WHOLESALE LIST
All of these wines are produced by 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. All prices ex VAT.
Rosenwiller, Alsace
DOMAINE EINHART
Located in Rosenwiller, a few miles from Rosheim, in the northern part of Alsace, the estate dates back to the Theo's grandfather who ran a vine nursery. Theo's father Nicolas, joined the estate in 1990 and after considering the consequences of using pesticies, gradually converted the 10 hectares completely to organics in 2008, then starting to convert to biodynamics in 2016, 3 hectares so far. The soils here are mainly clay-limestone, three prevailing different types of limestone which bear a deep imprint on the wines - shell, oolitic & dolomotic
For a long time, Nicolas sold his fruit, but in 2020, due to the pandemic, Theo ended up back home, after spending time working and learning vinification in Burgundy. His intention was to travel the world, but with that looking unlikely he decided to make some wine instead. Now he works together in the vineyards with his father and his grandmother, who still helps on the estate.
Theo is in his early 20's but is remarkably focused, knowledgeable and passionate about his work. I learnt a lot about pruning methods on our trip. There is a sense of kinship with the other natural winemakers of Alsace and in this region particularly, he is able to call up Jean-Marc Dreyer, a long-time family friend and Julien Albertus of Kumpf Et Meyer, who also has bought fruit from the estate for a few years.
In the cellar Theo favours short destemmed macerations of the fruit, be it red or white grapes, any transfer of juice is done by gravity and much care is taken to limit the exposure of oxygen. The wines are unfiltered, unfined and bottled without additions. For a first vintage they are remarkably precise, with a real vibrancy to the fruit - they are also incredibly stable. We can't wait to follow the journey of this estate
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.
L'INTREPIDE 2021 £14.50
100% Pinot Gris from 25 year old vines planted on Muschelkalk (literally mussel chalk, a type of chalky limestone.) The grapes are de-stemmed and macerated on the skins for around 7 days, after pressing it's aged in large Alsatian foundre for 6 months. The 2021 is lighter than 2020, pouring a beautiful pink and screams with bright fruit.
Ribeauvillé, Alsace
EMILIEN REVERS, RAISIN SAUVAGE
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.
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.
BEER: YU 2021 £13.50
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.
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).
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.
HEILIGENSTEIN, ALSACE
CLÉMENT & SYLVAIN GOEPP, DOMAINE GOEPP
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.
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.
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.
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.