It’s alive!

100% gamay grapes, brought in from three areas in Beaoujolais, the SuperB has a solid earthiness to it, with lots of fruit. Approachable, enjoyable, and a great starter for those just getting into natural wine, Patrick Bouju used to be an IT guy, working for IBM in Paris. That ended when he moved back to Auvergne to do vinifcation apprenticeships in the obscure, and now disappeared, Domain de Peyra. Beginning by renting his own vines in Auvergne, he was able to secure a hectare of 120 year old vines – truly unique in an area of France which was otherwise destroyed by lice in the late 19th century. His land survived due to its unique volcanic soil, which lends so much character to Bouju wines.

A truly happy wine. Exploding with jammy flavors and fruits of the forest, Classé has a fuller body, without being overpowering. A great wine to split, especially when it’s a magnum.

Blend of Auvergne grapes, partly aged in old wood and partly in amphorae. Because of the amphorae have that pleasant, refined “grainy” texture, and very salty and fresh for wine made with southern grapes. The aromatic of the Syrah does slip through nicely, making it appear much softer and warmer. Labeled by French connoisseurs as a “bombe atomique”, with “fruit explosif”! On aime La Bohème!

The term ‘earthiness’ is thrown around a lot. You’ve probably found that soft minerality, or clay-like subtly in whites before. But when a wine genuinely tastes like red clay, that’s something special – the true dirt. Sauvignon vom Opok is has this crisp passionfruit acidity followed by a deep density and warmth. It’s not muddy, but it’s incredibly clear that you are drinking something from deep in the earth. Gastronomically, that makes this a super complex flavor experience, yet still very digestible. And there are few natural wines that make it onto Michelin-Star restaurant wine lists. This is one of them.

Listen and pay attention: Nebbiolo, whole clusters. In sandstone eggs. Sandstone eggs in a pool. Thermal energy is created by the warm-cold difference inside eggs. Lots of fruit, lots of energy; drinks as a fruity energy drink that only Gea can make. This is by far the most atypical and most easily digestible Nebbiolo ever made. On closer inspection this is a wine of great class, with a layering and an aftertaste that you say “you” to.

It took twelve years for Dassemus – the Dutch organic vineyard – to uncork their first bottles as winemakers. Now Ron and Monique run the show, and with over two decades of marriage under their belts, they know better than most that with the right ingredients time will take you on a journey.  Monique still practices as a lawyer in Brussels, but Ron gave up his career in IT for a life amongst the vines. To go from 1s and 0s, to what Dassemus dub ‘harmony with nature’ might seem like a dramatic about-turn – but working alongside the unruly chaos of the planet takes precision and technique. “No fertilizers are used or sprayed, nor are fungicides, pesticides or weed killers.” explains Ron. “Green manures are sown to enrich the soil, with plants that bind nitrogen to their roots. The nitrogen is released by mowing the green manure and by plowing or tilling the soil. In addition, we sow a whole mix of herbs that contribute in various ways to a healthy soil and greater bio diversity in the vineyard.” Now that is what we’d call “green tech.”

A wine born in the birthplace of wine. Georgia has been prodcuing wine for over a thousand years, but just becasue you’ve been doing it the longest doesn’t mean you’re doing it the best, or even the most interesting. In the case of . Ketevan Berishvili, it may well be the case that one of the world’s most innovative (and youngest, at only 33) wine makers is living right among true wine antiquity. Intensely macerated with long skin contact, Cuvee Bébé was named in celebration of Ketean’s daughter’s birth. The excitement of drinking this wine comes down to its purity, it’s truly natural and for us takes the power of this kinda’ wine to the limit.

“This” light “orange wine is made from 100% Garnacha Blanca. The fermentation takes 10 days, of which 5 days with the skin and as little interference as possible. The maturation takes place on earthen amphorae. Tones of ripe citrus, pear, herbs and ginger alternate, soft and creamy in texture, but also fresh and full of flavor.

This playful little number is the brain child of one of the oldest biological wine cooperatives in Northern Italy. A sparkling rosé, head-winemaker Alessandro Poletti conjured up the Beast simply because he heard people wanted it. . Using all organic grapes, he blended reds with white for aromatics, that’s where the unique perfumed nose lives. Despite it’s name, this is far from a Beast of a wine. it’s energetic, almost like lemonade, but it’s probably the he most tasteful execution of a sparkling rosé we’ve tasted – elegant but not over the top.