La Boire - Nantes

What is La Boire?

The 3rd edition of La Boire took place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December 2019 in Nantes. A natural wine fair, organized by Pinards and Jus d'Ancenis with 18 winemakers from all over France.

This is where we’ve spent our Sunday: tasting promising new cuvées and meeting some familiar faces…

Complémen'terre 

Le Pallet, Loire-Atlantique, France

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 (8 ha), Folle Blanche (0,68 ha) at la Haye-Fouassière, and Gamay (0,60 ha). The wines are all vinified by parcel with the aim of showing off the varied volcanic terroir of the region.

What’s new: 2018 Potion Mama | Pet Nat

Manu: “ ‘Potion Mama’ was originally meant to be called ‘Potion Magique’, but this name is already in use within the beverage industry. So ‘Mama’ comes from our names: MAnu and MArion. In addition it also refers to Mother Earth.”

Folle Blanche (20%) and Melon de Bourgogne (80%) grown on othogneiss and silt. Aged for 14 months.

2018 has been a hot vintage and the end result is a dry and aromatic pet nat.

Rémi Sédès

Coteaux d’Ancenis, Nantes, France

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.

What’s new: 2018 Samplemousse | Rosé

Hand harvested Gamay, cold macerated for 4 hours and then fermented in cellar in fibreglass for 2 - 3 weeks. On lees until bottling.

Why ‘Samplemousse’? In France you’ve got a drink called Pamplemousse Rosé which has a slightly sweet, easygoing grapefruit taste that is more approachable for entry level wine drinkers.

Remi always found that the wine from his granite parcel reminded him of grapefruit, so ‘Samplemousse’ is his own, naturally farmed version, of the French Pamplemousse Rosé.

Les Terres Bleues

France, Loire-Atlantique, La Chapelle-Glain

Xavière Hardy is a tough, determined woman who makes amazing juice while leaving as little mark on the land as possible. 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.

What’s new: 2018 Blanc Noir | Red

100% Black Grolleau, grown on blueschist. Direct press then fermented for 8 days in vats with and matured in barrels for 8 months. No added sulfur. The "Blanc de Noir" cuvée has produced a dry white wine, with a beautiful freshness and vivacity.

Xaviere: “I tried by chance the "Blanc de Noir", with a Munster and I really liked it because this wine came to "counterbalance" and "refresh" the Munster cheese which has a strong personality. Overall, it's typically the little white one to enjoy in the late morning, with oysters on the go!”

A Chat with La Roche Buissiere

La Roche Buissiere
Vaison-la-Romaine, Southern Rhône, France

After deciding that studying city water waste management wasn’t for him, Antoine took over from his dad Pierre in 1998. Shortly joined by his wife Laurence, they began vinifying and bottling their own wine. 

Organic since the 1970’s Pierre had used to sell his grapes to the local co-op.

Vineyards are  planted with Grenache and Syrah. Very intense vineyard work allows for early harvest, resulting in less-concentrated and lower-alcohol wines.

They hand-harvest, don’t use synthetic yeasts, and don’t fine or filter.

How did the 2019 harvest treat you?
Compared to last year, this year has been great. In 2018 we've had lots of rain in spring and lost half of the harvest. This year went well, even though we didn't see a drop of rain for 4 months and had record temperatures of 43 degrees. We have started early (September 23-26) and we did it very fast, because of the heat. All grapes were harvested by hand, as usual. 


What is special about the Côtes du Rhône region?
We are in the south of the Côtes du Rhône, in an area called the 'Region les Barronies'. The higher altitude (300-350m) means we get more freshness up here when summers get hot. Because of this, compared to other wines of the southern Côtes du Rhône area, ours end up being more fresh and crisp. 
Also, in this region we have a big presence of polyculture. Loads of fruit and olive trees which is great for the soil.


What effect does the clay and limestone soil have on your wines?
These are rich soils which offer a lot of freshness. Two years ago we have started using natural compost as a fertiliser to avoid any sort of intervention. We plant wildflowers in between the vines and once they grow we cut the leaves which form the compost. We then let nature do its work.


Why are you using concrete tanks?
For us, it's a material which makes temperature regulation easy. It stays the same be it summer or winter as it withholds external temperature changes. We use them both for winemaking and also for storage.


What are the biggest changes you've seen in winemaking since you got started?
Clearly, the natural wine movement which is now more stronger than ever. Our domaine has been organically converted since 1976 by Antoine's father, but we have then gone further and started working naturally not only in the vineyard but also in the cave.
All the work we do in the vineyard is to allow the vines to have a natural equilibrium. This is then clearly reflected in the quality of the grapes.
The idea is to be as close as possible to the earth and take what it has to give without any intervention.


Do you think now there are more makers who are converting to bio?
Yes definitely. Near us there are plenty of winemakers who are converting. But then also not everyone is ready to make the change. 
I have also more customers who come to the shop and want to find wines with as little sulfur as possible, because they can tell the negative effect sulfur has on their bodies, such as headaches and stomach ache. Or, they are allergic to sulfur. And I find that this sort of customer base is growing. That's good because mentalities are changing and people are asking themselves more often now about what exactly it is they are eating and drinking.
It's essential for us to work with people like you because you can relay our philosophy back to your customers and contribute to the change.


Which wine fairs will we be able to see you at in the coming few months?
Definitely La Dive Bouteille on the 2 & 3 of February 2020 in Angers. That is THE wine fair for us. Just before that will also be at Les Affranchis in Montpellier on the 26 & 27 of January 2020. That's it for us when it comes to big wine fairs. 
What I have started doing more of are trips to see clients around France, or smaller events organised by different people we work with.


What can you tell us about your future plans?
We would like to plant more vines in 2020, especially the ones which offer freshness like Cinsault or Mourvèdre. 


 

Wines now in stock

Red


2017 (VDF) Petit Jo – Grenache, Syrah
Hand harvested, 100% de-stemmed. Short maceration to retain freshness. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks. No added sulfur.

2017 (Côtes du Rhône) Premices - Grenache, Syrah
Hand harvested, 100% de-stemmed. 8 day fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks. Pumping over and racking after fermentation. No filtration or added sulfur.


2015 (Côtes du Rhône) Le Claux - Grenache, Syrah
Hand harvested, 100% de-stemmed. 20 day fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks. Pumping over and racking after fermentation. No added sulfur.


2017 (Côtes du Rhône) Flonflons - Grenache, Syrah
Hand harvested, 100% de-stemmed. 12-day fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks. No added sulfur.

For any wholesale and stock enquiries, please contact hello@winesutb.com

A Chat with Vignereuse

Vignereuse
France, Gaillac, Andillac

Marine Leys works with a mix of local varieties: Mauzac, Loin de l’Oeil, Braucol, Duras and then some Gamay (fashionable in the 1970’s for Primeur wines), and Syrah (the most commercial of the varieties, and Gaillac used to sell a lot of bulk must and juice to other regions).

The vineyards are situated on the south-east-facing slopes of the Cordais plateau. The soil is schist on limestone – less argilo-calcareous than the rest of Gaillac. All wines are fermented and aged in fibreglass. No sulphur is used on the reds.


How did this year's harvest go for you?
It was a very good one. We were lucky to have had rain at the right time. The maturity progress was never interrupted and the alcohol levels aren't too high either. I would say we've had the perfect result.


That's great! A lot of other winemakers we spoke with have suffered from the big heatwave this summer
I know, we are really lucky here in Gaillac. We have enough water but not too much. Haven't had any frost this year either. Last month we've already had 100mm of rain, which is already building a reserve in water supply for next year.


What is special about Gaillac?
Gaillac is one of the oldest vineyards in France, established in Roman times or even earlier, with great soil and terroir. Roman merchants transported wine to Bordeaux and Northern Europe down the Tarn.
Gaillac is quite isolated. It's close to Toulouse, but Toulouse never wanted to drink wines from Gaillac.
Gaillac has always been underestimated. It's not as famous as Burgundy or Loire regions. And I find that as a result of that Gaillac's winemakers underestimate themselves today, even though there is a big potential here for great wines. Today there are around 20 winemakers in Gaillac doing natural wines. 


And how did you find you way to Gaillac?
I learned winemaking in Turkey when I followed a friend of mine who was establishing himself as a farmer there. His daughter wanted to get into winemaking so he planted a whole vineyard with vines imported from Italy next to his farm just for her. I then decided to help them and fell in love with the vineyard in Turkey. 
When I came back to France it was mainly for my own education, as it was rather complicated to do in Turkey. I wanted to work with someone who knew how to make natural wines. In the vineyard in Turkey I was working organically, so I knew that this was the direction I wanted to head in. But they have never let me experiment with making my own wines, so when back in France I didn't want to start without learning about it first; how to work with natural yeasts for example. So I have gotten in touch with the Plageoles family and they said yes. I've spent two years at their domaine in total and have then found a vineyard of my own in 2014 not too far away. I have always worked organically but am organic certified since 2018. 


What about your family? Do you have any winemaking background?
No, not at all. We have a chef but no winemakers!


Do you work alone?
I get people to help with the harvest and I've been employing a worker called Sebastien for two years, mainly for pruning. We have also done a cuvée which he is in sole charge of. But besides that I do everything myself. I'm really excited to have done this year's primeur under the new appelation 'Vin Nature'  which is now on a testrun in France for the next three years! This will be really big. 

How do the other winemakers in Gaillac influence you? 
We've got a great community of winemakers, called Terres de Gaillac. There are about 20 of us and we see each other pretty often. Once a year we take a road trip together to visit other winemakers and get inspired. Last year we've done Beaujolais, this year it will be the Rhône. We exchange a lot of tips and see how we can improve things - and just help each other out generally.


Which wines do you enjoy drinking? 
Le Clos de Grillons from the Rhône, we are going to visit him so I'm really excited.


Which wine fairs will we be able to find you at in the coming few months?
I'll be at Roots 66 on the 27 & 28 of January 2019 in Montpellier and at La Dive Bouteille on the 2 & 3 of February in Angers. That's all I have planned at the moment.


What can you tell us about your future plans?
I'd love to work with animals, but I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to do this. And also this year for the first time I'll be making a 'Vin de Voile', which has to be kept in a barrel for 7 years. So I'm pretty excited to see how that will turn out. 

 

Wines now in stock

Red


2018 (VDF) Gaia Quoi! – Syrah
A saignee of around two days. Is this Gaillac's answer to Lambrusco? Hand-harvested and unfiltered Syrah pet-nat.

2017 (AOC Gaillac) Croizade - Syrah, Duras
Hand-harvested Syrah (40-year-old vines) and Duras (10-year-old vines) blend. Unfiltered and unfined. 


2016 (AOC Gaillac) A la Santé des Mécréants - Duras
Hand-harvested Duras from 40 year old vines. Eight-day maceration with regular pumping over. Aged in fibreglass tanks.


2016 (AOC Gaillac) L'Ancêtre - Braucol
Hand-harvested Braucol from 15-year-old vines.

For any wholesale and stock enquiries, please contact hello@winesutb.com

A Chat with Ferme de Sept Lunes

Jean Delobre
France, St Joseph, Bogy

Le Ferme des Sept Lunes is a 10-hectare farm perched on one of the highest areas of St Joseph. Visiting involves a tortuous 350m road-climb from the valley floor. The hair-pins are not for the faint-hearted.

The latest of three generations on the same farm, Jean converted to organic and biodynamic agriculture in 1997 and only uses sulphur in his wines when it's absolutely unavoidable. The vineyards in the upper part of St.Joseph have a south-eastern exposure, the altitude bringing freshness to the wines. The climate has been tending to Mediterranean in recent year, with wind coming from the north.

Each cuvée is site-specific; with Syrah, Roussane, Marsanne, Viognier and a bit of Gamay planted mostly on granite soils.

The wines all show great freshness and purity, the whites all have texture and tension, the reds with depth, aromatics and a fantastic juiciness.



Tell us about the new wines we have just received: 2015 Lunatik Ladyland and the 2018 Syrah Gamay
Lunatik Ladyland used to be AOC St Joseph but then it was declassified to Vin de France as it was too oxidised. You used to have the 2012 version. 2015 compared to 2012 is richer and less oxidised.
We chose to declassify the wine as we thought that when people order a classic St Joseph they will expect something entirely different. So it was better to change the name and appelation so we don't mislead our customers.It's a Roussanne Marsanne blend harvest at good maturity and aged one year in barrels then in stainless steel for another year. We then left it on the side for the wine to stabilise further.

The 2018 Syrah Gamay cuvée is an exception as usually it's only a Syrah. But that year the summer was hot so the Syrah was quite concentrated and lacking it's usual freshness. So I have then added 25% of juicy Gamay to make it more balanced. 7 days maceration, kept in fibreglass tanks.



How did the 2019 harvest go for you?
It was a hot year but in the end we had a good harvest which should give us great wines. We were very careful about choosing the harvest date, so the maturity doesn't go too far. But it was a hot year and the vines suffered.


Would you say that there was a noticeable change when it comes to temperature in the recent years?
Yes, the last three summers were very hot. Before that we've had years with fast maturity in 2003 and 2005, but it's true that the recent years are noticeably hotter.


What are your personal favourite vintages you have made to date and why?
The first one I have ever made: 2001. Beginner's luck! Then, I also like 2009 and I believe that 2017 has great potential.


Which wine fairs will we be able to see you at in the coming few months?
This weekend (23 & 24 Nov) I will be at Salon des Doubouchées in Lyon, which is a local wine fair. On the 26 & 27 of January I'll be at Les Affranchis in Montpellier and 1 & 2 of February at Salon Degustation Grenier St Jean in Angers. Next April I'll also be at Vini Circus, which sees a big mix of public as well as trade visitors.


What can you tell us about your future plans?
We would like to plant some trees and bushes in and around the vineyard. This is to protect the vines from the strong winds we are having in this area, as well as offer some shade during hot summers which are becoming more frequent now.

Wines now in stock

White

NEW 2015 (VDF) Lunatik Ladyland – Roussanne Marsanne



Red

NEW 2018 (VDF) Syrah Gamay – Syrah, Gamay

2015 (AOC Saint Joseph) Premier Quartier – Syrah

For any wholesale and stock enquiries, please contact hello@winesutb.com

Save the Date: 10th November 2019 - Stockport SK1 1JY

WTLGI Wine Fair

We are excited to announce that we will be part of the wine fair at Where The Light Gets In in Stockport. The fair will take place on Sunday 10 of November 2019, open to general public and trade between 11am and 5pm.

Participating: Tutto wines, Wines Under the Bonnet, Otros Vinos, Newcomers wines, Kiffe my wines, Modal wines including guest wine makers.

Tickets are £20 and will include a glass and the opportunity to meet people we value grandly, the importers and the makers and taste the very best wine available in the UK. It will be possible to purchase food as well during the fair, cheese from the Courtyard dairy, pies from Littlewoods butcher and salads from Isca.  

Tickets are now available prior to the general release for friends and fellow industry people - we would like you to be there!
 

"Once again we are celebrating the people behind what we do and we are inviting 6 importers that we have been working closely with in the past 3 years. They are all engaging fully in a system that we believe in and work with winemakers that produced wines with precision and responsibility, culminating in a balance that both nourishes the body and sustains our eco-system. We pick from our own continent, harnessing the knowledge, ethical practice and exacting standards of these winemakers. 

"We were at the forefront of bringing most of these importers and their wines in this part of the country. And we are now getting all of them under our roof to share and celebrate what they do, and the relationships we created through the years. It is a celebration and chance for everyone to meet, drink and share stories."

- Caroline Dubois, Sommelier

See you there!

A Chat with Fergus Clague

Fergus Clague

France, Languedoc, Junas

Born and bred in South London, Fergus and his wife Vicky ran Hand Made Food in Blackheath for 21 years. In 2014, blown by a wind of change, Fergus and family arrived in the south of France.

The wine story started when Fergus met Thierry Forestier, Laurent Bagnol, Yves & Vincent Moulin and Olivier Pichon at Quilles de Joie, a natural wine festival in Souvignargues (Gard), France. None of them were represented in London so he took a suitcase full of their wines and did tastings all over London with several importers. And it all went from there...

In 2015 they lived on a domain outside of Montpellier as negociants and in return for that they got to make a small amount of their first vintage, ‘Press in the Vines’, a soft and easy drinking Cinsault.

In 2017 they produced 900 bottles of 'Gout Elles', a blend of Grenache and Carignan. The name means 'grappions' - the little bunches on the top of the vines which people usually leave behind during harvest. At that point in time they still didn’t have their our own vines, so Thierry Forestier kindly let them pick the grapes he had left from his vineyard.

Then in 2018, they had the very first harvest on their very own parcel two miles away from their cave. They produced ‘Echappez’ and we now have it - right here - right now...


Tell us about the 2018 Echappez we have just received
I now rent a parcel of Grenache, it is 0.3ha on limestone on a lovely slope. The vines are about 80 years old. Last year was our first harvest and it was fantastic, we've had a really lovely crop. We had two tons of lovely grapes and produced a total of 1200 bottles.


What is the meaning behind the name?
Echappez is the imperative of 'escape'. It basically means 'get out of here'. For us it was partly about escaping from London.


How are you enjoying your life in France?
It's cool, we like it. We've got two teenage boys and they are both pretty happy.


How did the 2019 harvest go so far?
This year in July we've had over 46 degrees for a couple of days. I am a complete beginner when it comes to winemaking and had treated the grapes a couple of days before. They got burned really badly, I was devastated. But there were loads of people in the same boat as me. The heat was terrible and as a result the sugar concentration was quite high, so the issue was the yeast converting all of it.

In total we've harvested one ton, with a really high sugar concentration. So what we did was we went and we picked some Grenache that was lower in sugar at the domaine Mas de la Font Ronde nearby. So this year we've got two cuvees: one which is made from our own super ripe Grenache, and the other one of the less ripe Grenache from the other vineyard. They are both interesting and hopefully by next spring I can put them together, that's the idea.


Which wines do you enjoy drinking besides your own?
'Aramonix' from Thierry Forestier is pretty much 'THE reference' for me.


So, is Thierry a really good friend of yours?
Yes, it wouldn't have been possible without him. He has helped us a great deal and whenever I have a problem, Thierry is the first person I ring. He has been very generous. I do try and make up for it with my cooking skills. For example, this year we will be doing the cooking at theQuilles de Joiefestival for the 4th year in a row. That is just such a lovely event and as we don't get paid for it, that is my opportunity to make up for all the favours that everyone has done for me. Normally there are a couple of chefs who come out from the UK, too. It's a great opportunity for them to understand how to drink all day but then still put in a good evening's work!


What can you tell us about your future plans?
We've got a couple of nice two-year-old barrels coming from Bourgogne. This year we are going to do some barrel aging, partly because there is still some sugar left in the Grenache we've harvested this year. That really needs to be left in a barrel over the winter in order for it to finish.

Now in stock

Red

NEW 2018 Echappez - Grenache
"10 days of maceration carbonique, manually pressed in basket press - that’s why it has a really bright colour as it was lightly extracted. Aged in inox. We bottled it in May this year. It is a wine which has a potential to develop over time."

We can't wait to see where Ferg's journey takes him!

For any wholesale and stock enquiries, please contact hello@winesutb.com

Another Trade Tasting

Join us for our Autumn Wine Tasting on Monday, October 14, which is very kindly being hosted by the team at Berber & Q grill in Haggerston.

We'll be showing new arrivals alongside our good friends Otros Vinos and Wright's Wines. This time we will also be welcoming brand new importer Beattie & Roberts.

No RSVP necessary, just pop in if you work in the trade.

See you there!

A Chat with Xaviere Hardy

Les Terres Bleues

France, Loire-Atlantique, La Chapelle-Glain

Xavière Hardy is a tough, determined woman who makes amazing juice while leaving as little mark on the land as possible.

She 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.

Les Terres Bleues is the name – reflecting the blue schist that predominates on her 1.5-hectare plot. Her plants (around 8,000 per hectare) are trained in the Albarello style, common on Mount Etna.

With help from family and friends, each vine was individually staked with a whacking great lump of wood. This type of training gives all-day exposure to the sun, very helpful in this northerly location.

Connection to the plant is paramount:

"The vines are grown organically. I work as naturally as possible, I take care of my vines according to the lunar calendar with nettle, comfrey, horsetail, oak bark, willows and many other plants. I also apply biodynamic preparations since the establishment of the vineyard in 2013 [DEMETER certification was requested and obtained in 2019]. The objective is to allow the vine to strengthen its own resistance to disease but also to improve exchanges between soil micro-organisms and its root system. I attach great importance to the vine itself but also to the ecosystem in which it is part."

How did 2018 treat you?
”2018 was an excellent year. The harvest brought great quality grapes thanks to the beautiful sunshine we've had. As every year, the harvest was manual, all the wines were vinified without any oenological inputs and without sulphur.”

What do you expect from this year's harvest [2019]?
”A good harvest quality due to the weather. Unfortunately, the spring frost and the summer drought we've had this year will have an impact on the volumes harvested, particularly for Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. For the Grolleau the impact is less, the harvest should be beautiful and qualitative.”

What is your favorite vintage so far and why?
”I have been producing wine only since 2015, since I planted the vineyard from scratch in 2013. I really enjoyed 2015 (my first little vintages of Pinot noir and Pinot gris) and 2018 which was a great year (2016 = frost; 2017 = frost). For 2019, I start harvesting tomorrow, September 17.”

Which wines do you like to drink in addition to yours?
”The sulphur-free Gamay by Jacques and Agnès Carroget (La Paonnerie in Anetz) and the Muscadet by Stéphane Orieux (Vallet).”

What can you tell us about your plans for the future?
”Invest in a wind tower to fight frost (the order was placed for installation in spring 2020). In 2019 I also planted an additional half hectare of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir in order to have more wine on these two varieties because I have a very small estate[1.5 ha including this young plantation].”

Now in stock

White

NEW 2018 AWA - Pinot Gris
"Direct pressing (pneumatic press), alcoholic fermentation in vats with indigenous yeasts (8-10 days) then matured in barrels for eight months. Sulphur-free."

Red

NEW 2018 Vin du Pastre - Grolleau
"From a young vine planted in 2014, which froze in 2016 and 2017 - the harvest was therefore abundant in 2018. Totally destemmed by hand with wicker destemmers that I had made by a basket maker. Vatting for 10 days (fermentation with indigenous yeasts) then maturing in barrels for 8 months. Sulphur-free."

NEW 2018 XH2 - Pinot Noir
"Maceration in vats (fermentation with indigenous yeasts - 10 days). Pressed then matured in barrels for eight months. Sulphur-free."

For any wholesale and stock enquiries, please contact hello@winesutb.com

A Chat with Jean-Pierre Rietsch

Vins d'Alsace Rietsch

France, Alsace, Mittelbergheim

The Rietsch estate has been in the family for seven generations and the land was previously used for tobacco and crops. It was Jean-Pierre’s parents who started cultivating vines in the 1970s, handing on to Jean-Pierre in 1987.
Although Jean-Pierre is now retired, he still contributes to the daily running, assisted by Pierre-Etienne Grieshaber. While another contributing company – Le Main Verte – coordinates the manual work in the vineyards, the domaine is still very much driven by a family-led culture. The vineyard is naturally cultivated, with terroir at the heart of the operation and no use of chemicals.

We've had a chat with Jean-Pierre on the 2018 Rouge and Blanc au Litre cuvées:

2018 brought us an amazing harvest. We've had a big abundance on grapes, which were really healthy and of great quality. The Rouge au Litre turned out very well and a bit more concentrated than usual. We did have our challenges in the cellar while making this wine due to volatile acidity during fermentation. I had to add 30mg/l of sulphur to help stabilise the wine.

As for the Blanc au Litre, on the contrary to the Rouge, the high yield brought less concentration as well as less acidity. It is a great wine to drink, and I can personally attest to that!

This year we will start the harvest in early September. So far it has been a complicated year as we have lost half of our grapes due to mildew as well as the heatwave this June/July. At the moment there are still a few areas affected by oidium (powdery mildew), so we need to select the unaffected grapes for harvest. In order to balance out the harvest results I will be blending some of the 2018 and 2019 vintages.



White*
NEW 2018 Blanc au Litre - Riesling, Sylvaner, Gewurztraminer

Red*
NEW 2018 Rouge au Litre - Pinot Noir

Sparkling
2015 Extra Brut - Non Dose - Auxerrois, Chardonnay

* Due to high demand we are already nearly out of stock! But don't worry, we will be getting another shipment soon. Register your interest here

New Producer Aboard: Terres de ROA

Terres de ROA

France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Monetay-sur-Allier

Loren Tisserand was introduced to us by Vincent Alexis (Château Barouillet) at the Biotop wine fair in Montpellier last January. We were quite intrigued as we were neither familiar with wines from the Saint-Pourçain region before, nor the Tressalier grape variety. We obviously liked the wines and now here we are!

The vineyard of Terres de ROA extends over 18.5 hectares spread over the communes of Monétay sur Allier (sandy soils) and Breuilly Cesset (granitic soils). It is run by Lauren and her parents Claudine and Luc Tisserand.

They work with four grape varieties: Chardonnay, Gamay and Pinot Noir, which are common in this region of the Loire Valley - and the Tressallier grape variety, which is grown only in Saint-Pourçain.

The vineyard is farmed organically in respect of the soils and the nature. Tillage or controlled grassing alternates between rows of vines in order to enrich microbiological life, promote biodiversity and aerate the soil. A fertilizing vegetable compost is also put in place. It is the only Domaine in the Saint-Pourçain AOC Appellation in Organic Agriculture certified by Ecocert in 2009.

Their philosophy: just let nature take its place.

We've had a chat with Loren Tisserand:

What have you been up to before you have joined your parents' business?
My parents created the domaine in 2006 and I joined in 2015.
Before that I lived in Paris and worked at Fauchon, a luxury grocery store. I then studied in Beaune, Burgundy, where I met my husband who has just started a new job there. I then decided to join my parents' business.

What are your responsibilities?
I work in the vineyard, cellar as well as the shop.

What do you like most/least about your job?
I like everything except the fact that I don't have enough time. It should get easier next year when we will downsize from 18 to 11 hectares, as our lease will expire.

What does the name ROA stand for?
Raisins (Grapes) – Organics – Attitude 

Tell us about your 2018 harvest: What were your challenges? What went particularly well? 
The year was way too hot and dry. Like for many other winemakers, during the vinification the fermentation was complicated due to a lack of energy in the juice. But, in the end, I can say we've had a great result both quality and quantity-wise.

Who creates the wine labels and what is their meaning?
My mother usually designs the labels but I have created the ones for Dans l'Absolu and Dans ma Sph'R. Both mean translated something like being in your own sphere, being whole. The label is a nod to my own childhood as I was often in a world of my own as a little girl.

Are there any new winemaking techniques or tools you'd like to experiment with?
I started to work with plants and I want to progress with this. I especially like working with nettles.

Which wines do you enjoy drinking besides your own?
I enjoy Malbec wines from Cahors, South West of France.

Now in stock

White
NEW 2018 Tresse a Lier - Tressallier
Manual harvest. 20 to 40-year-old vines. Indigenous yeasts. Vines vinified and matured independently in vats for five months and blended one month before bottling. Bottled with a small addition of sulfur.

NEW 2018 Dans l'Absolu (Cuvée A) - Tressallier (60%) – Chardonnay (40%)
Manual harvest. 15 to 50-year-old vines. Vinified and matured independently in vats for eight months and blended two months before bottling. Bottled with a small addition of sulfur.


Red
NEW 2018 Dans ma Sph'R (Cuvée R) - Gamay (80%) - Pinot Noir (20%)
Manual harvest. 20 to 40-year-old vines. Indigenous yeasts. Vines vinified and matured independently in vats for five months and blended a month before bottling. Bottled with a small addition of sulfur.

For any wholesale and stock enquiries, please contact hello@winesutb.com

A Chat With Thomas Boutin

Thomas Boutin

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

Thomas Boutin started his own winemaking project in 2008, with only 1.8 hectares. In 2011, he inherited a compact winery and vines from his mentor, and has progressively built up the number of hectares. He farms two hectares in Rochefort-sur-Loire and one hectare in Saint Aubin. He is evolving as a winemaker, and experiments whilst learning and finding his style.

Having studied oenology and worked in larger wineries, he is passionate to keep the approach small-scale with minimal intervention. All wines are made without any use of chemicals, are unfined and unfiltered with little use of sulfur.


Tell us about your 2018 harvest: What were your challenges? What went particularly well?
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.

What do you anticipate for the 2019 harvest?
I always wait until September to have a better idea of the end result. August is a really important month when it comes to maturity of the wines. For the moment what I can see is that the buds are developing well from the outside, but I cannot tell yet how good the quality is.


What is your personal favourite vintage you have made to date and why?
I have two: 2012 and 2016 when it comes to quality, even though the yield was very small. I haven't made loads of money but the wines turned out amazing.


Which wines do you enjoy drinking besides your own?
Normally I enjoy drinking full-bodied wines but at the moment I drink light reds. There is no particular region that I prefer, I am more about discovering new wines, especially from outside of France.


Are there any winemakers whose influence has been particularly important?
Benoît Landron has helped me out immensely. We enjoy sharing our wines and I will always be helpful to him as he has helped me to establish myself as a winemaker.
Also, there are other winemakers who have taught me a lot and who are less into natural wines but are still organic certified. For example Benjamin Delobel. There are always more things to learn as there are always new challenges coming up.

What can you tell us about your future plans?
I want to reduce the use of copper in the vineyard. Also, I want to create a new cuvée. At first I thought about using barrels but now I feel like I am at a point where I'm more connected with the earth and I want to try making a cuvée using amphora.
Further down the road I'd like to plant Pinot d'Aunis and Grolleau Gris and have some fun experimenting making new cuvées.

Now in stock

White

NEW 2017 Celsiane - Chenin
"100% chenin, from five different plots. Two plots consist of 60-70 year old vines, planted after the second world war in mass selection. The other three are between 20-30 years old in clonal selection: one with coarse grains and normal maturity, the second one with very early coarse grains, I sometimes pick it up a week ahead of the other vines, and the last with small grains and a normal maturity. The fermentation took place over one year. This wine has a fresh mouth, very ripe fruit, almost dry fruit with hints of honey. Warm notes of plum which remind of Alsatian wines and give the wine a bit of pep."


2016 Charabia - Chardonnay
"Small yield due to frost (loss of 5 - 10%) mildew (loss of 35 - 40%)and heat. The harvest went well in the end with good maturity of the grapes. It is a well-balanced wine with notes of exotic fruit and a lot of freshness. An easy drinking Chardonnay."


Red

NEW 2017 La Quilette - Gamay (60%), Cabernet Franc (35%) & Grolleau (5%)
"Small yield due to frost, but as the rest of the year has been pretty balanced we didn't get the feared mildew. Maceration and fermentations occured separately for each grape variety. I macerated for 7-8 days with whole bunches before pressing. The tanks were assembled the following spring when fermentations were complete. Harvest started already on August 23. This was the earliest I have ever had to start as the grapes were maturing very fast due to warm weather. Compared to previous vintages, the 2017 vintage has less acidity, more structure and more notes of compote red fruits, but it's still a light wine."


Sweet

2011 Topaze - Chenin
Thomas' first harvest. Hand-harvested from three vineyard selections. Direct-press with indigenous yeasts used, three years in barrel. No filtration, racked twice to remove lees before bottling.

For any wholesale and stock enquiries, please contact hello@winesutb.com

A Chat with Rémi Sédès

Rémi Sédès

Coteaux d’Ancenis, Nantes, France

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.

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. The soil is micro granite - which suits Gamay particularly well - with a mix of clay, sand and limon underneath.


Tell us about your 2018 harvest: What were your challenges? What went particularly well?
In June/July last year I had to put up a big fight against mildew due to loads of rain. It's better if your sprayer doesn't break, or you'll lose the fight big time! This is what I was worried about the entire time.
The harvest ended up really good as all the efforts paid off and the mildew didn't affect the buds. There was also very little harvest in 2017, so as a result the grapes in 2018 were even better.


What do you anticipate for the 2019 harvest?
This year we've had big frost in early April. Usually you get two hours of cold air mass but we've had six to seven hours. The buds look beautiful for now, so fingers crossed.

What are you drinking at the moment?
My own rosé, which is still in the tank, as I didn't have money to bottle it yet! Other than that I love a white wine from Sicily called Porta del Vento.

What can you tell us about your future plans?
Tocade my horse is expecting a foal. Also, I want to restructure two new hectares which I've acquired. They are empty at the moment I want to plant fruit trees to bring more biodiversity.

For any wholesale and stock enquiries, please contact hello@winesutb.com

A Chat with Complemen'terre

Complemen'terre

Le Pallet, Loire-Atlantique, France

We have been following the wines of Marion Pescheux and Manuel Landron for the last couple of years. Due to a few tricky vintages they haven’t had any wine available for us until now.

Manuel Landron is the son of Jo Landron (and cousin of Benoit). His dad travels a lot to promote his wines. However, Manu wants to keep things simple and has a very hands on approach in the vineyard.

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 (8 ha), Folle Blanche (0,68 ha) at la Haye-Fouassière, and Gamay (0,60 ha). The wines are all vinified by parcel with the aim of showing off the varied volcanic terroir of the region.

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



Tell us about your 2018 harvest: What were your challenges?
2018 was really hard because we had to fight a lot against mildew. But we did it: ‘Marion & Manu 1 - Mildew 0'. In the cellar however the vinification was hard. The fermentation was very slow, with not enough acidity in the juice and large yields 48 hectolitres / hectare: ‘Wine 1 - Marion and Manu 0’


What went particularly well?
We were very happy with the wine in the end! There was also a good yield compared to previous vintages.


What do you anticipate for the 2019 harvest?
A late harvest, the grapes are just starting out right now. Plus, we are moving cellar during the summer.


What are the biggest changes you've seen in winemaking since you got started?
We filter our wine less. In 2016/17 we had no filtration at all. Also, we are finding less and less acidity in the juice every year. We are questioning ourselves constantly with, for example, the harvest date. The more you wait, the sweeter the wine gets, so you need to be careful to get the acidity levels right.


What do you like most/ least about your job?
We love pruning, because it’s quiet and relaxing, you are alone in the vineyard. On the other hand we like the harvest time too, because it's social with a lot of people around and there are lots of festivities.


What can you tell us about your future plans?
We want to get more into polyculture. We now have 5 beehives and would like to get some cows and sheep, too. We are also going to plant about 50 apple and pear trees around the vines.

A Chat with Cyrille Vuillod

La Dernière Goutte

Vaux-en-Beaujolais, Beaujolais, France

Cyrille Vuillod comes from the Hautes-Alpes and, before turning to wine-making, worked in the mountains as a ski instructor. His life in wine started in 2011 working under Jean-Claude Lapalu for three years. In 2012 he produced his first vintage in his own cellar.


Tell us about your 2018 harvest: What were your challenges? What went particularly well?

It was hot but not as hot as 2017. The biggest challenge was that the heat was making the wine more alcoholic than it was meant to be. I also had to get more grapes from a friend in the North of Beaujolais.


Your wines are organically farmed without any added sulphur. Have you always worked this way?

I have used sulphur for the first three years and stopped once I had the confidence to do it. I have always worked organically but without any certification. Now I also work biodynamically.


How did you find your current vineyards? Why in Beaujolais?

I have been harvesting there for 20 years and I have loads of friends in the area.


Are there any new winemaking techniques or tools you’d like to experiment with?

For the last few years I have been experimenting with amphora and concrete eggs. I have also started making white wine. I always like try out new things. The other thing is that the climate is constantly changing and each year there is a new way on how deal with the challenges, so us winemakers help each other out to be on top of the latest techniques. The end result is always unpredictable.


Your favourite vintage to date?

2014 and 2016 were my favourite, but completely different vintages.

Now in stock

White

NEW 2018 Boire Désir - Chardonnay
In their third year of organic conversion. Chardonnay planted on clay and limestone. Vinified in 80% new barrels. Working with a cooper in Burgundy using three kinds of oak, steamed very gently to avoid a toasty flavour.


Red

NEW 2018 La Baleine Ivre - Gamay
30-year-old vines of Gamay on pink granite and sand. Eight days' maceration in fibreglass.

NEW 2017 Gamay De Bonheur - Gamay
A parcel between La Baleine and Sang neuf, on pink granite. Carbo for 20 days. Ageing in old barrels for eight months.

New Producers Aboard: La Grange aux Belles

La Grange aux Belles

Soulaines-sur-Aubance, Angers, France

Situated in the heart of the Anjou appelation, the team at La Granges aux Belles produce wines with cleanliness and precision but also the drinkability that we look for in a UTB wine. We are excited to work with these wines due to the originality and the expression of where they are from.

The Chenins have unctuousness balanced with the acidity you would expect, the reds are light, deep in flavour but not overly grippy or stalky.

The seeds of La Grange aux Belles were planted in 2004 when Marc Houtin gave up a career in the oil industry to follow a passion for wine. He purchased a dozen hectares on the slopes of the Aubance river in Anjou.

At first they mainly supplied the co-operative of Brissac but Marc also experimented, vinifying and bottling some parcels individually.

After two great vintages, a difficult harvest in 2006 prompted Marc to seek the help of a partner. 

Julien Bresteau was interning at Domaine de Montgilet, the spark was right between them and they became friends. Julien had been studying wine since he was 15 and had been coming to help during harvest. In 2008 Marc invited Julien to join the Domaine and La Grange Aux Belles was born.

In 2008 they converted to organic agriculture. But Mother Nature's love was tough. A hard frost followed by vicious mildew meant the yields were catastrophic.

Two more characters joined the story; a need for further investment brought in old friend Rémi Fournier of "Chez Rémi” in Angers. Also lending his skills came Gérald Peau – aka "Jesse" – the first bartender of the legendary "Le Circle Rouge” wine bar in Angers.

For wines in stock, please contact hello@winesutb.com

New Producers Aboard: 2P Production

2P Production

Cahuzac-sur-Vère, South West, France

2P Production is the side project of Romain, the youngest brother of the prestigious Plageoles family winery in Gaillac, and his wife Fanny Papelard, thus 2P.

Romain primarily takes care of the vines, and Fanny works in the cave during harvest. They make all the winemaking decisions together as a team. All the wines are vinified at the Plageoles winery.
We know Romain well as he is an old friend of Basile. Both of them spent many months working together at Soif on Battersea Rise, London. Romain then decided that it was time to go back and have his own go making wine. We are glad he did.

Wines now in stock

NEW 2016 Merlot 
This is a textbook example of how glorious Merlot can be when done properly. The grapes are hand-harvested and de-stemmed before they undergo spontaneous fermentation in fibreglass tanks. The skins are removed after a short time to limit the amount of extraction and tannin in the wine, yet it has more than enough to give the wine balance and structure. The wine is racked once after alcoholic and malolactic fermentation is complete, then goes back into tank for 6-8 months of ageing. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with a small addition of sulfur. It has delicious ripe, black cherry notes with hints of green pepper and impressive minerality from Gaillac’s granite-rich soils. 

For wholesale prices, please email hello@winesutb.com

Mataburro

Rivesaltes, Pyrénées-Orientales, France

The debut vintage from Mataburro has arrived.

These wines jumped out at us on a recent trip to France with their juiciness and sheer drinkability.

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”.

Laurent’s family were winemakers and his father farmed 40ha of vines before selling all but three in 2000. Laurent’s journey into natural wine started while working at La Verre Volé for few years. He decided to get his hands dirty and, after studies with Alain Castex of Le Casot des Mailloles, he and Melissa took over his father’s vines in October 2017.

The three hectares are in one piece in Rivesaltes. Old Grenache vines planted by his grandfather in 1949 and young Merlot planted 30 years ago by his father.

To have maximum soil life he does 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.

Soils are mostly clay on limestone with some galets roulés for the old Grenache vines and deep clays for the Merlot. Climate is Mediterranean with maritime influence. The wines retain great delicacy and freshness, the mark of Laurent’s teacher shining through.

Wines now in stock

Red

NEW 2018 Otium– Grenache
100% Grenache, 80-year-old vines, eight-day whole-bunch maceration (semi-carbo), 20mg/l  S02 on bottling. The name is from Latin and means leisure, retirement, time away from work and business to enjoy art, culture, or simply doing nothing. Bright and youthful, fresh acid, light body but intense cherry fruit.

NEW 2018 Idoine – Merlot, Grenache
80% Merlot, 30-year-old vines; 20% Grenache old vines 80 years; six days whole-bunch maceration (semi-carbo).
Juicy, dry, pure, mineral, like fresh bright candy.

For wholesale prices, please email hello@winesutb.com

Ferme De Sept Lunes

Ferme De Sept Lunes

Jean Delobre (left)

Bogy, St Joseph, France

We toasted the birth of the idea that became Under the Bonnet Wines with a bottle of Jean Delobre's formidable Ardeche Syrah VDF. Four years on, imagine how chuffed we are to be able to bring his wines to you.

Le Ferme des Sept Lunes is a 10-hectare farm perched in one of the highest areas of St Joseph. Visiting involves a tortuous 350m road-climb from the valley floor. The hair-pins are not for the faint-hearted.

The latest of three generations on the same farm, Jean converted to organic and biodynamic agriculture in 1997 and only uses sulphur in his wines when it's absolutely unavoidable. The vineyards in the upper part of St.Joseph have a south-eastern exposure, the altitude bringing freshness to the wines. The climate has been tending to Mediterranean in recent year, with wind coming from the north.

Each cuvée is site-specific; with Syrah, Roussane, Marsanne, Viognier and a bit of Gamay planted mostly on granite soils. The wines all show great freshness and purity, the whites all have texture and tension, the reds with depth, aromatics and a fantastic juiciness.

Wines now in stock

White

NEW 2017 VDF Lune Rousse – Roussane
No added SO2, creamy, peachy, long.

NEW 2016 St. Joseph Blanc – Roussane,Marsane
Vinified and aged separately for one year in old oak, waxy, earthy, saline, still retaining freshness and tension.

NEW 2012 St. Joseph Blanc – Roussane, Marsane
The wine developed flor during its one year in barrel. Oxidative, nutty, saline, with an underlying citrus freshness. A very intriguing wine.


Red

NEW 2015 Premier Quartier – Syrah
A blend of parcels, deep concentrated, the most structured wine with the broadest shoulders, sappy and pithy.

NEW 2016 Pleine Lune – Syrah
Vines planted in 1990, Aromatic, juicy, rhubarb, blackberries, violets, long, soft and very easy to drink.

For wholesale prices, please email hello@winesutb.com

Friends from Saumur

Mélaric / L' Austral / Folle Berthe / Château Tour Grise

Phillippe Gourdon

Aymeric and Melanie

Pauline and Laurent

David Foubert

Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame, Loire, France

Our friends from Saumur all have something in common: They are connected through Phillippe Gourdon (Château Tour Grise) - a pioneer in biodynamic farming. After Phillippe retired they have started renting off bits of his vineyard to new, younger generation winemakers in an attempt to keep the blood flowing in Saumur. So, what's the story?

Melanie Hunin, from Paris, and Aymeric Hillaire, from Saumur, established Domaine Melaric (a weaving of their names) in 2006 at the Chateau de Baugé, near the village of Puy-Notre-Dame. In 2008, they purchased four hectares of vineyards in Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame with advice from Philippe Gourdon.

Laurent and Pauline (Domaine L'Austral) worked for one year as engineers in France but were not very happy stuck in front of a computer. They travelled and worked in Australia in different farms and in a winery on the west coast. Pauline then studied in Burgundy to become an enologist. During her first internship, Pauline worked with Melaric who introduced them to Françoise and Philippe Gourdon in Le Puy-Notre-Dame, who in turn had vines to lease.

David Foubert (Domaine Folle Berthe), formerly a Parisien journalist, moved to Saumur for a life change and to study winemaking. Aymeric and Melanie have been a key influence; Melanie was David’s teacher at winemaking school, and David’s first vintage in 2014 was made in their cellar. David moved into his own – once-abandoned but now lovingly restored – cellar in 2015. He now farms a mix of parcels leased from Philippe. 

Château Tour Grise

Phillippe's eight-hectare vineyard is made up of six hectares of Cabernet Franc and one each of Chenin Blanc and Pineau D’Aunis. It has been entirely biodynamic since 1998, a crucial status for Phillippe, who wants to create wines that express a true sense of their terroir. In the vineyard life flourishes; the grass remains long and wild all summer long; the vines remain untrimmed and are treated with various special herbal tea preparations of nettles, presses and willows to keep sickness at bay.

The weather systems coming in off the Atlantic are forced upwards by the Mauges hills to the west of Anjou. This causes a rain shadow which gives Saumur more of a continental climate. Le-Puy – being practically the most southerly point – averages less than 200mm/year. The elongated growing season this allows enables the wines to achieve ripeness.

 

Wines now in stock

Domaine Mélaric

NEW 2016 Billes de Roches  - Chenin
Some serious Chenin, soft balanced use of oak. Lean and tense.

NEW  2011 Liquoreux de la Cerisaie  - Chenin   
Powerful, intense and deep with a spicy, savoury edge to the concentrated raisin and marmalade flavours. Incredible concentration and notes of straw, herb and syrup. 


Domaine Folle Berthe

2016 Petit Berthe  - Pineau d'Aunis
Bright, showing just a touch of development. Slightly more body than Pineau d'Aunis from more northerly vineyards, still with characteristic redcurrant fruit and a white pepper finish.

Domaine L' Austral

NEW 2017 Manta  - Cab Franc 
Whole grape vatting. Alcoholic fermentation in indigenous yeasts, nine-month ageing in concrete eggs.

NEW 2017 Jolie Brise Blanc - Chenin 
Direct pressing, alcoholic fermentation in indigenous yeasts. Beginning of the alcoholic fermentation in the tank, finishing in the bottle.

NEW 2017 Jolie Brise Rosé - Cab Franc  
Direct pressing for half of the grapes and short maceration (about three hours) for the other half. This is what gives the intense colour and structure in the mouth. Alcoholic fermentation in indigenous yeasts, beginning of the alcoholic fermentation in vats, finishing in the bottle.

2016 - Cuvee 253 - Cab Franc 
Planted in 2002-03. Manual harvest, Destemmed. Maceration for 60 days – infusion only, indigenous yeasts, aged nine months in concrete eggs.

For wholesale prices, please email hello@winesutb.com