An Autumnal arrival, a chat with Tenuta Foresto.

Tenuta Forresto
Italy, Piedmont, Nizza

Just in time for Autumn, we have received a fresh arrival of new wines from Francesco & Pauline, young winemakers located in Nizza Monferrato, a little south of Asti.

Skin-macerated whites, lightly sparkling Barbera and semi-carbonic Dolcetto: the wines of Piedmont are ideal drinking as the days shorten and the leaves drop.

Francesco & Pauline follow the Fukuoka method; a practice pioneered by Masunobu Fukuoka: a Japanese farmer and philosopher. He referred to his work as ‘do-nothing farming.’ His methodology promoted minimal interference in the agricultural process; creating conditions in which natural processes left to their own accord maximise outputs.

For Francesco, working with the land and having an interest in sustainable agriculture prior to winemaking led him to seek out Fukuoaka’s manifesto ‘The One Straw Revolution’ early on in the project. 

“I found the book and it was mind blowing. I was honestly a bit sceptical at first; I didn’t believe this could be viable, it seemed crazy. But the results straight away were just so encouraging.”

They have a holistic approach in the vineyards, aiming to have as low an impact on the local ecosystem as possible. Their 10-70 year old South-West exposed vines are planted over 'tufa' (limestone), clay and chalk.

We caught up with Francesco on a day that found him finishing the planting of his cover crop,and getting ready to press his Barbera for the 2020 La IDEAle…

How’s the harvest been for you this year?

“Not the best… we got four big hail storms this year. It's been pretty devastating. We had to do a massive selection of all the clusters, to make sure they were clean to bring to the cellar. It was a very long process, everything was really damaged. But apart from that, I have to say: I’m really happy. The quality of what we’ve kept has been really good. The fermentations have been going really well; that’s a... silver lining.”

We’ve just received a few new releases from you, your macerated whites and your lighter reds. Could you tell us your process for those?

2019 - Favonio - Moscato Bianco
“You’ve received the 2019 so has a three-day maceration before pressing off the skins to continue fermentation in concrete tanks. After malolactic finishes a couple of months later, we do some racking, and transfer into 700L oak Tonneaux. Used wood obviously, not new.That stays there for nine, 10 months before bottling, no sulphur.”

2019 - Leuto - Cortese
“The Cortese ferments in concrete tanks, on the skins for 1 month. We do - how do you say in English, cracking the hat? Punch down! We do those 3 or 4 times a day, then press the skins after a month of fermentation. Then it goes into smaller barrels, a mixture of oak and acacia for about 8 months, before bottling with no added sulphur.”

2019 - La Comedie - Barbera
“So it’s the first grape we pick, because we want higher acidity, and less alcohol. We try not to do too many pump overs because we don’t want all the fermentation to go. It ferments until the cold weather starts to kick in, and stops at about 13g/l of sugar, and then we bottle it. This is the first time that the fermentation has slowed before bottling and I’ve not had to add any frozen must, so these are really good! Ancestral sort-of style.”

2019 - PauPau - Dolcetto
“The Dolcetto is picked slightly earlier than normal to have less alcohol volumes, around 12.5% or less.We do 10 days of carbonic maceration. After that we press it and allow it carry on with the fermentation that takes an extra two weeks. Then aged in concrete!Dolcetto in the area here can be so standardized, I’m not often a fan of them. I was really just trying to push the wine in a different direction, hoping for a much fruitier, less typical side to it.”

We’ve had your 18 Barbera cuvees in London for a little while over summer now, and they’re really starting to come into their own as the weather turns. Can you tell us about the process behind those?

“The main difference between the Acrú & La IDEAle is the vineyard, and fermentation. La IDEAle ferments in concrete tanks, and macerates for around 20 days. Then we move it into 2000l oak barrels. I tried to touch it as little as possible, because I want to bottle it with some very small amounts of residual sugar to remain.

“Before I started my own project, I would go to visit Lino Maga at Barbacarlo every other week, to try and learn from his process. He was repeatedly telling me to do this, bottle with a little residual, in late April, under a waning moon. His idea is that bottling with a hint of carbonation will preserve the freshness and fruitiness for years. So that’s what I’m trying to achieve. Not all the bottles will have the carbonation but, the ones that do; they’re the lucky bottles!

“The Acru is the oldest Barbera vineyard (we have a minimum of 45 years and the oldest is 70 years) and we ferment it in wood, for about 30 days with the skins. We do two to three punch downs a day, then it stays for a minimum 12 months in the barrels before bottling. I’ve always been fascinated by Barbara.
That's one of the main reasons I moved to Monferrato. I wanted to work with Barbera.”

How has your work with the Fukuoka method been going?

“I love to work in that style, fully observing nature and the natural processes, rather than intervening with any preparations. So we do a lot of cover crop work. We don't turn the soil. When the cover crop matures we cut it and spread it across the vineyard as a vegetation blanket. Even after one year of experimentation we saw great results, but the vegetation blanket really saved us this year.

“In July we had two weeks of 40 degree days, but when we lifted this layer of vegetation it was super humid underneath. The aim is to maintain that whole life-system of bacteria and microorganisms, by keeping things humid and damp. Once it’s dry, nothing thrives.

“The effects of climate change here on the weather patterns have been drastic. This is the thing we have to do; think about in advance each winter, to take a risk on the pruning style, take a risk on the way we plant a cover crop. Everything we are doing now is to make a decision on how we’ll have to fight the climate change in the coming year.
It’s a challenge. But, I’m loving it.”

Now in Stock

Sparkling

NEW 2018 - La Comedie - Barbera

Skin

NEW 2018 - Favonia - Moscato Bianco
NEW 2018 - Leuto - Cortese

Red

NEW 2019 - PauPau - Dolcetto
2018 - LA IDEAle - Barbera
2018 - Acrú - Barbera

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Introducing...Andi Weigand!

Andi Weigand

Germany, Bavaria, Iphofen
 

Andi Weigand is part of the new wave of "college-escapee" winemakers sweeping Germany, overturning old expectations of his homeland's wine, but with a definite sense of place.

We were introduced by 2Naturkinder : being practically neighbours, they share ideas (and joint custody of Nick Hanel) in the vineyards. The second generation of his family to make wine, Andi was inspired by visits to natural winemakers with his college mates.

Vineyards are mostly on or around the Iphöfer Kronsberg, a hill which rises precipitously from the plain below. Unique Keuper soils give the wines power without high alcohol. Andi works on the sides or lower down the hill to achieve more subtlety in his wines compared to other area producers, whose steep south-facing slopes now receive much more sunshine – perhaps climate-change induced.

Mixing tradition with progress Andi uses an 80-year-old basket press and vinifies in large German oak. He also experiments with maceration in qvevri.

His cuvees have just landed - we've had a chat:

"My dad was the first in our family to start making wines, and I took over in 2015. We converted to organic winemaking with the first natural vintage coming out in 2018. I am really lucky to have parents who are open-minded enough and had confidence in the future of natural wines, as most people around here were still more inclined towards commercial wines. But they acknowledged my passion and drive and let me go ahead with it, and we are all pretty happy with the results. 

"Today, my dad and I work together: I am the head behind the production and he works in the background and let’s me lead the way.

“I am happy to have good friends in the industry such as 2Naturkinder and the Brand Brothers - we all help and motivate each other. It's great to be part of this group as we all grow together.

"Right now, there is a clear natural winemaking trend happening in Germany. People are turning away from commercially made products full of pesticides. I am happy to have good friends in the industry such as 2Naturkinder and the Brand Brothers - we all help and motivate each other. It's great to be part of this group as we all grow together.

"Talking about the vintages you have received, 2019, just like 2018, have been really hot years for us. In 2019 the harvest was rather small due to little water reserves, but of incredibly good quality. Probably the best one we've ever had. I am happy with the alcohol percentage which is 12%. Less than that I find them too edgy, more than that too boozy.

“For the whites: The grapes went initially through our 100-year-old direct press (we've got a cellar which is dating back to the 1600's). The juice then goes into wooden barrels housed there for about nine months. Then we bottle them up. Maybe it doesn't sound very spectacular but it is just my way of making wines: I want them to be fresh, reviving and I want the process to be clean and errorless. 

"As for the Skin 2019, this is a special one for us; skin-contact Silvaner from 40-year-old vines. We destemmed 50% of the grapes by hand to get totally healthy berries, and to keep the fruit intact. The other 50% we kept whole bunch, and added both whole-bunch clusters and destemmed berried to qvevri & amphora for 9 months. After, they were pressed, and bottled. It's fantastic to see how fresh & juicy a wine can still be even after 9 months on skins! 

"At the moment I am quite happy with the development of our vineyard. We are paying great attention to the care of the old vines, which if maintained well, can flourish for another 60 years. The next future project would be making wines biodynamically - we have already started making first steps in this direction!"

Now in Stock

WHITE

NEW 2019 White - Muller Thurgau, Silvaner, Scheurebe, Bacchus

NEW 2019 MTH - Muller Thurgau

NEW 2019 Silvaner - Silvaner

SKIN

NEW 2019 Skin - Silvaner

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A Spontaneous 'Tasting' Fermentation!

A Spontaneous ‘Tasting’ Fermentation

Tuesday Sep 1, 10am - 4pm

We've received lots of exciting new vintages that we can't wait to share with you -  please come and join us this coming Tuesday, the 1st September at Weino BIB for a taste!

For this very spontaneous and somewhat last minute tasting we're teaming up with good friends and usual suspects Otros Vinos and Wright's Wines.

By appointment only!

Click below to book your slot (we're taking bookings every half hour from between 10am and 3pm - tasting wraps up at 4pm)

Looking forward to tasting with you!

Tom & Al

Domaine Durrmann - Landing Party

Help Us Celebrate the Arrival of Our Favourite Summer Wines with an Evening Tasting & Wood-Grill out the back of Juliets Quality Foods. 

The wines of Domaine Durrmann need no introduction. After a long and deeply felt absence, we have just received a huge shipment of wines from Yann and his family in Alsace and we cannot wait to celebrate their release with you all!

To mark the occasions we are throwing an Alsatian BBQ & impromtu Wine Tasting out the back of Juliets Quality foods on Sunday evening August 23rd from 18pm - 23pm.

There will be a staggering array of Durrmann's latest cuvees to taste along with hearty Alsatian plates of wood grilled sausages, new potato in fresh buttermilk & horseradish & fermented white asparagus.

Tastings are FREE for trade. Book your spot below!

Hardy's Easy-Drinking 2019

Xaviére Hardy

La Chapelle-Glain, Loire-Atlantique, France
 

Xavière hasn’t taken an easy path. There were no vines for miles around her village – La Chapelle-Glain, about 60km north of Nantes. In fact, planting vines there was officially forbidden. That wasn't about to stop Xavière, who refused to be deterred from her dream of a career change after 20 years running her own business. Enlisting the help of Ancenis grower Jacque Caroger, she lobbied the local council, who eventually relented and gave her permission to plant her vineyard. After analysing the terroir she chose Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Grolleau.

Connection to the plant is paramount, so Xavière tends her vines by hand. In the cellar she works very delicately, using no sulphur or filtration. She uses biodynamic treatments and herbal teas made from local flowers and honey instead of copper in the vineyard. 

Her new 2019 vintages just landed! We've had a chat:

For the 2018 Vin du Pastre we've had a huge harvest, and the wine turned out very light and easy-drinking with 10% ABV, it was almost juice like. In 2019 the harvest was more controlled and I have renamed it to Ma Garance Voyageuse because the cuvée has changed a lot compared to last year: it is much more punchy, it has more tannins, and there is also more alcohol: 11.5%. Direct pressing, 8-10 day fermentation in vats then matured in barrels for eight months. I have chosen this name because I became grandmother last year to a little girl called Garance – so this is her cuvée! 

The 2019 XH² is softer than the 2018 version, it is elegant and easy-drinking. Ten-day maceration in vats, pressed then matured in barrels for eight months. An elegant wine with subtle black cherry and blackcurrant aromas, slightly peppery. 2019 in general has been a bit of a tough year as we have lost a lot to frost, so this cuvée is of very limited quantity.

It is similar for the 2019 AWA: due to frost losses, I didn't produce big quantities. It is a beautiful cuvée, which is quite similar taste-wise to the 2018 version: dry, aromatic, round. 8-10 day fermentation in vats then matured in barrels for eight months.

None of the above cuvées have added sulfites.

The 2019 Osez Josephine is a brand new cuvée and has been created out of my own grapes, as well as grapes which I bought from a friend as I had to supplement due to frost losses. Direct pressing, 8-10 days fermentation in vats with indigenous yeasts then matured in barrels for eight months. A fresh white wine with complex aromas of yellow and dried fruits. I have added 35mg/l of sulfites. I really like the song 'Osez Josephine' by Alain Bashung, so that's where the name comes from.

Both of the whites are in general easy-drinking and aromatic, and with 14% of ABV each also quite powerful.

This year has been looking good so far, we didn't suffer any frost or mildew, nor heat waves. The only thing is that the grapes seem to be at different levels of maturity across the vineyard, so I am waiting to see if we will need to do a phased harvest to achieve optimal results.

As for future projects, I have planted an additional half-hectare of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir in order to have more wine of these two varieties because I have a very small estate [1.5 ha including this young plantation]. So we should be able to reap the results in about two years time!

Now in Stock

WHITE

NEW 2019 (VDF) AWA - Pinot Gris

NEW 2019 (VDF) Osez Joséphine - Chenin


RED

NEW 2019 (VDF) Ma Garance Voyageuse - Grolleau

NEW 2019 (VDF) XH² - Pinot Noir
                                                                            

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Our Rhône Again (Naturally)

La Roche Buissiere

France, Southern Rhône, Vaison-la-Romaine

Located northeast of Vaison-La-Romaine in the southern Côtes du Rhône, Antoine Joly and his wife Laurence work 18 hectares of organic vineyards planted with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. They maintain a freshness and lightness in their wines by dedicating themselves to very intense vineyard work that allows to harvest earlier, resulting in less concentrated wines. They hand-harvest, don’t use synthetic yeasts, and don’t fine or filter.


Their new 2019 vintages just landed - as well as a refill of the 2018 Petit Jo! We've had a chat:

"After an awful year 2018 where we have lost big amounts to mildew, 2019 was better, but we did struggle with a long heat wave of four months without a single drop of rain. As a result of that we have harvested very early and very fast. We've had a total of 25 staff and have finished in 11 days. 

"The 2019 Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault from 15-20 year old vines grown on clay-limestone and silt. We've used whole grapes, which were pressed straight away and then went directly into tanks. The fermentation took place for 15 days. The idea was to create a light and easy drinking rosé. 

"The 2019 Premices is made of 90% Grenache and 10% Cinsault. We have added Cinsault  this time in order to bring more freshness. As usual, it was the first cuvée we have released this year, as it was the first one to be harvested. For this cuvée we usually do very short macerations, which helps achieve a light colour and fresh juice. The maceration took place four days in total. After 72 hours, we started to take the juice out of the tank, one hectolitre per day, while leaving the whole grapes inside to keep fermenting further. Like this we had constant fresh juice being created. We have been doing this for four days in total until all the juice was out. 
The fermentation was also very short: 12 days - which we call 'rosé style'. 

"Both of these cuvées are fresh and easy wines, perfect for summer and are best served cold.

"The 2018 Petit Jo is made from a blend of 50% Syrah - 50% Grenache on a clay-limestone terroir (with a very varied texture: marl, sand or silt) situated between 300 and 450 metres above sea level. It's a wine perfect for sharing with friends and family: easy-drinking with notes of red fruits and spices.

"All three cuvées are aged in tanks, are unfined and unfiltered, and had a total of 10 mg/l of sulfites added at bottling.

"So far this year is looking good for us, we haven't had any frost or mildew this year. We are hoping for a comeback of our Petite Jeanne cuvée, named after our daughter, which we weren't able to make for the last two years due to grape shortages."

Now in Stock

ROSÉ

NEW 2019 (VDF) Rosé - Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault


RED

NEW 2019 (Côtes du Rhône) Premices  - Grenache, Cinsault

2018 (VDF) Petit Jo - Grenache, Syrah

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Introducing Offbeat Wines

Offbeat Wines – Daniel Ham

Cloudy Pet Nats, sparkling reds and an amphora-fermented skin-contact wine. Not exactly what you would expect when you think of wine from the West Country.

It never even crossed our minds when we started Under the Bonnet that we would be working with wines actually made in the UK, it is really cool that we are now working with an English wine producer.

Offbeat – the project of young winemaker Daniel Ham – started in 2018, we first tasted the debut vintage during a lock-in/power cut at 161 towards the end of last year.

The project has a true garage feel to it. Small-scale, simple production, letting the grapes speak for themselves. Just a 2,000-bottle production, hybrid varieties, grapes sourced from unsprayed or practically wild vineyards, macerations, amphora and pet-nats. Wild yeast and sulphur only when he really has to.

Dan isn’t just making wines a-la-mode for the 2020 harvest. He has bought a 50-year-old, two-ton square Coquard basket press, shipped from Champagne, and is investing in old oak. The plan is to make the wine in the way that best suits the raw material he has to work with at the time the grapes are picked, the idea evolving on return from the vineyard to winery.

There is a clear identity that runs through the wines and we can’t wait to see this project develop. The fruit selection on these wines was rigorous which has led to great stability in the bottle.

Skinny Dip and the amphora

2019 Mind Over Matter – Siegerrebe, Solaris

Field blend of Siegerrebe (36%) and Solaris (64%). 10% of Siegerrebe hand-destemmed then foot-trodden in amphora. The rest was whole-bunch pressed, naturally settled then racked to the same amphora. Bottled via gravity after 15 days, lightly disgorged to remove the heaviest lees.

The fruit used for this wine was grown by Kathy Archer at her vineyard just outside of Ottery Saint Mary in Devon. Kathy is an organic grower (uncertified) and uses no pesticides or herbicides, relying on hard work and spending time amongst the vines to produce grapes of extraordinary quality.
 

2019 Wild Juice Chase – Triomphe

100% Triomphe d’Alsace, handpicked, carbonic maceration in stainless steel vat for five days. Gently pressed, left to ferment for a further eight days. Bottled via gravity, with a small amount of natural sugar remaining to finish fermentation. Hand-disgorged to remove the heaviest deposits.

Grapes come from a small plot of 35-year-old vines grown on clay over chalk in Hampshire’s Test Valley. A relaxed, lutte raisonée management approach is adopted and the vines grow with little human manipulation.
 

2018 Skinny Dip – Solaris

Ripe Solaris grapes from Kathy Archer’s vineyard were destemmed into an 800-litre amphora and left to naturally ferment. Three months of maceration, skins were pressed, and added back to the free run. Rested on full lees in stainless steel for a further ten months before bottling via gravity. In our eyes, a really accomplished wine considering it was Dan’s first vintage.

We have limited quantities of these wines so if you are interested please let us know ASAP so we can try to make sure we save some for you. NB: There will be no further discounts available on these wines.

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Sunshine, seafood.. sorted

Complemen'terre

France, Nantes, Muscadet

Both Marion and Manu were born in Muscadet and have been around vineyards their whole lives. After a long time away working for winemakers in New Zealand (Felton Road Winery) and Chile (Domaine Clos Ouvert), they settled in 2013 in the village of le Pallet and work now with three grape varieties: Melon de Bourgogne (eight hectares), Folle Blanche (0.68ha) at la Haye-Fouassière, and Gamay (0.60ha). The wines are all vinified by parcel with the aim of showing off the varied volcanic terroir of the region. 

Marion and Manu work organically and in line with the lunar calendar, in total respect of the soils and the nature. 

Their 2018 and 2019 whites have just landed - perfect with some sunshine and oysters!

We've had a quick chat:

"The 2019 68 Ares is 100% Folle Blanche, a really aromatic grape which matures late and a variety we've got very little of in the vineyard, exactly 68 ares (0.7ha) on orthogneiss. So being able to produce this cuvée is sort of revolutionary for us! We have replanted some of the vines recently as they were in a bad spot where they were really sensitive to frost. With this change we expect to be able to be a lot more productive in about three years time.

"Direct press, fermentation in tank. Racked once and unfiltered. It then finishes off in the bottle for about five to six months.  The cuvée is perfect with seafood as it is citrusy with a hint of acidity, so gives a fresh punch to balance out the flavours.

"The 2019 La Croix Moriceau is 100% Melon de Bourgogne and is planted on deep soil of limon and sand and is also ripening rather slowly. This wine makes up a third of our whole production. As with all our other wines, this cuvée has been harvested by hand and directly pressed. Fermentation on lees for six to seven months. Unfiltered. Expect a fruity and round cuvée with a bit of gas, which will get rounder with time. Generally it is an easy-drinking wine with low acidity.

"As for the 2018 cuvées, it was a year when we've had a huge harvest. Crop of very good quality with barely any damage. The 2018 Le Breil is aged on lees for 17 months in stainless steel. The 2018 Nolem fermented in barrels for 10 months. Both are unfiltered.

"This year we are already looking at an earlier harvest, we will be starting around the 20th of August, so three weeks earlier than usual. Due to the warmer weather the crops are maturing more quickly. Flowering started end of March, which means harvest is 100 days later. Fingers crossed we will have good results!"

Now in Stock

WHITE


NEW 2019 (VDF) 68 Ares - Folle Blanche

NEW 2019 (AOC Muscadet) La Croix Moriceau - Melon B

2018 (AOC Muscadet ) Le Breil - Melon B

2018 (AOC Muscadet) Nolem - Melon B
                                                                                            

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The Fresh Cognette-tion

Cognettes

France, Nantes, Muscadet, Clisson

Seventh-generation winemaker brothers, Stéphane and Vincent started working in their family vineyards in 1988, converted to organic in 2009, and produced their first certified vintage in 2013. 

Their soil is volcanic in two terroirs; the first has a top soil of sand, gravel and clay with a subsoil soil of gabbro. The second; a topsoil quartz with a subsoil of granite.

Their new 2019 reds as well as refills of their 2018 whites have just landed - we've had a quick chat:

"In 2019 we have lost a big amount of grapes to frost, but we've still had great results for our reds. The grapes were of very good quality with loads of aroma and a good colour. The harvest has been easy as there weren't many rotten grapes. 

"For the Le Pas Rouge 2019 we've had two types of macerations: one with destemmed grapes only and the other one whole bunch. The result is a Gamay with a great balance between aroma and acidity. It's a red wine which is really fresh and not heavy to drink. So we are hoping to have a similar result in 2020!

"For the Pinot Noir 2019 we were lucky as well when it comes to the quality of the grapes last year. The wine has been aged in tanks as these don't change the aroma of the wine, so we've got the real taste of the Pinot Noir shining through. This cuvee has an ABV of 14% which is exceptional for our wines which have usually a lower percentage. In France we call this sort of wine 'le vin des copains', which means a wine particularly good for sharing with friends. 

"As for 2018, we have lost a good amount due to mildew. But what we were able to save was of good quality. Due to a hot summer which followed after a rainy spring, the 2018 whites are generally rich but still very fresh, with fermentations ranging between three to 13 months in order to achieve the right balance. The 2019 Chardonnay will be great but it is still fermenting. In general, natural wines have a longer fermentation than conventional wines. And the whites are fermenting even longer than reds.

"At the moment we've got a three-week advance in the vineyard due to the mild climate. We are very happy as so far the vines are looking very good, after the last couple of challenging years this will be a welcome change. But, the advance means no holidays for us this summer as we will now need to work quicker to catch up as well as have an earlier harvest than usual.

"Next year we will be trying out something new: we will do a Sauvignon Gris maceration. We're looking forward to seeing the results of that!"

Now in Stock

WHITE

2018 (IGP) Gros Plant - Folle Blanche
                                                                           
2018 (IGP) Chardonnay - Chardonnay
                                                                                
2018 (AOC Muscadet) Muscadet les 2 Terres - Melon de B.
                                                                  

RED 
                                                                           
NEW 2019 (IGP) Le Pas Rouge - Gamay
                                                                             
NEW 2019 (IGP) Pinot Noir - Pinot Noir                                                                       
 

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(Donkey) KILLER WINES

Mataburro

Rivesaltes, Pyrénées-Orientales, France

Laurent Roger and Melissa Ingrand’s project is named for the railway line that runs just behind their vines. The first in the Perpignan region, on its opening day in 1910 two unfortunate donkeys were killed by trains. Mataburro means “donkey killer”.

They are farming three hectares in Rivesaltes. To have maximum soil life they do not plough, using green manure planting instead. Vineyards are worked organically with the only treatments used sulphur, copper and some essential oils. Winemaking uses native yeast with no fining or filtration.

Their 2019 cuvees have just landed - we've had a quick chat:

"For the 2019 cuvee of Otium we have used Grenache Noir, planted by my grandfather in 1949, as well as small amounts of Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Macabeo and Carignan. All were harvested at the same time. The idea was to have more diversity in the wine. Whole bunch infusion, without extracting too much tannins from the skins. A total of 7 days maceration. Aged in tank. The end result is delicate and floral, with just a little bit of tannins. 

"The 2019 Idoine cuvee comes from the Merlot parcel right next to Otium, planted by my father 30 years ago. Last year it was a mix between Merlot and Grenache, but this year it's 100% Merlot. Pigeage, then 7 day maceration, aged in tank. I liked the Merlot juice which had cherry and grenadine flavours and I have decided to create a cuvee out of it. 

"In general, our cuvees are very experimental. What I'm driven towards are fresh and light wines, which I like to evolve regularly. There are no set guidelines or winemaking techniques we follow. These don't matter to us, what matters is the end result. It is more led by what we feel like every year. We go out into the vineyards and we taste the grapes together. Every year the climate is different, the grapes are different. Everything is determined by feeling and intuition.

"Next year we might be bringing out our first white cuvee, so stay tuned!"

Now in Stock

RED

2019 Otium - Grenache, Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Macabeo and Carignan

2019 Idoine - Merlot
 

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From Anjou with Love

Thomas Boutin

France, Loire, Anjou, Rochefort-sur-Loire, Angers

Now finally back in stock: 2018 Charabia, Celsiane and La Quillette. We've had a quick chat with Thomas:
 
"2018 has been difficult but with a good result. We've had loads of rain in June which caused mildew. It stopped in July and the heat allowed us to fight the mildew, which then resulted in a good harvest both quality and quantity wise."

"As for the 2018 cuvees, there were a couple of changes. For example for Charabia, which is normally 100% Chardonnay, I have added 15% of Chenin, to make the wine more round. For La Quillette I have upped the Grolleau percentage from 5% to 20%, to add more peppery and spicy notes. In general what happened was that my yield has generally doubled, it went from 13 hl/ha in 2017 to 30 hl/ha in 2018."

"Each wine has a name for a reason: La Quillette means 'la petite bouteille' - 'the small bottle'. This stands for a wine which is very easy to drink and quick to finish, it is overall a light and fruity wine.”

”La Charabia stands for a person who doesn't make sense when they talk: 'tu fait du Charabia' - 'you are talking nonsense'. As this is again a very easy drinking wine, so 'Charabia' is basically what happens as the end result.
Celsiane is a name of a rare tulip which grows near Coteaux du Layon, and I have chosen this name as a homage to my parents and grandparents who were all working in agriculture, same as me before I started making wines. This particular tulip is also often planted in between the vines of biologically farmed vineyards is order to help cultivate them."

"This year so far we were lucky and we haven't had any frost or mildew. It is looking rather hot already, so I'm planning to harvest around the 23rd/ 24th of August. Which means about 2 weeks earlier than last year. Let's see where this takes us!"

 

Now in Stock

WHITE

2018 Charabia - Chardonnay (85%), Chenin (15%)
Manual harvest. Direct pressing. Vinification with natural yeasts. Aged in vats, on the lees for 10 months. Unfiltered, racked before bottling.

2018 Celsiane - Chenin
Manual harvest. Direct pressing. Vinification with natural yeasts. Aged in vats, on the lees for 11 months. Unfiltered, racked before bottling.


RED

2018 La Quillette - Gamay (60%), Cab Franc (20%) & Grolleau (20%)
Manual harvest. Direct pressing. Vinification with natural yeasts. Whole bunch maceration for 8 days in vats. Separate maceration and vinification for all grape varieties. Aged in vats, on the lees for 9 months. Unfiltered, racked before bottling.

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Alsace... At Last!

Vins d'Alsace Rietsch

France, Alsace, Mittelbergheim

The long-awaited Blanc & Rouge au Litre 2019 have finally landed!

We've had a chat with Jean-Pierre:

"The Blanc au Litre 2019 consists of Auxerrois and Riesling. I have actually also added a good amount from the 2018 harvest, as we've had an abundance of wine that year, compared to 2019. Actually there is even more 2018 than 2019 juice in this wine, I would say about 2/3 of 2018 and 1/3 of 2019. As as a result the wine is more creamy and round. It was just bottled in April but I have the feeling it doesn't need much more time to mature, it is ready to drink now. This is an Edelzwicker cuvee, which is an Alsace appellation. Next year it will be Vin de France like the red one."

"The 2018 addition had long aging on lees. As it was a great harvest that year we didn't have to sort out much rotten grapes, they were pretty good quality already. They then went onto the pneumatic press. I have added a small amount of sulphur into the 2/3 of wine of 2018, but none into 2019. In general the sulphur amount is still very low.

"What is new for the Rouge au Litre 2019 is that it now has an addition of Pinot Gris, so the appellation changed to Vin de France. In Alsace, if you want to keep the Edelzwicker appellation for the reds, you are only allowed to put in Pinot Noir, no Pinot Gris. So that is the reason for the change.
The wine is made from a semi-carbonic fermentation and was macerated for 22 days. It was then aged in steel vats for six months. I have added 10mg of sulphur on bottling.

"This year the harvest is already looking quite good. We've had a good amount of rain over the winter months, which brought a good water reserve to the soil for dryer days. The vines are developing lovely so far, we are now at the end of the flowering phase, with the fruits starting to set very soon. Right now the cool temperatures in Alsace are helping to keep the growth spurts in control."

Now in Stock

WHITE
NEW 2019 Blanc au Litre - Riesling, Auxerrois


RED
NEW 2019 Rouge au Litre - Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris


SPARKLING
2016/17 Extra Brut - Non Dose - Auxerrois, Chardonnay
Natural fermentation from indigenous yeasts. Aged in the tank for one year. Bottling was done with an addition of fresh grape juice from the new crop in 2018.

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Crac is Back!

CHÂTEAU BAROUILLET

France, Bergerac & Monbazillac in Pomport

Vincent is an eighth-generation winemaker; joining his father in 2010, when he started the organic "project" at Barouillet - bottling their own wines rather than selling the grapes for bulk-blending. Organic conversion started with 6 hectares and since 2013 the entire estate has been organic.  

The long awaited Bergecrac Blanc & Rouge 2019 have finally landed!

We've had a chat with Vincent:

"We have bottled both of the Bergecrac Blanc & Rouge about 2 months ago. Bergecrac Blanc is a blend, as usual, made up of locally grown grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Chenin, Semillon. All of them add something different: Sauvignon Blanc is aromatic, Sauvignon Gris adds the texture, Chenin adds the freshness that makes you want the second glass and Semillon is just great juice! What I was trying to achieve with this wine is having something quite round and opulent, and I think that with this vintage we've now found the right balance."

"Bergecrac Rouge is also a blend and is made of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Merille. There is something new we've added to this vintage: Merille - which is a really local and sort of lost grape variety from Bergerac. It is light and aromatic and there is about 5% of it within this blend.
To make this wine we've had a really small extraction and a short maceration, of about 5-6 days max. It was aged in a tank. In general, the Bergecrac range is made for easy drinking!"

NOW IN STOCK

WHITE
NEW 2019 Bergecrac Blanc - Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Semillon, Chenin

RED
NEW 2019 Bergecrac Rouge - Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Merille
 

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A Chat with the Brand Brothers

Germany, Pfalz, Bockenheim
 

Our chat with Daniel & Jonas (May 2020):

How have things been going for you over the last few months?
To be honest, the pandemic hasn’t affected us massively in our daily lives. We are so engulfed in our work in the vineyard. It was nice for Jonas to be able to slow down as well as he was gone most of last year. 
We were also lucky in a sense that most of our workers, who come mainly from either Germany or Romania, stayed around during the lockdown here with us. 
We’ve enjoyed using this time to slow down and really take care of the vineyards.

What happened business wise is that as soon as the lockdown started most of the wholesale orders got cancelled. This was right at the beginning and if you would have talked to me then, I would definitely not be in such a good mood. 
What happened then was that we adapted and did deliveries to private customers instead. People were stuck at home but they still wanted wine! So from then on it went uphill. But overall I think we were making about 50-60% of our usual profits, which was better than expected. Now things are looking better again and we have picked up another 20%. 

We are relying heavily on our importers and we think everyone has done a great job to adapt themselves to the situation.

Also it was interesting to see how the online wine business has developed in Germany during this time. It was rather slow before and it has really picked up speed. A lot more people seem to be interested in natural wines, which is great. I put it down to everyone being bored at home and willing to try out new things, rather than going out in groups and picking a “regular” wine which is more likely to please everyone.

What has Jonas been up to?
We’ve had quite a lot of requests for online tastings and vineyard tours, as well as live chats, so he’s been keeping up with that as well besides the work on the vineyard. 
I think digitally we’ve developed at a massive rate over the last three months. We’ve probably done as much as we would have in two years.

Are there any special projects you are working on at the moment? 
We are currently experimenting with some old vines where we are creating a sort of hybrid by connecting them to young, new vines. More on this to come!

We are also putting in a lot of effort in creating a really flourishing polyculture around our vines. We will be planting some lavender as well as trees and even vegetables, to create a balance so eventually the vineyard sustains itself. 


And how has it been climate wise for you so far?
Really good, we were lucky to avoid the frost this year. We’ve also had a really wet winter so the soils should have plenty of water reserves for summer. We’ll wait and see how it’s gonna go! 


 

Now in Stock

SPARKLING

NEW  2019 White Pet Nat - Silvaner, Pinot Blanc


WHITE

2018 Riesling Vom Berg - Riesling

NEW 2019 Wilder Satz
Grape varieties for 2019 are: Müller Thurgau 38%, Riesling 7%, Kerner 8%, Silvaner 8%, Chardonnay
18%, Weissburgunder 18%, Grauburgunder 3%. Müller Thurgau fermented in stainless steel with an addition of a tea brew inside the tank as well as Riesling grapes (maceration carbonique). Riesling 24h maceration, Kerner from 2018 was macerated for 10 days and 2019 which was also fermented tea-bag-style with Riesling. Silvaner, Chard, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris were short macerated overnight.

2018 Müller Thurgau Pur - Muller Thurgau

2018 Pinot Blanc Holy Chapel - Pinot Blanc

2018 Riesling Monastery - Riesling

RED

NEW  2019 Brand Red - Portugieser

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A Chat with 2Naturkinder / Bat's Back

GERMANY, FRANCONIA, KITZINGEN

Micheal Voelker and Melanie Drese spent many years working in other fields, traveling the world and living in Heidelberg, Regensburg, London, and New York. In 2013 they returned to Bavarian Germany to begin taking over Michael’s father’s winery in Kitzingen. They began to make natural wines under the 2Naturkinder label as a side project for the winery, and in 2019 have fully expanded the project to take over the winery’s production. 

Our chat with Melanie (May 2020):

How has the pandemic affected you so far? Which challenges have you been facing? What became easier? 
It has affected us in different ways: First and foremost sales have dropped by 70 % I would say. We mostly export our wines to different countries and 70 % of our importers cannot sell any wines to restaurants at the moment. A lot of our distributers try to find a creative new way to sell the wines but it is not easy, especially when you only work with restaurants. It is obviously easier for those who have private clients or who are able to sell online.

It is interesting to see that in the last two months we sold more wine to German distributers. Not as much as to other countries but Germans seem to drink wine at home 😊 Also more private clients reach out and try to buy wines directly from us. This means more money per bottle but also more logistic work.

Which brings me to the next big challenge: we usually work with volunteers during harvest and vegetation season. Now with Covid-19 they all stuck in their countries and we have to do the same work with less people. Apart from the fact that there is less work force it also feels a bit lonely without all the volunteers. It is so much fun to meet people from all over the world, learn new things from them (baking bread or building a rooftop garden) and get inspired.

What are you currently working on?
We just planted a new vineyard with an old Franconian Pinot called Fränkischer Burgunder (an old autochthonous grape variety) and a vineyard with white hybrids. We think this is the way to deal with climate change. In the last years we have noticed that it is getting more and more difficult to work with some grape varieties who are very sensitive and don’t deal well with extreme heat or dryness or too much rain. In order to increase biodiversity and break up the monoculture we planted 30 apple trees right into the vineyard. Hoping the trees will also provide some shade. We are planning to build a biotope with lots of dead wood and different vegetables/herbs for all kind of animals.

What are your predictions for the rest of the year?
To be honest – no idea where Covid-19 will take us. It was a tough start for us flying solo without Michael’s father’s business. But we are optimistic that we can do it because we trust in our wines. We maybe we have to change the way we sell our wines. But we are pretty good in adapting. When we started making wine it was by far more difficult than it is now.

NOW IN STOCK:

WHITE
Fledermaus Weiss 2018 - Muller Thurgau, Silvaner, Riesling
”The blockbuster vintage is now taken up a notch! Still with the same major blending partners this is a more zingy and way more serious wine, finally under cork. Crushed and pressed in a pneumatic press (no skin contact!) Malolactic fermentation and aging on the lees in steel (Silvaner, Riesling) and big oak (Müller-Thurgau) Bottled: March 2019.”

RED

Fledermaus Rot 2018 - Schwarzriesling / Pinot Meunier
”The 2018 harvest of the red “Fledermaus” was a joy. Healthy bunches. And super early. August 25th! The red Fledermaus is made of Schwarzriesling (a German word for Pinot Meunier) growing on shell limestone. Because of these beautiful grapes we finally felt confident going carbonic again (whole bunches with a layer of crushed berries on the top). And it worked out beautifully. After pressing the wine finished fermentation partly in a stainless steel tank, partly in an old oak barrel and rested on the full lees until it was bottled in July 2019.”

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Gamay Galore: Remi Sedes

Rémi Sédès
France, Nantes, Coteaux d’Ancenis

Hailing from the Jura, Rémi studied agronomy when he arrived in the area to live with his Nantes-born wife. He worked for a couple of years with Vincent Caillé, and then spent time honing his red winemaking skills in Bordeaux before setting up on his own in 2013. Rémi started with a plot of 20-year-old isolated vines that he leases from local biodynamic ‘grandfather’ Jacques Caroge. In 2017 he added a small parcel of Melon and Chardonnay.

Part of winemaking for Rémi is a lifestyle choice; he wants to work outdoors, in the fresh air, and not with machines – his Shire horses are an important part of his winemaking process.

Rémi is a Gamay specialist, and this was a key factor in choosing to work in Ancenis – where half of production in the area is red. In the cellar Rémi works with minimal use of sulphur (only sometimes added on bottling).

Our chat with Rémi (May 4, 2020):

How has the pandemic affected you so far: Which challenges have you been facing? What became easier?
It's true that this year everything is different with the current situation, but for me personally, not much has changed. Actually, I like the way things are now. There is a lot less speed and stress, people have slowed down. I can concentrate better on my work in the vineyard and I feel calmer overall.
I find that working in agriculture I'm often under pressure placed on me by the outside world for various reasons, and now that most people were forced to stop what they are doing and stay at home, a big weight was lifted. I'm working by myself so it is not always easy to do it all at the same time.

Did the recent weeks also have an economical impact on you?
To be honest, it hasn't been too bad. About 30% - 40% of my wines go to Japan, which continued as usual. The UK seems to be doing well, as well as certain retailers in France. The current amount of orders suits me as I'd also like to keep some wines here on the side to let them age a bit further. Money wise, it is enough for me to live off so I'm happy. It is not enough to hire an additional person to help me out, but that is something for the future. Overall, I'm stable.

And climate wise, how has this year been so far for you and what are you predicting for this year's harvest?
We've had a very rainy winter. which is unusual here but it is great for the soil to build up water reserves for the hotter months to come. During the previous years the winters were quite dry, which led to the soil to dry up fast and made work very difficult.
We didn't have any frost, so that is also great. Now we just need to wait and see how the summer months will go, but overall I have the feeling it will be a great year with some really good results.

Are there any particular projects you are working on at the moment?
Yes, I am pursuing the goal of expanding my work with horses. Trocade, my Shire horse, will hopefully have a baby. She is getting old so it would be great to have a successor. I have more friends who work with horses, like Johan Chasse. We will be working together and joining forces on the field and help each other out. 

Now in Stock

Rosé

Claire est Ni Rouge Ni Rose 2015 - Gamay
"In 2015 I've had one of my largest harvests to date. For this rosé, I wanted to try a method which I have experimented with previously in Bordeaux: 'Clairer' - which means to leave the juice to macerate for two days before pressing. The result is a light bodied, fresh and aromatic rose with bright acidity."

Samplemousse 2018 - Gamay
Hand harvested, Cold maceration for four hours, fermentation in cellar in fibreglass for two to three weeks.  On lees until bottling.

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New in: Domaine Durrmann

Domaine Durrmann
Andlau, Alsace, France

The Durrmans believe that the quality of wine is created by work in the vineyard, that’s why their objective is its preservation. The wines are disturbed as little as possible. They do not add any oenological product to change the natural taste of the wines. 

We've had a quick chat with Yann:

What can you tell us about the new 2019 cuvées we have received?
The Pinot Blanc has a rather expressive nose with creamy apple perfume, fresh smooth taste with long finish and a hint of vanilla. Made half from Pinot blanc from schist soil, hence the freshness and length, and half from Pinot Auxerrois (a cousin from the Pinot Blanc), hence the fruity character.

The Rosé Pinot Noir has a delicate nose of redcurrant, progressively going into raspberry. It is very crispy and fruity. It was made from Pinot Noir which was harvested early to achieve the crispy style, and one day of maceration to have the lovely colour.

The Zegwur is very fruity with perfume of exotic fruits: kiwi and litchi. Fresh mouth with passion fruits notes and a pleasant bitterness.

None of the cuvées have added sulfur and were farmed organically.


Which wines do you enjoy drinking besides your own?
I like the Riesling variety in particular: it's crisp and refreshing, perfect for warm and sunny days.

Talking about the current situation we are facing - how did the lockdown affect you?
There are good and bad sides to it. On one hand the business slowed down as far as private customers and orders. Also every supply chain is on hold: it is hard getting labels printed, order empty bottles so we can fill them up...Anything which has to do with outside help.
But then I have also had a lot more time to dedicate myself to the vineyard, which I have really enjoyed as well. This year we are a month ahead climate wise, as it started to get warmer earlier. So I had to be quick in finishing the pruning process, which I was able to do thanks to the confinement. If this trend continues, we are expecting an early harvest towards the end of August.

How is your area affected?
In this area of France we were the first ones to be affected, so people are taking it very serious and are respecting the confinement. Everyone knows someone who has been to hospital. So I hope we will also be the first ones to get out on the other end.

Fingers crossed!

Now in Stock

White

NEW 2019 (AOC Alsace) Pinot Blanc Nature - Pinot Blanc
An abundance of fun! A spritzy and hazy cuvee filled with grapefruit and citrus aromas and with a textural and less-y pallet. Long pressing (6 hours) in a pneumatic press. Spontaneous fermentation in aged wooden barrels. No filtration before bottling. 

NEW 2019 (AOC Alsace) Zegwur - Gewurztraminer
After taking over his parents' vineyard, Yann wanted to experiment with the Gewurztraminer production. His family would traditionally produce a rather sweet wine and he wanted to change things up a bit. He decided to harvest earlier than usual and use a long press, which gave the wine a very aromatic flavour. Aged in stainless steel without filtration. 


Rosé

NEW 2019 (AOC Alsace) Pinot Noir Rosé Nature - Pinot Noir
A beautiful hazy pink coloured rose made with Pinot Noir from 2 different terroirs. Fruity with a touch of spice. Summer sophistication. Maceration of whole grapes for 24 hours before pressing, then fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Ageing on lees until bottling. 

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Forth/Clyde Tour in Scotland March 16/17

Heading up to Scotland in two weeks along with our friends from Wrights Wines, Otros Vinos and Wayward Wines for portfolio tastings in Edinburgh and Glasgow, all welcome!

Edinburgh | Monday 16 from 10- 5 | Timberyard, 10 Lady Lawson St, Edinburgh EH3 9DS

Glasgow | Tuesday 17 from 11 - 5 | 321 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G4 9HR

See you there!

Another Trade Tasting: March 9 2020

John Baum has kindly invited us back to this year's edition of a trade tasting with The Winemakers Club on 9 March 2020 from 12 - 8pm.

We'll be pouring new arrivals from 2Naturkinder, Laurent Marre and Tenuta Foresto alongside many other of our natural wine importer friends.

In the evening the bar will be open as normal, offering a larger selection of wines by the glass at very reasonable prices. Santé!

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

TRADE ONLY