Wines (12 View)

Organic

Organic / Biodynamic

A blend of various plots surrounding the Clos Baudoin, including L?????Espagnole, Le Haut Lieu, La Chatterie, L?????Homme and La Reugni??res. Average of 40 year vine age. This blend of top sites from the Vouvray appellation is always vinfied dry, usually around 4 g/l of residual sugar. It is fresh and open on the nose and has a bit more power and bredth than its Montlouis counterpart from Clos du Breuil.

Organic

Francois Pinon inherited his domaine from his father in 1987 and has, over the last 20 years, become widely recognized as one of the top producers in Vouvray. His mission is simple: to maintain the character of the appellation and of the vintage. The vineyards at Pinon are in the corniche of the Vallee de Cousse. The soil here is clay and silica on a base of limestone (tuffeau) with flint (silex), and the area is rated among the top sites in the appellation for Vouvrays of distinction and longevity. Pinon works organically; he plows the vineyards, does not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides and, of course, he harvests by hand and uses no cultured yeasts. All new plantings are done by massale selection and no nursery clones are used; the vines are an average of 25 years old. He is slowly moving towards organic certification with confidence that these methods produce the finest fruit. Primary fermentation occurs in wood barrels, then the wines are aged in stainless steel or foudres to obtain a balance between fruit and reduction. There is one racking to remove the heavy lees and the wine remains on its fine lees until bottling, which takes place a full year after the harvest. Rather than use a large dose of SO2, Pinon prefers to filter his wines to insure their stability and aging potential.

Past vintages have been featured in The New York Times. Eric Asimov once wrote:

"Domaine du Bel Air, run by a father-and-son team, makes fine, age-worthy wines from organic cabernet franc. Jour de Soif is their entry-level bottle, made from younger vines, which are nonetheless still 20 years old. Yet this is no mere vin de soif. You can sense the structure of the other cuv??es in the fine tannins that give shape to this otherwise fresh and juicy wine. Not shy at 14.3 percent alcohol, it, too, would be great for grilled meats."

The 2023 Bourgueil Jour de Soif reveals a fruity, delicate bouquet of spices, dark wild berries, green bell pepper and pepper. Medium-bodied, gourmand and juicy, it has a delicate, tannic frame with powdery tannins and a long, mouthwatering finish. It is produced from vines that are planted in gravelly soils (60%) and in clay soils (40%). - Wine Advocate

Organic

This is 100% Pinot Noir with a touch of oak barrel aging to add roundness to the palate. The color is so vibrant red it seems electric. The nose is fresh and slightly spiced. In the mouth red fruits such as sour cherries and strawberries dominate. Harmonious and round, it reveals a long fresh finish with a touch of spice. This is beautifully done!

Nicolas Millerioux is a young French vigneron who took over the family estate in 2008. Located in the hamlet of Amigny, just west of the village of Sancerre and south of Chavignol, the Milleriouxs have worked the land here for three generations, eventually expanding to the 15ha they farm today. Amigny is known for its chalky soils, and 95% of the Millerioux's holdings come from a mix of the classic limestone terroirs of the region: "Caillotes" (a hard, shallow limestone full of stones) and "Terres Blanches" (a softer Kimmeridgian marl).

In 2008 Nicolas brought organic farming to the family estate. Today, the work in the vineyards is completely organic (with certification coming) and the soils are worked manually. In the cellar, all of the wines are allowed to ferment naturally and extended lees-aging is used to enrich the wines, which allows for minimal sulfur additions only at racking and bottling. Nicolas’ goal is to define how Sancerre might have tasted earlier in the 20th century, before modern vine-clone monotony and industrial practices in the vineyards and cellar, and if his early work is any indication, he will surely be leading the charge as part of Sancerre’s new generation.

Organic

Nicolas Millerioux’s Sancerre Blanc ‘Tradition’ exhibits the true characteristics and purity of the appellation with notes of boxwood, lemon and hints of fresh almonds on the nose. The palate is fresh, crisp and with good acidity to lift and enhance the zesty fruit and freshness. This classic Loire Valley white wine is bone dry and extremely food-friendly.

Nicolas Millerioux is a young French vigneron who took over the family estate in 2008. Located in the hamlet of Amigny, just west of the village of Sancerre and south of Chavignol, the Milleriouxs have worked the land here for three generations, eventually expanding to the 15ha they farm today. Amigny is known for its chalky soils, and 95% of the Millerioux's holdings come from a mix of the classic limestone terroirs of the region: "Caillotes" (a hard, shallow limestone full of stones) and "Terres Blanches" (a softer Kimmeridgian marl).

In 2008 Nicolas brought organic farming to the family estate. Today, the work in the vineyards is completely organic (with certification coming) and the soils are worked manually. In the cellar, all of the wines are allowed to ferment naturally and extended lees-aging is used to enrich the wines, which allows for minimal sulfur additions only at racking and bottling. Nicolas’ goal is to define how Sancerre might have tasted earlier in the 20th century, before modern vine-clone monotony and industrial practices in the vineyards and cellar, and if his early work is any indication, he will surely be leading the charge as part of Sancerre’s new generation.

Organic / Biodynamic / Natural / No Sulfur Added

This naturally sparkling Rose hails from the Loire Valley in France, comprised of organically farmed Gamay. It is bright, lively, and delicate on the palate with enticing notes of fresh strawberries and rhubarb. The finish is precise and dry.

The vineyards are spread across 25 parcels with vines ranging from 30 to 130 years for the oldest vines. The Jousset’s fundamental and profound respect for nature led them to exclude herbicides and pesticides in favor of the balance that biological diversity promises down to the microscopic level. They believe that to make an original wine it is necessary to have living soils with high microbial activity, a “living” vine, and a balanced life between plants and animals in all of the domain’s parcels.

Organic

93 points Wine Advocate
Green asparagus and earthy notes intermixed with dark berry aromas open the 2018 Saumur Puy Notre Dame T??te de Lard, which benefits from aeration. Black-red in color, the unfiltered wine aged in old barrels for 12 months and was bottled in April last year. It is a concentrated, enormously juicy and fruity-intense red wine with a velvety texture and fruit aromas of blue berries, blackcurrants, elderberries and cowberries. The soft tannins are completely interwoven with the viscous texture of this very particular red that is so soft, sweet and fruity, as if it were still fermenting. I'd cellar it for several years and assume that at 10+ years old could be the right moment to enjoy this biodynamic wine, although I also recommend tasting a bottle every second year or so to see how this natural product develops. Tasted in June 2021.

Peasant and responsible agriculture is a way of life and of thinking. when producing my grapes, i aspire to act sensibly for the people and the planet . this state of mind develops naturally from a respectful relationship with nature. since 1998, the vineyard has been cultivated and
certified by ecocert in organic farming and since 2010 in biodynamic farming by biodyvin. knowing how to adapt to a changing environment requires constant questioning. the planting of forgotten grape varieties such as pineau d?????aunis, the incorporation of trees into the cultivation of
the vine (agroforestry) or the gradual abandonment of all modern oenology are avenues that i have followed for more than 20 years. other projects will emerge in the coming years. revitalizing authenticity, durability and liveliness is an integral part of the culture of my estate. the
entire manoir de la t??te rouge team and i are passionate about this peasant and caring approach.

100% CABERNET FRANC FROM 20-25 YEARS OLD VINES.
12 MONTHS IN OLD OAK BARRELS + 4 MONTHS IN CONCRETE TANK.
FILTERED. UNFINED.

Organic

94 points View from the Cellar (John Gilman)
The 2017 vintage of les Picasses from Domaine Raffault has just been released, nearly six years out from the vintage. The wine is simply outstanding on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet hopping from the glass in a vibrant and already complex blend of sweet dark berries, cassis, cigar wrapper, gravelly soil tones, a touch of smoked meats, currant leaf and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with superb mid-palate depth, excellent soil signature and grip, ripe, well-measured tannins and impeccable balance on the long, complex and very classy finish. At age six, this wine is certainly approachable today, but it is still a puppy and the real fireworks will not start until it is at least twelve years of age. Outstanding young Chinon! 2023-2075+

This Sauvignon is a genuine white wine from the Loire Valley coming from vines aged between 5 and 35 years old planted on clay limestone and flint soils. The volcanic tufa element marks overall the wine balance and freshness. As a consequence, in order to create vines competition, yields are kept pretty low, with only 50-60 HL per hectare.
The grapes are then gently pressed to extract maximum aromas. The settling takes place 24 to 48 hours later and the gross lees are separated from the juice which is transferred to stainless steel tanks for the low temperature fermentation process. After racking the wine is then transferred into other tanks for batonnage. After a few months, the wine is filtered and bottled without useless manipulations in order to keep the freshness and minerality typical of the estate’s terroir.
Tasting: at sight the wine is pale yellow with a green tint. The nose is immediately influenced by white currant and the grapefruit freshness, while by swirling the glass passion fruit and more exotic elements come through. Lingering flavors extend this refreshing wine experience. Racy and elegant this Sauvignon can be appreciated with grilled sea food or maybe fresh (or hot) goat cheese on toasted bread

The estate's history starts around 1850.Roger Champault is the 5th generation in this family business. When Roger Champault took over the estate, he only owned 2 hectares. Little by little the estate grew thanks to the new land that was bought and therefore the new vines that were planted. He also modernized the viticultural and winegrowing facilities and put in thermoregulated tanks in the cellar. After their studies, his two sons, Laurent and Claude set with him. With 3 workers, the wlll of the Champault estate is to keep a family size. Laurent and Claude are now the two owners of this beautiful Inheritance. Planted on slopes with renowned aspects and terrolrs, the estate stretches on around 20 hectares.

This cuvée is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in two distinct soil types. Terres Blanches, which adds complexity, makes up 70% of the blend. The expressive, mineral-driven character comes from Caillottes-based vineyards. Fermentation takes place in thermoregulated tanks. After racking, the wine remains on fine lees until bottling in April, adding texture and complexity.

Winery Notes
On the nose, a wide range of fragrances, from vegetal with ivy and acacia to fruity with peach and lychee. A fresh start, opening for persistent mineral and fruity notes with a lingering finish on the palate.