L’ESPIGOUETTE CDR

70% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 5% Carignan, 5% Cinsault

Dark, dense colored. Smells of dark cherries, clove and spice. Medium to full bodied. Balanced, long and classy.

Domaine de l’ Espigouette is an organically grown vineyard that has been family run for four generations. This multiplicity of soil allows to bring a lot of complexity to the different wines of the estate, the rollers provide rich, bold wines, while sandy soils, clay bring elegance, finesse and depth. The vines are also prominent in the quality and concentration of the grapes and the area of ​​Espigouette has a 45-year average age for the Côtes du Rhône and the Plan of God. 

We believe, to the field of Espigouette, that to make a great wine, it is mandatory to have fine grapes, ie rich grapes, concentrated and balanced. For this, we respect our land and our environment by practicing a way of rational and ecological culture where we limit the maximum interventions by much observation in the vineyards and also through our dry and windy weather (Mistral). We carefully work our vineyard (various plowing, bud removal, leaf removal, green harvesting, etc …) according to the climatic characteristics of vintage and different soils. We work hard in the vineyards to achieve the best maturity and concentration of the grapes to harvest for many years to come.

Pair this with dishes that are typical of the cuisine from the northern area of Provence (any lamb dish), Mediterranean-influenced cooking or North-African dishes. It also pairs well with cheeses such as Reblochon, Cantal, even ripe Camembert.

SAINT AMOUR GAMAY

100% Gamay

This wine’s intense, mouthwatering aromas of ripe purple berries and spice cake have us swooning. Red ruby rose, ripe mulberry, and roasted notes. The palate boasts a full body, plush dark fruit, and supple tannin. A silky and fine finish, very seductive! The name (literally “Saint-Love”), Pascal Bertheir’s Esprit de Seduction is bodacious, buxom Beaujolais at its best! 

“My motto: to never stop listening to my land! My vineyard is a part of me just as much as I am a part of it. “
Pascal Berthier

I’ve always needed to stay close to my land, my luxury is to live here, where nature instills a different understanding of time where patience and tenacity rule. I like to pamper the lands that are the legacy of conscious people and because of that with every sip of my wine emerges pleasure and truth.

For 25 years, through the production of my white and red wines of Mâconnais and Beaujolais I’ve tried to find the taste of the past, going back to my roots and to reduce my footprint.

I like to listen and exchange with consumers of wine to understand from them and to challenge myself to continually move ahead.

Investing myself in Terroirs Originels has brought about the human experience I need. I trace my way serenely in the footsteps left by previous generations and surrounded by my fellow winemakers we pave a path of renewal in the region in which we live, share, and work.

TERROIRS ORIGINELS brings together under a common banner the elite of winegrowers from the Côte Beaujolaise and the Côte Mâconnaise, who have shared a traditional vision of the profession for almost 20 years. Each winemaker is independent and places the enhancement of the terroirs and know-how at the center of his thinking.

The small appellation of Saint-Amour is located at the northernmost tip of Beaujolais. Soil type : Granitic sand, alluvial and silica. Elevation : 270m. Exposure : Light slope with a southern exposure. Farming : Short pruning in bushes, Sustainable farming. Winemaking : Partial destemming of the grapes depending on their conditions, maceration for 10 days with control of temperature to preserve fruity notes and a nice aromatic. Aging : For 9 months in concrete vats on fine lees. Clarification : Light filtration before bottling.

Pairs well with roasted red meat, white meats and pasta bolognese. With pork, poultry, cheese and charcuterie.

Cheeseburger w/ caramelized onions & fried potato wedges. Blackened NC catfish w/ grilled eggplant & wild rice.

ALTOS LAS HORMIGAS MALBEC

100% Uco Valley Malbec

It shows an aromatic herb perfume along with impressive violet aromas. This is a juicy and intense wine, with notes of youthful plum and blueberry fruit. It has a great grip on the palate, with layered tannins and a balanced, long finish.

In 1995 Alberto Antonini, a well-known Tuscan winemaker, and Antonio Morescalchi, a young entrepreneur, took a trip to visit the burgeoning wine areas of South America. It only took one stop to find what they were looking for. They were immediately impressed by the vineyards thriving in the high altitude and dry climate of Mendoza, and were captivated by the whispered traditions and blend of cultures.
They returned to Tuscany powerfully impressed not only by the region, but also by the unexplored potential of Malbec, a grape that had a strong local tradition but was largely ignored and misunderstood. While the rest of the wine world saw Mendoza struggling to shed its bulk wine image, the two young Italians saw Mendoza as a place where traditional viticultural values and unblemished land could be reinvigorated with a modern winemaking approach and international experience. Instead of planting Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as many others were doing during the 1990s, the team decided to invest their confidence in Malbec.

Against all odds they cemented their vision to become Terroir Specialists. Shortly after, two friends and business partners, also enthused by the idea, joined the venture: Attilio Pagli, a renowned Tuscan winemaker with two 100 point-scoring wines in his personal record and Carlos Vazquez, an Argentine Agronomist, who work for 20 years with the early Catena group, planting new varieties, developing previously unknown vineyard sites and contributing greatly to the qualitative change of Argentine viticulture early on.

As in wine, all plans need a long time to bring some reward, but the philosophy of terroir immediately decanted to all other practices at Altos Las Hormigas. We believe that each intervention on the wine means a step away from its origin. No intervention is impossible, but we try to do as little as possible in winemaking. Minimal extraction, neutral oak, natural yeast, very little sulfites are just a few items to mention, that guide us in what we do. We also seek naturally low alcohol through harvesting as early as possible in each soil type. Our dedication to terroir-driven wines has transformed not only our philosophy, but the evolution of the wines.

Grapes are harvested by hand from a blend of high-density vineyards located in the sub-region of La Consulta as well as two areas in Tupungato. These are gravelly, alluvial soils with abundant stones and limestone presence. A fresh Uco Valley Malbec from the altitude of the Andes mountains. Grapes from different vineyards are vinified separately before the final blend. The grapes are selected from a double selection table before going into small stainless steel tanks. The alcoholic fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts at 24-28°C, for 12 days. Each tank is tasted three times a day to determine what is needed. It is aged for 18 months in concrete pools (75% of the wine) and untoasted large oak foudres (25% of the wine). Ageing for 6 months in the bottle.

Ideal to pair with Mediterranean cuisine and red meats.

ATHLETES DU VIN CHENIN

100% Chenin
Fruity wine, well balance with beautiful acidity . White fruits flavours, peach and pears, with some note of citrus fruits. White fruit flavors such as peach and pears, with some note of citrus fruits. This fruity wine is well balanced with beautiful acidity.

Les Athletes du Vin is a négociant project focused on producing great value typical wines from the Loire Valley. The idea was conceived by a group of French winemakers called Vini Be Good who work together to distribute their wines in France. The wines are vinified by various members of the Vini Be Good network using their own grapes or grapes purchased from friends and neighbours in the Loire.

The labels for Les Athletes du Vin are drawings by French artist, illustrator, and cartoonist Michel Tolmer who has been the unofficial lead artist of the French natural wine movement since the 1990s.

Sand and Clay, 35 years old vines. Mechanical Harvest, Pneumatic pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks .

Perfect to pair with shellfish and grilled fresh fish, and also with a spicy food.

CHATEAU LACONTE MARQUEY BORDEAUX

85% merlot, 10 cabernet franc, 5 cabernet sauvignon

Dark fruit and spice on the nose, Leconte Marquey drinks very smooth, with plum and hints of spice and a lightly floral finish. The oak structured the mouth, powerful but still very delicate and soft with a nice integration of tannin. Merlot provides flavours of red and black berries, as well as roundness and opulence; Cabernet Franc is the epitome of finesse and elegance; and finally Cabernet Sauvignon, with its refined tannins, allows the wine to age gracefully. The tannins are soft and inviting, Forward-pleasing style and tender tannins. 

Located in the village of Saint-Hippolyte, a small town located in the hills of the Greater Saint-Emilion Area, Chateau Leconte Marquey is a 14.5-hectare estate. A former airline pilot with a colorful history in flying, Jean-Paul Borderie is the owner of this estate after taking the reins over from his mother. With significant investment in both the vineyard & the chateau, this wine has become a beautiful example of affordable Saint-Emilion.

The winemaking has a long, slow fermentation in concrete & stainless steel vats with consistent pump overs, then it is gently aged for 12 to 15 months in new French oak barrels. 

A beautiful dinner table companion over the festive period. Ideal with grilled meats, roasted beef or hearty fayre and a fine cheese board.

GAILLARD BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES

100% Gamay Noir (16 year old vines)

Deep purple color, intense aromas of freshly crushed red fruits such as raspberries, strawberries and blackcurrants. Rich and full in the mouth with swathes of ripe plums and dark cherries, balanced by a firm layer of tannins that point up the ripe, juicy and rounded fruits of 100% Gamay. A few months in wood have softened the instant fruitiness of this wine and given it a rounded texture.

Sébastien Gutty is the fifth generation vigneron at Château Gaillard. The domaine is located in Ville-Morgon and dates back from 1897. Sébastien now farms 12 hectares organically across three Crus: Morgon, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, as well as Beaujolais Villages. The Vineyard is all organic, a parcel of young-vine Morgon bleeding into a slope of BV planted on iron oxide with traces of manganese and volcanic rock.

Sébastien prefers unfussy, classic Beaujolais with minimal intervention. Organic farming, hand-harvesting, native yeast, traditional maceration, long-slow-fermentation in ancient foudre, unfined, unfiltered and minimal intervention. No additional steps with carbonic, no anaerobic fermentation in food-grade plastic bags, etc. These are classic Beaujolais’ with a strong sense of origin…the perfect bistro wines!

Super-versatile with food — especially the sort found on French bistro menus such as chicken, fish (meaty & oily), and mushrooms