Les Amis du Château

Producer: Nicolas Reau
Grape: Chenin 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 11.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay, Limestone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Fresh, light and lean. Notes of zesty citrus brighten up the minerality brought by the silty soil where this Chenin grows. Almost astringent, mega dry, and pleasantly austere acidity. A dazzling color, liveliness, fruit, a beautiful balance and bite, enough to be enjoyed right away.

Producer: Le Mas de l'Escarida
Grape: Gamay 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Rhône
Subregion: Ardèche
Alcohol: 13.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Granitic Sandstone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Clairet of pure gamay, very clear dress, ruby. Fine aromas of cherry and wild strawberry, tangy and fruity. High drinkability!

Producer: Le Batossay
Grape: Grolleau 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 11%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay, Loam
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Baptiste Cousin's "Ouech' Cousin" is a real treat. With a Grolleau in carbonic maceration, one can expect something a little too "light"... Here, of course, one finds that suppleness, crisp red fruit and the freshness typical of this grape variety, but the mouth remains silky, delicate and ripe, proof of a healthy harvest harvested at maturity. The Domaine Batossay still offers a wine of disconcerting ease but which does not lack depth.

Producer: Max sein Wein
Grape: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Silvaner
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: Germany
Region: Baden
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12,5%

Aging in wood: No
Soil:
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: 

Producer: Benoit Courault
Grape: Chenin Blanc 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay and Schist
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Notes of citrus fruits, apples, white flowers and wet stone on the nose, with a well-balanced, slightly creamy palate, fresh acidity and a salty finish.

Producer: Les Bottes Rouges
Grape: Poulsard 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Jura
Subregion: Arbois
Alcohol: 11.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Limestone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Tôt ou Tard is 100% Poulsard planted in clay soils from a locality within the AOC of Arbois called La Mulatière. The grapes are destemmed by hand in vats where they are allowed to ferment naturally and subjected to a three-week maceration, after which they are pressed in 600-liter barrels (demi-muids). They are bottled without the addition of SO2 and rested for six months in the bottle before being put on the market.

Producer: Andrea Occhipinti
Grape: Aleatico 
Color: Rosé
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2022
Country: Italia
Region: Lazio
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Volcanic
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Maceration on skins for one night and spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in small cement barrels. Cherry pink, the nose expresses fruity and vegetal notes of rosehip, cherry, strawberry, with hints of wine and minerals. In the mouth it is dynamic and vivid, with a nice succession of freshness and subtlety. Only 2,000 bottles per vintage are produced.

Producer: Max sein Wein
Grape: Silvaner
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: Germany
Region: Baden
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12,5%

Aging in wood: No
Soil:
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: 

Producer: Domaine Julien Meyer
Grape: Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: Bas-Rhin
Alcohol: 12%

Aging in wood: No
Soil: Gneiss, Granite, Sandstone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Dried pineapple, apples, and white fruits, with a touch of cut grass in the background. The palate is fresh, mineral, with a saliva-inducing acidity that emerges towards the end.

Producer: Le Mas de l'Escarida
Grape: Sauvignon 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Rhône
Subregion: Ardèche
Alcohol: 11.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Granitic Sandstone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Funky

Tasting Notes: Bottled under cork with a little residual sugar to finish fermentation in bottle. It resulted in a very refreshing light fizz, clean, herbal and a lot of fun. A high altitude Sauvignon with more attitude than we’ve ever tasted before! This is low intervention at its best, the fruit really shining through. Beautiful green fruit, with plenty of tension, gripping acidity and electric structure

Producer: Domaine Julien Meyer
Grape: Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: Bas-Rhin
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Gneiss, Granite, Sandstone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Pale ruby red, with reflections between pink and orange. The nose offers a pleasant fruity bouquet, among which emerge notes of ripe cherry, rose petals, flowers and orange peel, spices, mushrooms and wet stone. On the palate, all elements are in proportion, with a linear, fruity sip and calibrated acidity.

Producer: Christopher Barth
Grape: Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Müller-Thurgau
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: Germany
Region: Rheinhessen
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 11.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Melaphyre
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Shows notes of fresh pear, apple cider and white flowers. Fresh and delicate on the palate, with a nice, zesty acidity.

Producer: Le Batossay
Grape: Grolleau Gris
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 11%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay, Loam
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Hand-harvested Grolleau Gris grapes are direct-pressed into a 3000 liter oak vat. After the fermentation, the wine is placed in fiberglass tanks, where it undergoes malolactic fermentation. No filtration, no stabilization, just pure fermented grape juice. A light golden color with slight green hues in the glass. In the nose, lightly bruised apples, white flowers and toasted hazelnuts. On the palate it is medium-bodied, with more apple aromas. It’s fresh, fun and slightly funky, with a long finish.

Producer: Enderle & Moll
Grape: Pinot Blanc
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: Germany
Region: Baden
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Muschelkalk
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: German Pinot Blanc that leans towards orange, but is still largely white. Mineral notes in the nose, with pears, peach and flowers. On the palate it perfectly balances between sweetness, acidity and saltiness, with a touch of umami towards the end and just enough funk to keep things interesting!

Producer: Cyrille Sevin 
Grape: Sauvignion, Chardonnay, Menu Pineau
Color: White
Sparkling: -

Vintage: 2020
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Cheverny
Alcohol: 13.5%

Aging in wood: No
Soil: Clay, Calcareous
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Fresh herbs and lemon, hint of unripe melon. Minerallity and lovely texture, just a pleasure to drink!

Producer: Le Raisin à Plume
Grape: Gamay 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Coteaux d'Ancenis
Alcohol: 13.5%

Aging in wood: No
Soil: Schist
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Ruby-red with a purple hem and transparent, already the color is inviting. Rose petal notes emerge from the glass, mixed with sour cherries, blackberries and a surprisingly pleasant hint of barnyard. The palate delivers on the delicate freshness the nose promises, again with a touch of funk that only serves to entice the drinker to go back and back again until the bottle is gone.

Producer: Andrea Occhipinti
Grape: Aleatico 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2022
Country: Italia
Region: Lazio
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Volcanic
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Notes of cherry, rose petals and mint, with a bit of wet leaf in the background. On the palate it is mineral, with small tannins and a good, juicy acidity.

Producer: Enderle & Moll
Grape: Pinot Noir 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: Germany
Region: Baden
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Limestone, Sandstone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: It smells intensely of dark cherries, underbrush, bay leaf and allspice. On the palate, it presents an intriguing grip as well as a pleasing acidity, thanks to the partially macerated raps. The body is powerful, though not as overloaded as neighboring Baden vintners. You should give the Pinot Noir Liaison some time in the decanter to give it some air and let it show its full beauty.

Producer: Domaine Julien Meyer
Grape: Pinot Gris 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: Bas-Rhin
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Gneiss, Granite, Sandstone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Rather long maceration which gives the wine a rather onion skin colour. The nose as well as the mouth are marked by notes of fresh and cooked fruits. Important mouthfeel: round, tannic. But the finish does not allow us to fall asleep because it is invigorating: superb acidity. Dense and lingering finish with bitter orange, ginger and a return of freshness.

Producer: Rita & Rudolf Trossen
Grape: Riesling 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: Germany
Region: Mosel
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Slate
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Untamed Mosel Riesling from natural wine masters Rita and Rudolf Trossen. 

Producer: Testalonga
Grape: Rossese 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: Italia
Region: Liguria
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 14%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: 0
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Mediterranean, spicy, energetic and pleasantly rustic wine, aged for about 1 year in very old oak barrels. It expresses hints of Mediterranean scrub, black pepper, olives and cherries and it is very fresh, smooth and energetic on the palate. It has a good aging potential.

Producer: Christopher Barth
Grape: Pinot Noir
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: Germany
Region: Rheinhessen
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Porphyry
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: A chilled red, that opens up with cherries, cranberry and a hint of pepper.

Producer: Schödl
Grape: Grüner Veltliner
Color: Weiss
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2022
Country: Austria
Region: Weinviertel
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: -
Added S02: Yes

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes:  

Producer: Domaine Lestelle
Grape: Grenache 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Langeudoc-Rousillon
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay
Added S02: Yes

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: This is a super unique and lightweight carbo-grenache whose bouquet carries some slight dark chocolate and cinnamon notes into the juicy palate with the typical carbo watermark of easy-drinking flat-out deliciousness. 

Producer: Domaine Julien Meyer
Grape: Pinot Blanc 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: Bas-Rhin
Alcohol: 12.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Gneiss, Granite, Sandstone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: The dress is golden, brilliant. The nose is expressive, on white fruits roasted with butter, marzipan and spices. The palate is quite fascinating, as much by its dynamics as its texture: it goes (very) straight, without resorting to acidity. The famous "invisible thread" is at work. And at the same time, one gets acquainted with a very soft matter, with a soft touch, in a very Meyer style airy spirit. The whole thing is dazzlingly fresh, overwhelming, even. The finish is just as fresh, finely chewed, with the return of white fruits roasted in butter, embellished with spices that linger for a long time.

Producer: Domaine de la Créchette, Charles Bouly
Grape: Chenin
Color: White
Sparkling: -

Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: 
Alcohol: 14.5%

Aging in wood: No
Soil: Clay, Calcareous
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: 

Producer: Les Bottes Rouges
Grape: Savagnin 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: France
Region: Jura
Subregion: Arbois
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes:Vinified in 600 liter tonneaux, it is neither filtered nor clarified, undergoes a very light pressing and is processed in total absence of sulfur dioxide. 100% Savagnin of great delicacy: fruit, freshness, delicate notes of white flowers. The whole is carried by a tension and a long mouth. A superb natural wine that proves once again the talent of Jean-Baptiste Ménigoz, a great winemaker from the Jura!

Producer: Christopher Barth
Grape: Silvaner
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: Germany
Region: Rheinhessen
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Melaphyre
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Apple, Pear and stonefruits apear in the nose. An elegant Silvaner that is a bottle full of joy

Producer: 2Naturkinder
Grape: Silvaner
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: Germany
Region: Franken
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 11%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Shell Limestone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: This Orange Silvaner was macerated  for one Week. Hints of fresh Gras, Peach and Vanilla notes. Complex and mineralic! 

Producer: Enderle & Moll
Grape: Müller-Thurgau 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: Germany
Region: Baden
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 11%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Limestone, Sandstone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Grapefruit and some baked apple, clove, fresh earth. Charming and juicy on the nose.

Producer: Les Bottes Rouges
Grape: Chardonnay 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: France
Region: Jura
Subregion: Arbois
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Lively and spicy white wine with a mineral and saffron taste. For Leon, the vines are planted in clay-heavy soils and the grapes are usually harvested at the end of September. Direct press into 3,000L foudre for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation before racking into smaller, 440L neutral oak barrels. Jean-Baptiste concludes that this is an incredibly age-worthy white wine.

Producer: Julie et Toby Bainbridge
Grape: Cabernet Franc
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: No
Soil: Clay
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Red-violet in colour, with aromas of blueberry, black cherry, chocolate, cinnamon bark, violet and forest floor. Rich blueberry, black cherry, bramble and the slightest trace of fizz are flanked by firm tannins and fresh acidity. A bitter streak accents dark chocolate, elderflower, black currant and blueberry on the velvety finish. Opulent and lush.

Producer: Domaine Lestelle
Grape: Carignan
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Langeudoc-Rousillon
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: A fresh mouth of crunchy red berries and spicy notes. A well-balanced wine with a lot of energy.

Producer: Domaine de Kalathas
Grape: Aspro Potamisi 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2017
Country: Greece
Region:
Subregion: Tinos Island
Alcohol: 14%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Granitic Sandstone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: The naturally low-acidity of Aspro Potamisi might trouble those used to sharper, chiseled whites from Greece, from varieties like Assyrtiko for example. Yet these very ripe grapes produced an original wine of smooth exotic aromas, the iodine finish and the puzzling bitterness adding complexity and contributing to create an "umami" wine, a characteristic emphasized by what could be perceived as a real "memory of sugar", an impression of native sweetness conveyed by the sun-roasted, rich old-vine Potamisi whose sugars were nonetheless almost totally reduced by its indigenous yeasts.

Producer: Cantina Margò
Grape: Sangiovese 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: Italia
Region: Umbria
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay, Limestone
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Fruity red wine with aromas of cherries and hints of licorice. The palate is warm and powerful with a pleasant finish of red fruits.

Producer: Nicolas Reau
Grape: Cabernet Franc 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 13.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay, Limestone, Alluvial Silt, Gravel
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Aged 6 months in concrete vats, it should be drunk young in order to take advantage of its fruit and brilliance. Its soil gives it an incredible aromatic complexity at this level: fruit, fruit and more fruit.

Producer: Domaine de Lorient
Grape: Syrah 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2021
Country: France
Region: Rhône
Subregion: Rhône Septentrional
Alcohol: 12%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Granitic
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Producers of white wines mainly, this young couple of winemakers also produces beautiful vintages of red wines and this Cornas has caught our eye! Intense and complex, it will stand the test of time with grace!

Producer: Domaine de Lorient
Grape: Roussanne, Marsanne 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Rhône
Subregion: Rhône Septentrional
Alcohol: 12%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Granitic
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Pronounced aromas of tropical, apricot, green apple, honey, slight almond and smoke, spices. Powerful and balanced with refined acidity.