël Beysang & Émélie Hurtubise in southern Beaujolais. She, like Émélie is from Quebec, but moved to Beaujolais to follow her winemaking dream after spending a lot of time working in restaurants and wine bars around Montreal. Allowed cellar space in Raph & Em's cellar, she farms a tiny surface, where she is making brilliantly pure wines that have her unique imprint but still brim with the energetic bright dark fruit that we've come to expect from best Gamay of this region.
P.S TENDRESSE 2021 £17
This Gamay comes from 40 year old vines planted on clay and limestone on an eastern exposure, it was macerated whole bunch for ten days, aged in clay jars from October 2021 until May 2022, before bottling. No additions were made. Like Raphael's Noah wine, this developed a flor on the wine, but is not oxidative, but seemed to give the wine more focus and fresness, it has lovely depth of fruit with a little lick of VA which lifts the wine rather than detracts from it.
LES CHIENS ROMANTIQUES 2022 £14.50
100% Gamay. Maude gave the grapes ten days of maceration, before ageing in fibreglass for ten months. It's supple, silky, with lovely aromatics and very pretty fruit, a really delicate expression of southern Beaujolais. No additions fining of filtering.
SHIRLEY COUGAR 2022 £16
From Gamay vines at Montgiron exposed south-east and growing on pink sand and granite. Maude gave the grapes ten days of maceration, before ageing in amphora for ten months. It's very pretty with lovely pure fruit and beautiful aromatics, a really delicate expression of southern Beaujolais. No additions fining of filtering.
NICOLAS PAVIE, THEIZE, BEAUJOLAIS
Originally from Normandy Nicolas Pavie studied biochemistry & language science, but long had an interest in wine, he worked in a wine cellar for ten years, all the while visiting vineyards and winemakers. Eventually he took the decision to try and make wine, spending time working with two of the winemakers whose wines had most intrigued him. Through a lot of reading, theoretical knowledge and this practice for Nicolas: . The most important thing to work without sulfur: pruning and control of the yields and an excellent sanitary state of the grapes at harvest time.
In 2015 Nicolas took the plunge and took on some surface in Theize in Beaujolais, he now has 1.8 hectares of vines, all Gamay. Three plots of land harvested and vinified separately: sandy soil, clay-limestone, clay-limestone studded with golden stones. (The famous Pierre Dorees of the region).
He works the soils only at the level of the vines without motorised machinery but with a grelinette so that this work is done with as little noise as possible in the vines. The aim is to leave the soil alone and let it express itself. This important manual work allows Nicolas to be in very regular contact with each vine stock.
Grapes are hand-picked in small crates, 3 and a half weeks of maceration without intervention (infusion), manual pressing, bottling, corking... by hand and minimal use of pump.
FATUM 2021 £15
The first vintage for a tiny new plot he took over in 2021, a vintage that was wet and cool. He applied his usual approach, 3 and a half week infusion of the grapes and aged this juice in tank. As with many in the region has some reduction on opening, but with a little air unfurls into a very pretty wine, full of dark red fruit.
ULTREIA 2021 £19 / £41
From his smaller plot in Theize, littered with the golden stones of the region, the grapes had 4 weeks of maceration, using his infusion method, then aged in tank. A little reduction on opening unfurls into a deep, sultry wine with silky dark fruit.
LA GRANDE ILLUSION 2019 £20.50
This wine comes from two separate parcels planted on clay limestone soils, planted in the 1950's. As with all of Nicolas' wines there was around 3-4 week maceration of whole bunches in tank - with no punchers or extraction before a very slow press. This was aged in old barrel - from one of his friends in the Jura, for 20 months.
Dense vibrant juice, with the barrel giving a pleasant roundness, this opens up beautifully over a couple of days.
METANOIA 2020 £20.50 / £45
This remarkable wine comes from a millefeuille of all Nicolas' parcels in 2020, given a 4 week whole bunch macerations with no interventions, before a very slow press, then aged in barrel for 18 months. It's dense, long and has remarkable depth, showing well already, but destined to age for years.
LACHESIS 2020 £21.50
This is from the parcel in Theize on light clay and limestone. Grapes were macerated whole bunch for 4 weeks, before 25 months in barrel. Dense, silky and very long, this is a quite remarkable expression of southern Beaujolais Gamay.
IMPERMANENCE 2021 £19.50
From Theize on stony soils of clay and limestones, dotted with the golden stones of the region. The grapes were given a full 4 weeks of maceration, then given 14 months elevage in barrels. The lighter vintage has given a pretty, elegant wine, smoky, mineral and very pure of fruit.
ANASTASIS 2022 £18.50
From the vines on granite, the grapes were given 3.5 weeks of whole bunch maceration, before ageing in tanks for 10 months. This is already very lovely, bright, bursting with fruit, but with the signature depth and complexity that Nicolas manages to find.
NO JUDGEMENT DAY 2022 £19.50
From the vines on clay and limestone, this had a similar maceration to the Anastasis and was also aged in tank. However the vines are on clay and limestone soils, giving a richer, more exotic fruit profile. Delicious as always!
ROMAIN DES GROTTES, SAINT-ETTIENE-DES-OUILLIERES, BEAUJOLAIS
Romain Des Grottes is not a typical Beaujolais producer, he has forged his own path from the start, not being particularly connected to any kind of wine movement. Through his own intuition and beliefs he has ended up making wines in the most natural way possible with a style unique to him.It starts with the farming, which is organic and uses very little if any copper in the vineyard. When harvesting, he starts with a very early harvest of all the fruit for his soft drink L'Antidote and his low alcohol sparkling Petit Coin De Paradis. for these wines he picks all of the 'not perfect' fruit, to press direct. The vine gives all of it's energy to what's left on the vine, allowing him to pick earlier than anyone in the region but still have bright, ripe fruit (he has the same team as Michel Guignier, they start with Romain and end with Michel!)
Despite all being bottled essentially as primeurs, the wines age very well and we are often surprised by older vintages of his wines. In recent years Romain has expanded to making co-ferments of soft fruit and wine, cider and wine blends and even a CBD lemonade.
L'ANTIDOTE 2023 £9
Romain's incredibly popular soft drink was originally conceived as a sparkling version of his low-alcohol fizz, to make something everybody could drink. He experimented a lot and created a complex blend of herbs, citrus, ginger, apple and of course Gamay juice. He steeps the herbs at different temperatures in the juice for the right extraction and everything is blended before bottling. It's unique and a perfect alternative, particularly lovely as an aperitif.
PETIT COIN DE PARADIS 2022 £15
A unique and delicious fizz that is frankly perfect for this time of year. Clocking in at 6.5% this is produced from an early pick of Gamay, bottled as Pet Nat, but with plenty of sugar remaining, allowing a balance of acidity and sugar that reminds me of a natural version of Bugey-Cerdon. It's perfect for Christmas morning!
TRUC DE BUVE 2021 £14.50
Truc De Buve is produced from the same fruit but given an extra day of maceration and aged in fibreglass, this drinking particularly well already, incredibly fresh and bright with sour cherries and lean acidity. Drink chilled.
BRUT DE CUVE 2022 £14.50
2022 was a stellar vintage that suited Romain's unique style. This is already drinking very well, with beautiful bright perfumed fruit.
LES CANICULES S'EMBALLENT 2022 £15
Romain describes this as 'harder extraction' than the brut de cuve, but that is only in the context of his other wines. Given a longer maceration this has slightly denser rounder red berry fruit and is also already drinking very well.
OLGA DES GROTTES, SAINT-ETTIENE-DES-OUILLIERES, BEAUJOLAIS
Olga has been officially installed as winemaker since the beginning of 2019, with around 3 hectares of vines on the same estate as her brother. She first started in wine by harvesting for winemakers renting vines to my family: Romain (of course), Stephen and Mathilde from Lou y es-tu, Balmet, Vuillod… then cutting season and lately, green chores during spring. She started being curious of the work they were doing in the cellar and studied at the Beaune wine college. After this she spent time working with Vincent Marie of No Control in the Auvergne.
AVOIR LA CUVE ENTRE DEUX CHAIS 2021 £14.50
100% Gamay, given a month of maceration. This has more structure than the Gavinol, with a remarkable balance of freshness and intensity that has aged very well and is starting to show beautifully.
ROBIN GOUTALLIER, QUINCIE EN BEAUJOLAIS
Part-time teacher Robin started making wine when he moved to the countryside and bought a house with his family which came with a small vineyard, After encountering natural winemakers of the area like Romain Des Grottes and Herve Ravera he was inspired to make wine himself, first just with this vineyard and then in the neighbouring Marchampt where Herve is based. He works organically, everything by hand, with careful natural touch and strict attention to detail.
60% DE VELOURS 2021 £13.50
The 2021 from this parcel is as you'd expect from the cooler vintage, lighter in alcohol and already showing beautifully with elegant brambly fruit and a certain crunchiness that keeps you coming back for more!
Y’A PAS QUE D’LA POMME 2021 £14
From the same parcel as 2020, 80 year old vines behind Robin's house. Even with a slightly longer maceration the coolness of 2021 has given a real freshness and elegance to this wine even in its relative youth.
FACON PUZZLE 2022 £15.50
An enlivening Petillant produced from free run juice of Gamay, bottled before the sugars finished in bottle. Robin releases it undisgorged, keeping the texture and energy of the wine in place. Best served well-chilled and kept upright in the fridge before serving!
36 FOIS LE MISE 2022 £13.50
From Robin’s highest parcel, above the 60% De Velours, at 500m altitude on granite soils, that he has recently acquired. He gave the grapes a gentle 10 day maceration whole bunch before pressing into fibreglass.
60% DE VELOURS 2022 £14.50
From the warmer 2022 vintage, this is a parcel at about 450m altitude, which he gives a two week whole bunch maceration before ageing in fibreglass. Full of silky dark fruit, it is very elegant and long with enough weight to stand up to food, a lovely vintage.
Y'A PAS QUE D'LA POMME 2022 £15
From his oldest vines, soils more clay and limestone, Robin gives this wine a two week maceration with just a touch more extraction, bringing some sultry tannins to the riper fruit.
LILLIAN & SOPHIE BAUCHET, LANCIE, BEAUJOLAIS
Trading in life as a software engineer for making wine sounds like a dream, which in this case was a reality for Lillian Bauchet when in 2007 he took on vines around Fleurie, mentored by the likes of Phillip Jambon. But this change wasn't enough for Lillian's curious mind and he moved in 2014 to find smaller surface in the village of Lancie, outside of the cru appellations. It was here he started to experiment with planting hybrid grape varieties, an experimental vineyard of mixed varietals originally at the site of a disused tennis court. These varietals are much more disease resistant and require no or very little treatments, unlike noble varietals where in 2021 the wet weather led people doubling or tripling the amount they used.
Now these hybrid varietals are his passion and he is known as something of an authority in the area, planting plenty and advising Romain Des Grottes and Robin Goutallier on their own hybrid plantings.
The old argument is that these varietals do not produce great wine, but in recent years natural winemakers in particular are proving that this is not the case. When tasting the 2021 wines from Lillian & Sophie, you can see this potential in evidence..
PLAN B 2020 £16
Lilian's flagship white is a delicious blend of Souvignier Gris & Muscaris, pressed direct and aged in fibreglass. It has a lovely lush texture, yes is fresh and full of crisp fruit. One of the best wines made from hybrid grapes we have tried.
DAZIBAO 2022 £16.50
This energetic red is a blend of 85% Gamay de Beaujolais with a mix of hybrid grapes: hybrids Florental, Chambourcin, two old hybrids of gamay, Leon Millot and Maréchal Foch. Brimming with wild dark fruit, it has a little co2 on opening, the red berries of the gamay are complemented by the rustic brightness of the hybrid grapes. Perfect with a cassoulet!
DOMAINE LA COTELETTE, COTE DE SAONE, BURGUNDY
Benoit Killian is a musician, wine-seller and more recently wine-maker. After a chance meeting with a bottle from Marcel Lapierre back in 2007, his head was turned toward natural wine and he went to visit Marcel, a revelatory experience. Through the next five years he visited many producers and sold their wines, in between his musical commitments. In 2012 he had been told by Guy Bussière that his domaine was for sale. But at the time did not have the money, the space to vinify and was busy with music.
It was sold to someone else and he thought that would be the last of that story. In 2018 he drove past and saw the vines were a wasteland, not tended too. Now could be the time, he knew the potential of these vineyards which had never had chemicals on them. Guy’s grandfather planted the vines at the turn of the last century and resisted the oncoming of chemical agriculture.With the help of friends like Marc Soyard, Gilles Ballorin & Romuald Valot he checked the vines were recoverable and yes - with hard work they were. Benoit is making precise, delicious wines that offer a taste of the potential of this little heralded part of Burgundy. Predictably, there isn’t much to go around.
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ARNAUD CHAPUIS, COTES DE BEAUNE, BURGUNDY
Our visit to Arnaud came from a tip-off from our friend Jesse who was working with Domaine Dandelion at the time (Arnaud works some of Chandon’s parcels, where Christian from Dandelion is head winemaker.). On a beautifully misty morning in the Haute Côtes De Beaune we saw his family vineyard, Aligoté and Pinot planted by his parents, originally sold to a co-operative but now Arnaud makes his own wine and has recently planted more of these varietals. The wines are electric - lightly extracted juices full of energy and very pure fruit. We have finally managed to get some wine from Arnaud, but predictably there is not a lot to go around.
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DOMAINE DELHOMME & CO, TREIGNY, BURGUNDY
In the outer reaches of Burgundy, the Yonne, Baptiste Delhomme & David Arnaiz are crafting delicious, exotic wines from a myriad of varietals planted on the vineyards they farm in the area. They have of course the signature Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Aligote, but are also blessed with Savagnin, Sacy (indigenous to this region and called Tresallier in the Auvergne) plus a little Melon De Bourgogne, Pinot Gris & Viognier! Working with a 100 year old wooden press that they restored, they tend to traditional methods, working slowly and painstakingly to make pure-fruited wines of real vibrancy, that represent exceptional value for the quality on show.
VIGNES DE LA JUSTICE 2022 £17.50
100% Chardonnay from a single parcel, named 'Justice'. A more exotic profile, with a distinct salinity and flintiness framing the rich fruit. Reminiscent of something from the Jura more than Burgundy.
PIFONOURS 2022 £17.50
This is a delicious oxidative white, produced from a blend of 70% Aligote & 30% Sacy, a grape native to this area and also the Auvergne where it is known as Tresallier. It has a lovely freshness and acidity from these two varietals, balanced with a rich, salty, oxidative note. Perfect with a slice of Comte!
PUNK'S PINOT DEAD 2021 £17.50
Pinot Noir destemmed and given a short maceration on the skins, then aged in barrel, they age the press juice (the juice that comes after pressing the grapes and the free-run juice (the juice that naturally comes out of the grapes) separately. This is the press juice and thus has a touch more silky tannins and a pleasant spikiness that keeps the lovely black fruit in check.
ROUGE DE LA 2021 £17.50
Pinot Noir destemmed and given a short maceration on the skins, then aged in barrel, they age the press juice (the juice that comes after pressing the grapes and the free-run juice (the juice that naturally comes out of the grapes) separately. This is the free run juice, a little lighter and finer, with plenty of pretty dark red fruit
JEAN-FRANCOIS ESSLER, GRUSSE, JURA
Jean-Francois farms just under 4 hectares of vines around Grusse in the south of the Jura. Formerly a graphic designer and wine merchant moved into winemaking, spending a few years working at Domaine Buronfosse before setting up his own estate, slowly finding some vines for himself. It is very early days in his journey, but he is already making remarkably accomplished, detailed and powerful wines. The Chardonnays tend to be given a long elevage and aged in burgundy barrels, the reds in tank and released a little younger. As is usual for growers in this region, quantities are limited.
PREMIER PAS 2020 £24.50
The Côtes du Jura Chardonnay “Premier pas” cuvée comes from a blend of two plots located in Grusse. The soils of this terroir are essentially composed of gray Lias marl covered by silt.
The grapes were pressed direct and the wine was aged for 24 months in old Burgundy barrels. Has the slightly exotic fruit you associate with the region, but with lots of freshness and salinity. Drinking very well already, but worth holding on too.
CAROLINE LEDÉDENTÉ. GRAIN PAR GRAIN, ARTEMARE, BUGEY
Caroline worked in wine in Paris and this is where she discovered natural wine, after being told by a sommelier that ‘they all taste the same’ she went to find out for herself and at Vinisat, a wine fair she had a moment with a bottle from Pat Desplats. She never looked back. After studying in a viticultural school in the Jura she went to stage with a few winemakers and spent time with Gregoire Perron in Bugey, which is where she found her inspiration to start in this region.
For her first vintage she only had one parcel of Chardonnay and everything else was negociant, but now she works two hectares of her own vineyards split around South Bugey. She looks for small, isolated parcels of native varieties with good biodiversity, for example fruit trees planned among the vines. Soils are rich in limestone and clay.
LOUIS TERRAL, MERIGNAT, BUGEY
Louis Terral is in his own words a ‘nomad’ originally from the resort town of Royan and after some wandering, now set up in Bugey, the home of his wife. He came to winemaking in 2013 and worked with among others Julie Balagny, Michel Guignier, Jean-Louis Dutraive & Phillip Valette, a very good education among great winemakers and beautiful vineyards. While visiting the home of his wife and spending some time working with biodynamic sparkling wine producer Raphael Bartucci he saw the potential of Bugey vineyards. Indeed he is the only winemaker in the village to make still wine in a place that is a stronghold of the Bugey-Cerdon sparkling tradition. He purchased his first vineyard in 2016, while still working for other vignerons and has grown that to 2 hectares of mostly Gamay with a smattering of Chardonnay. He practises Biodynamics methods in the vineyard, is certified organic and will be certified by Demeter next year and is very interested in farming, influenced more latterly by Fukuoka (we spoke of the radical methods of Patrick Desplats when we visited). . These are elegant, fine and detailed wines that show the true potential of Bugey. All wines are made without additions.
The wines are all named after famous women. For example: Vera Rubin who discovered dark matter, Lucie Aubrac, a member of the French resistance.
MARGUERITE 2019 £15.50
100% Gamay from 20 year old vines planted on limestone. After a short whole bunch maceration of around 15 days, the juice is aged in tank, then bottled during the following spring. Lovely tart fruit with notes of plum and damson this is his most direct and juicy style, but with no lack of elegance
MARGUERITE 2020 £16
Same vinification as the 2019, in a warm but wetter vintage, this has a lot of fluidity and lushness and is perfect for autumnal weather, to pair with game perhaps.
VERA 2019 £19
The 2019 vintage had less heat than 2018, bringing more acidity and freshness to the wines, along with Louis’ work in the vineyards, biodynamic for three years now bringing he believes more balance. The 2019 has more acidity and tart fruit and really wonderful length.
VERA 2020 £19.50
2020 was a hot year, bringing a brooding darker fruit to this wine, but still with beautiful balance, acidity and bright fruit. Starting to drink well, but experience says this will age wonderfully.
MARIANNE 2019 £19.50
Very old Gamay planted on a steep hill at 600m altitude, facing South. The grapes are given a full carbonic maceration, without juice during 15-20 days, pressed on a old hand press and then 8 months of barrel ageing. Incredibly pure, elegant and direct, full of small red fruits and invigorating freshness. A great vintage for this wine.
LA FERME DU CADE, SAINT LAURENT DE CARNOLS, RHONE
After an inspiring visit earlier this year, we have the first of the 2021 wines from David Teyssier of La Ferme Du Cade. David has long been working in vineyards, taking over his family vines in 2006. His family sold fruit to the local cave co-op and when David took over, he asked about converting to organics and was told to do as everyone else does. He did and the low prices that are paid for the grapes led to him taking on a full 35 ha of vines to try and make enough money to survive. Something had to change.
It was the winemaker Valentin Valles who introduced David to natural wine back in 2010 and this coupled with another job he had taken on, managing the vineyards at the historic, organic estate Domaine De Gressac nearby Verfeuil. the work he did in organics at Gressac showed him another path was possible. to change the way he worked. So in 2014 he converted the vineyards to organics and the local co-op would not vinify the fruit. Fortunately this coincided with the rise of natural winemakers in the area wanting to buy organic fruit - people like Sébastien Chatillon, Les Frères Soulier and the aforementioned Vallès. It wasn't hard to find buyers for his beautiful organic grapes.
He continues to sell fruit to these friends and a few others, but started vinifying under his own name in 2018, with the help and knowledge of his peers. Alongside this as you might expect from the name of the estate, , Teyssier and his wife raise chickens, sheep (which pasture in the vines all winter) and also produce delicious olive oil. They have 8 ha of vines, 3 ha for fodder, 1 ha of olive trees, 10 sheep and 30 hens
David is keen for his wines to be as accessibly priced as possible and we think they represent quite outstanding value, most wines, despite being made without additions are also remarkable stable.
ROUMEGUE 2022 £13.50
80% Grenache, 20% Cinsault from 75 year old vines on clay and limestone. The grapes were given a 7 day maceration whole bunch. Reflecting the warmer vintage, it's a little darker and deeper than the 2021, but still screams with bright black fruit. Great chilled, or not.
TOUJOURS PLUS 2022 £13.50
70% Grenache, 30% Syrah. The Grenache is macerated for 7 days, the Syrah is direct press, blended in. Silky soft dark fruit and just a hint of the garrigue make this is a lovely wine for the barbecue. Again, nice chilled.
PRIME 2023 £14.50
Blend of Cinsault, Clairette Rose & Blanc. Lighter than last year, this has a beautifully aromatic nose, a slightly spritz and lovely acidity. The perfect thing to lift from the winter gloom. Best served chilled.
JOSEPH JEFFERIES - DOMAINE BORIES JEFFERIES, CAUX, LANGUEDOC
Joe Jefferies is a guy from Warwickshire who went to the South of France to help his Dad do up a house. He met a girl, fell in love and never looked back. Joe worked as a cycle tour guide for a number of years, but after drinking the wines of, and becoming friends with Remi Poujol and Bernard Bellahsen of Domaine Fontedicto he decided to try his hand with the grape, taking over his stepdads Grenache Blanc vines and finding other north-facing vineyards around his home town of Caux. The vineyards all sit on the plateau of an old volcano, with vineyards rich in basalt and in an increasingly warm climate Joe still manages to find freshness in his wines. He only uses native varieties. all of the wines are produced with zero additions, no fining or filtering and he gives the wines the time they need before releasing them.
CABANE DE JEANNE 2020 £17
50/50 Grenache Blanc and Marsanne (the last vintage for the Marsanne). Direct press with no settling, aged on gross lees. Pure and mineral with a richness from the varietal, but lovely minerality and fruit. Starting to drink well, but experience says this will age wonderfully.
PAS DES NOUVELLES BONNE NOUVELLES 2021 £16
A blend of Grenache Gris, Noir & Cinsault given a 6 day maceration. A little straighter than the 2020 version (called 19/20) this is an explosion of fruit and minerals. Drink lightly chilled.
WHERE BLACK IS THE COLOUR, WHERE NONE IS THE NUMBER 2021 £17
2021 was 100% Carignan given a 6 day whole bunch maceration, then aged in tank on gross lees. It has a smoky reduction on opening, which with a bit of air opens up in a very mineral lithe Carigan, with lots of freshness from this cooler vintage. The basalt, volcanic soils give a minerality that reminds me of the best wines from the Auvergne.
JUS DE CAILLOU 2019 £14.50
Carignan bought from a volcanic plateau near Fos (about 10k from here). A total of 24 months on skins (its own skins plus 2 successive batches of carignan skins from 2020 & 2021 = three lots of 8 months). Is actually v light in colour and structure (skins and stalks sucked tannins and colour back up). The carignan is very deep with spicy aromatics. Joe blended 60 % carignan with 40% of grenaches noir, gris and Cinsault from 2021 to give fruit and freshness. Is tasting stellar.
REMI POUJOL - MAS COSTEFERE, PEZENAS, LANGUEDOC
Remi is one of the most well respected natural winemakers in the Languedoc, working tirelessly with two horses on his plots of land near the town of Pezenas Herault. He is commited to producing wine with no inputs and has long been a member of the S.A.I.N.S. association. Since 2002 he has been organic and since 2007 without sulphur, The soils are very complex because the source rocks are either derived from mineral limestones of the earth's crust or marine deposits, or basaltic from volcanism (some volcanoes nearby). Remi ploughs only with two horses, and is widely thought of as one of the best grape-growers in the region, generously selling fruit to the like of L’Octavin & Es d’Aqui
TEMPS FAIT TOUT BLANC 2020 £15
Remi's iconic white is a real joy and represents one of the best value's in France. The 2020 was a blend of Viognier (given some maceration) Colombard, Ugni Blanc & Bourboulenc. The grapes were pressed direct. aged separately in various vessels (some concrete eggs as well as fibreglass), then blended before bottling. It was given a year in bottle to stabilise before release. This vintage is slightly higher in Viognier, giving a little more peachy fruit, but balanced with a lovely herbal, savoury aromatic and some noble reduction.
BRUTAL! 2021 £15
Remi was one of the four originators of the Brutal label and has always stayed true to it's ethos. The 2021, a cooler vintage is a vibrant blend of 70% Mourvedre & 30% Carignan. The fruit was all destemmed then macerated for around 4 weeks before ageing in fibreglass. Exploding with black fruit with a lovely line of acidity that lifts the wine it's drinking well already but will age beautifully.
VIELLES VIGNES 2018 £18.50
A quite remarkable wine produced from Carignan vines that are over 100 years old. Given a full nine months maceration, this is not as tannic as you might expect, due Remi says, to the balance in the vines and a gentle hand in the cellar. However it will certainly reward cellaring, it is dense & savoury with incredible length.
SAGI TAVERNA VERMOUTH, PERPIGNAN
We were delighted to discover these delicious vermouth's, produced by the team behind Sagi Taverna in Perpignan. It's frequented by natural winemakers, because of the selection they have and one of these - Gilles Trouilier, offered them an old Syrah barrel to use, when they were talking about making some vermouth. This spurred them onto go forward and now they make a few different, delicious styles in tiny quantities. The wine always from winemakers in the region and the flavourings used are wild plants and herbs often grown wild and fruit from farmers who work in permaculture. They sweeten with organic cane sugar or molasses but tend to give less sweetness that many vermouth producers. They are then aged in barrel for 2-3 months to stabilise and for the flavours to come together.
BLANC £20
This has a base of Muscat Petit Grains from Famille Dornier. The botanicals used are fresh herbs like basil, fennel, thyme and rosemary. We used also fresh citrus from our area citrus, orange and several Japanese varieties developed locally by a producer that they know well, sudashi and yuzu for instance. Beautifully light, with a lovely herbal lift, this is delicious on it's own, but we like it most with a dash of soda and some citrus in the glass.
AMARG £17.50
The Amarg as you may guess is the most bitter of their products, dialled up to make a lovely digestif in the style of the Italian amaro, or brilliant to mix in cocktails.
DOMAINE EINHART, ROSENWILLER, ALSACE
Now just 24 and on his fourth vintage, Theo Einhart is already making some of the most delicious wines in Alsace. He basically grew up in vineyards, his grandfather had a vine nursery, and his father and uncle joined the estate in the 60’s growing fruit to sell. The whole ten hectares has been organic since 2000 and for the last six years they started converting parcels to biodynamic farming - 3 hectares so far.
As in most of Alsace, this is a family domaine, but in a relatively unheralded part of the region, where a lot of the estates are trying to sell up because the price of selling grapes to the local co-op is so low it's just not viable for them to continue. In this area though there are two other winemakers doing well and working naturally, both friends of Theo and his family - Jean-Marc & Julien Albertus of Kumpf Et Meyer. Not bad people to be able to consult when you are starting to make natural wine! The wines are vibrant, precise and delicious already, - we can’t wait to see what the future holds.
PET NAT 2022 £14.50
In 2022 this is a blend of Sylvaner, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris & Riesling. Given 4 days on the skins then bottled in the petillant natural style, to finish fermentation on the lees. In a richer vintage, this is amber in colour and has a lovely roundness to the citrusy fruit. It was left on the lees for 12 months before disgorgement by hand. Very fine bubbles, a little herbaceous, but with very pretty aromatics, this is lovely fizz.
PUL'SART 2021 £16.50
100% Gewürztraminer from soils heavy in limestone. In 2021 Theo destemmed the fruit and gave it ten days of maceration. The wild aromatics of the varietal are kept in check with tea like tannins, a brilliantly balanced Gewürztraminer.
RAISIN SAUVAGE, ALSACE
Emilien Revers is one of the few winemakers in Alsace who does not come from an Alsace family estate. Doing things the hard way in a region dominated by tradition, allowing a freedom and experimentation that is quite refreshing. Formerly a sommelier, after falling in love with the natural wines of the region he went to winemaking school, (classmate of Lambert Spielmann) and after this started his own project making wine, but also beer and mead. He has taken on just under 2 hectares of his own vines now, but started out with buying fruit from winemaking friends. Working from a small cellar on an organic market garden site owned by a friend, Emilien is quietly crafting some of the most precise, unique wines in a very exciting region.
DILIGENCE EXPRESS 2022 £14.50
A blend of Sylvaner & Muscat, The Muscat macerated in the Sylvaner juice using Emilien's muslin tea bag maceration method. This is incredibly refreshing, the bright pineapple fruit of the Muscat is balanced with a salty, citrusy minerallity from the Sylvaner. Great to pair with spicy food.
DRINK LOUD, DRINK PROUD 2022 £16.50
100% Gewürztraminer. More angular than the 2021, but with a similarly soft fleshy texture, this is a very refreshing and bright play on this very aromatic varietal.
MAFIA VIN FREE 2021 £16.50
50% Sylvaner, 50% Gewürztraminer, from the oldest vines he rents, planted in 1953 on granite soils. He pressed the grapes direct, then aged in 500l barrels for 6 months, before bottling. This has a wonderful salinity and minerality and is perhaps the most age-worthy of the wines from this vintage, with a rounder texture and herbaceous fruit.
RAVALA ROUGE 2020 £15
50 % Pinot Gris (grows on granite soil), blended with 50 % Pinot Noir (grows on limestone marl soil).
25% whole bunches of pinot noir, the rest is destemmed. 3 weeks of maceration with no push downs. Pressed off in an old manual press, ageing 11 month in old barrels and then bottled by hand, just 560 bottles were produced.
RAVALA EXPRESS ROUGE 2021 £18.50
50% Pinot Gris 50% Pinot Noir. Whole bunches were infused in some direct press juice for a week before ageing in barrel for 6 months. Delicate light and aromatic, this will be a brilliant wine for the spring and summer months ahead.
BEER
These beers are all spontaneously fermented using local fruit or grape lees from his own wines. They are tart, refreshing and a lot of fun.
YU 2021 £13.50
Local organic barley malt + Spring Water (St Pantaléon in Gueberschwihr), ageing in oak barrels for 6 months, blend with wilds plums, hand picking on local wild trees (300 grams of fruit / litre).
DOMAINE GOEPP, HEILIGENSTEIN, ALSACE
As has become a familiar story in the region the Goepp estate has roots in the region for over 70 years, when Jacques and Andres Goepp ran the estate. Through the years it has stayed in the family, until in 2019 it was taken on by brothers Clément and Sylvain, from their father Gerard. Sylvain has long studied and worked in wine, spending time working with Patrick Bouju in the Auvergne and Clément came back to wine after working in landscaping.
The 11 hectares of vines are spread over 3 communes at the foot of Mont Sainte-Odile,
Barr, Bernardswiller and of course, Heiligenstein. All the grape varieties of Alsace
are represented including the rare Savagnin rose, the Klevener of Heiligenstein.
Their first move to convert the estate to organics, going further than their predecessors who nevertheless has still worked to leave grass in the vines to prevent soil erosion and had always harvested by hand. The second move was to follow their love of natural wines of the region and beyond and work completely without additives. They were helped by the support of winemakers like Bouju, Kumpf Et Meyer and Pierre Andrey in Lorraine who bought grapes and in some cases finished wines from the brothers, guaranteeing significant sales.
In their own wines there is remarkable precision in what they are doing already, with the wines often stable open for a couple of days even as they eschew additions. They have tension and focus and speak of winemakers committed and decisive in their actions. Another very exciting addition to the pantheon of new winemakers in what is one of the most vibrant wine regions of France at the moment.
FINE BULLE 2022 £13.50
50% Muscat 50% Auxerrois, pressed direct. As with last year this has a lovely balance of ripe muscat fruit with brilliant acidity and freshness from the Auxerrois. Pouring a hazy yellow it is a wonderful aperitif.
AFFENBERG PINOT GRIS 2022 £15.50
100% Pinot Gris, pressed direct and aged in big Alsace barrels for a year or so. Mineral, with beautiful aromatics and a soft texture, this is an example of Pinot Gris' true potential.
GRAND CRU KIRCHBERG DE BARR RIESLING £18.50
The hillside of this grand cru, located at an altitude of 280m on limestone-marl offers a unique exposition for the expression of Riesling. Originally this site was a forest and orchards. The vines are 30 years old and have very low yields, the grapes are pressed direct, then aged on total lees for 18 months in large Alsatian foundre before bottling. We are fortunate to currently have available three vintages of this wine:
2019 £18.50
A dry, warm vintage, this has benefited from a bit of time in bottle, with a bit of air it unfurls into a rounded, long riesling with a beautiful line of acidity, which keeps the ripe fruit in check.
2020 £18.50
Another warm vintage, but with a bit more rain, this is a perfectly balanced wine, again enjoying a decant, it's crystalline, long and mineral.
2021 £18.50
A cooler year has brought a bright energetic Riesling with electric acidity and a little co2, it's bright and fresh, perhaps less depth than the 2020 and 2019 right now, but delicious and livening.
KLEVENER DE HEILIGENSTEIN 2021 £17.50
Klevener de Heiligenstein is the rarest type of wine in Alsace, produced from the Savagnin Rose varietal of which there are only 40 hectares located in the municipality of Heiligenstein. The Goepp brother have some, nearly 30 year old vines, grown on clay-siliceous soil in the hills under the Vosges at the foot of Mont Sainte- Odile. The varietal is distinguished by a softer aromatic palette, more mineral and with greater length in the mouth than its cousin, the Gewurztraminer. It has something of the exotic about, similar to Savagnin, this is a wonderful example with an oxidative edge, that is good to drink now, but will also age wonderfully. Unique, powerful and complex, grab this while you can, as we didn't get much.
KLEVENER DE HEILIGENSTEIN 2019 £17.50
We were fortunate to pick up a few cases of the 2019 vintage on our last shipment, showing beautifully how this wine can evolve, a dryer, warmer vintage has given a wine of power and depth, but still balanced with acidity. It's full of minerals, with an inviting texture and is very long on the palette, standing up very well to food.
L'ATYPIQUE 2022 £14.50
100% Pinot Gris, macerated whole bunch for 7 days and also aged in foudre. The first time we have had this wine, it pours a beautiful pink, has lovely taut tannins, framing a wine brimming with minerals and pink fruit.
LE FAROUCHE 2021 £14
100% Pinot Noir, from a parcel of 30 year old vines planted on sand and clay. The grapes were given a whole bunch carbonic maceration for 8 days then aged in barrels for 7 months. Usually opens with a bit of reduction, which after some air unfurls into a light, bright wine full of soft red fruit. Farouche means fierce and the Goepp brothers like to think of this wine as fierce and determined to join your tables!
LE FAROUCHE 2022 £14
100% Pinot Noir, from a parcel of 30 year old vines planted on sand and clay. The grapes were given a whole bunch carbonic maceration for 8 days then aged in barrels for 7 months. The 2022 is wonderfully open from the get go, with lovely dark fruit and virtually no tannins, just delicious pinot in the Alsace style. Brilliant value.
SKYBORRY CIDER, ADAM & DANI DAVIES, KNIGHTON, POWYS
Adam and Dani make Cider, Perry and a bit of apple juice in a small shed nestled in the side of the Teme Valley a mile upstream from Knighton, Powys. The fruit is all hand harvested, from orchards around the Wye Valley, their current main source is between Hay on Wye and Bredwardine, Herefordshire. Trees are around 60-80 years old and is blessed with a good variety of apples The orchard is in good condition having spent the last 20 years managed organically for Dunkertons. They have their own orchard, which is very young, so until 2019 the apples just got put into blends - this year they managed to bottle a very small amount of single orchard cider which at some point will get a very limited release.
In terms of process - once the fruit is milled they let the pommace stand to macerate in open top containers for 24-48 hours before pressing, then the wild yeasts do the fermenting. They rack the cider off its lees throughout the winter months, slowing the fermentation down enough so that when it is bottled it ferments a little to condition the cider but stops leaving sugars present. No additions fining or filtering and if they are disgorged, it’s done by hand.
BRONWEN 2020 £8
Named after Adam's daughter, this is a blend of Dabinett, Browns, Stoke Red, Kingston Black, Harry Masters Jersey and Michelin. Orchard blend from our usual Hawkswood Farm orchard (the fruit has gone into to Rural Method and Pommage in the last few vintages) This is lightly sparkling, very rounded with soft tannins and chalky fruit, wonderfully refreshing and a perfect aperitif. Bottled in August 2021.
KNIGHTON 2021 £8.50
The second release from apples grown in their own orchard, which they planted themselves 10 years ago! A blend of Yarlington Mill, Kingston Black, Browns and Stoke Red. Well balanced and bright, with good tannins.
COURT OF NOKE 2021 £8.50
A remarkable new cider produced from a blend of apples picked at a heritage orchard which the Davies brothers have been asked to maintain locally, the trees are historic and old and they are restoring the orchard here. Pouring a beautiful amber, this has soft chalky tannins, crunchy fruit and a roundness and depth that is only found in the best ciders from healthy old orchards. A delight.