Producer: Markus Ruch
Grape: Müller Thurgau 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: Switzerland
Region: Swiss German Region
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12.5%

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

Funkyness: Funky

Tasting Notes: Golden yellow color with greenish and amber reflections, the nose hints of pear cider, the palate is quite dry, beautiful acidic structure, scents of herbs, medium-long finish, but powerful.

Producer: Domaine Julien Meyer
Grape: Pinot Gris 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
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: Cascina Fornace
Grape: Arneis 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: Italia
Region: Piemonte
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: White fruit, peaches and herbs, fresh and quite long

Producer: Rosmarinus
Grape: Rossese 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: Italia
Region: Liguria
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 11%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Fresh and juicy, red fruit, spicy and balsamic

Producer: Weingut In Der Eben
Grape: Sauvignon 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2016
Country: Italia
Region: Trentino Alto-Adige
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: White flowers and fruits,fennel, slim wine very acid

Producer: Weingut In Der Eben
Grape: Gewurtztraminer 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: Italia
Region: Trentino Alto-Adige
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Citrus, balsamic and very very fresh good acidity

Producer: Domaine Engel Fréres
Grape: Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc 
Color: Sparkling
Sparkling: Champenoise
Vintage: 2016
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13.5%

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

Funkyness: Clean

Tasting Notes: White and red fruit, winy ,creamy and mineral extremely drinkable

Producer: Domaine Engel Fréres
Grape: Pinot Noir 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Funky

Tasting Notes: Elegance, red fruit, pomegranade, orange, very very long

Producer: Domaine Engel Fréres
Grape: Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Elegant maceration of 10 days, aromatic, deep and very drinkable

Producer: Domaine Goepp et Fils
Grape: Pinot Noir 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Funky

Tasting Notes: Wild and delicious, cherry, little red fruit a grape jiuce

Producer: Domaine Engel Fréres
Grape: Riesling/Sylvaner 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Aromatic and balsamic, peach and white fruit, creamy and acid

Producer: Domaine Goepp et Fils
Grape: Gewurtztraminer 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Funky

Tasting Notes: Aromatic, exotic fruit, herbs, mineral and juicy

Producer: Domaine Goepp et Fils
Grape: Sylvaner 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Funky

Tasting Notes: Aromatic, exotic fruit, herbs, mineral and juicy

Producer: Marto Wein
Grape: Würzer, Huxelrebe, Müller-Thurgau, Field blend
Color: White
Sparkling: Pet Nat
Vintage: 2020
Country: Germany
Region: Rheinhessen
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 9.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Quartz Sandstone, Marl
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: That Martin Wörner calls one of his wines Crazy Crazy, was actually only a matter of time, it fits perfectly to the wine style, just like the winemaker himself. The Crazy Crazy is a Pet Nat from a colorful Rheinhessen variety mix. In the nose with a lot of freshness, citrus notes, only discreet wildness, tart spiciness, crisp, yellow fruit, summer freshness, some quince and chamomile, animating and with zing. On the palate with fresh acidity, again very crisp and lively, gentle perlage, fragrant with a floral touch, fizzes and wants to be swallowed and then again and again.

Producer: Claus Preisinger
Grape: Weissburgunder, Grüner Veltliner
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2017
Country: Austria
Region: Burgenland
Subregion: Neusiedl am See
Alcohol: 11.5%

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

Funkiness: Mild

Tasting Notes: The Kalkundkiesel is now again shorter on the mash than in recent years, there are only four days of maceration, then aged for half a year in various wooden barrels and bottled unfiltered and unsulfured.
In 2017 the Kalkundkiesel has again more substance and pressure, already in the nose more intensity, overripe melon, some quince and meadow herbs, ripe yellow fruit with a cool touch in the background, lots of sage and some eucalyptus, great complexity. On the palate with a charming and juicy start, soft and again with yellow fruit, pineapple, yellow peach and ripe pear, very decent tannic structure and out the back again herbs and a fine tart touch. A very harmonious and charming chalky gravel, even natural wine beginners need not be afraid.

Producer: Henri Cruchon
Grape: Gamay, Gamaret, Pinoit Noir 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: Switzerland
Region: Vaud
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13.5%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Pure fermented grape juice, crisp aromas of red fruits and sour cherries with a slightly peppery finish. A rich, fresh and fruity palate with a superb well rounded tannic structure.

Producer: Séléné
Grape: Gamay 
Color: Rosé
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: France
Region: Beaujolais
Subregion: Beaujolais Villages
Alcohol: 12,5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay, Sand, Calcaire Limoneux
Added S02: Yes

Funkyness: Clean

Tasting Notes: Strawberry, raspberry and black cherry, then herbs and red flowers finishing with delicate notes of spice. Vibrant, great drinking and damn delicious! A sight for the eyes too!

Producer: La Grange de l'Oncle Charles
Grape: Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Chasselas 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: After settling in the family barn belonging to his great-uncle, a farmer, Jérôme François created Uncle Charles' barn. The estate was thus born in early 2014 in Ostheim. No less than a dozen grape varieties to express, beyond the diversity of their character, the true identity of the terroir that gives them life: a rare Alsace white, with a complexity and minerality that appeals to wine lovers.

Producer: Séléné
Grape: Gamay 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Beaujolais
Subregion: Beaujolais Villages
Alcohol: 14%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Clay, Sand, Calcaire Limoneux
Added S02: Yes

Funkyness: Clean

Tasting Notes: Although bojo can be all fresh fruits and candy, this is a serious cold-weather beaujolais. Think dark and vibrant, crunchy cranberries, dried herbs and pressed flowers and an almost negroni like savoury spice (you heard us) that keeps us coming back for more. Can be chilled, but also can stand up to your stews, roasts and chilly nights. Lip smackingly delicious.

Producer: Marof
Grape: Pinot Grigio
Color: Orange
Sparkling:
Vintage: 2017
Country: Slovenia
Region: Upper Styra
Subregion: Prekmurje
Alcohol: 13.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Flint Gravel, Silica Sand, Sandy Clay
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Medium deep orange-amber color. The bouquet is more intense, aromatic than befits Pinot Gris. Spicy notes predominate over ripe red fruits, a note of freshly ground coffee creeps in, ripe red apples. Variegated! Dry mouth, medium body, higher acids, tannin grip is very boldly set and can also flirt with some red wines. It is also spicy in the mouth, and above all, the wine has an abundance of structure. Medium-bodied, with a surprisingly moderate alcohol level depending on the variety, the origin and also the (strong) style of the house, which, however, really calms down. At the moment, the tannins are a little rough, but the wine can travel nicely into the future.

Producer: Cantina Giardino
Grape: Fiano 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: Italia
Region: Campania
Subregion: Irpinia
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: 100% Fiano from ancient vineyards, macerated 4 days and aged 12 months in chestnut oak. Ash, ripe fruit and meditterean bush. Vibrant and intriguing.

Producer: SKERK
Grape: Malvasia 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2017
Country: Italia
Region: Friuli Venezia Giulia
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: This Malvazija is a dark orange wine that shows aromas of quince, apricot, tangerine, caramel herbs and wood, with a touch of ocean mist. On the palate it is mineral, complex and long, with a nice minerality that lends freshness and drinkability.

Producer: SUMENJAK
Grape: Riesling 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: Slovenia
Region: Upper Styra
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Quartz Gravel, Quartz Sand, Clay
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Beautiful nose of quince, citrus fruits, dried apricots and herbs. On the palate vibrant and juicy, with a fresh acidity and a long mineral finish.

Producer: SUMENJAK
Grape: Chardonnay 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: Slovenia
Region:
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: yes
Soil: Quartz Gravel, Quartz Sand, Clay
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: A slightly oxidative orange wine, this chardonnay smells of dried apricots, pears, nuts, caramel and resin. On the palate slightly tannic, with a fresh acidity and slightly salty. Ends in a very long finish.

Producer: Cyrille Sevin
Grape: Pinot Noir, Gamay 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Touraine
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Nose of red cherry and raspberry. The palate is seductive, with a beautiful aromatic expression and a density perfect for the table. It is nicely structured and a well contained acidity completes its balance. It is a very fine wine.

Producer: Barouillet
Grape: Chardonnay, Sémillon 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: South West France
Subregion: Bergerac
Alcohol: 12%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: As Vincent Alexis says, it is "fresh and lively"! This Coup d'Vîme is very aromatic, very fruity, light and full at the same time. Beautiful balance. Surprising notes of passion fruit and fresh nuts on the finish. Part of the Sémillon is vinified in carbonic maceration, another part in direct pressing and then matured in vats, the Chardonnay is matured in tuns.

Producer: Cantina Giardino
Grape: Aglianico, Field Blend 
Color: Rosé
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: Italia
Region: Campania
Subregion: Irpinia
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: TU transform the complexity of Aglianico grapes (and other local red grapes) in a fresh rosé suitable for aperò.

Producer: Cantina Giardino
Grape: Falanghina, Coda di Volpe, Fiano 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: Italia
Region: Campania
Subregion: Irpinia
Alcohol: 12.5%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: NA it is a blend of various autochtonous grapes macerated 7 months in used barrels. Burnt wheat, wild herbs and sulphurous whips for a refreshing wine

Producer: Cantina Giardino
Grape: Coda di Volpe 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: Italia
Region: Campania
Subregion: Irpinia
Alcohol: 12%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Limestone, Sandstone and Clay
Added S02: Yes

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: New vintage of Paski differs from his older brother (2018) for a clear green lime characters but they both are so refreshing that one bottle won't long last, especially in warm summer days

Producer: Cantina Giardino
Grape: Greco 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: Italia
Region: Campania
Subregion: Irpinia
Alcohol: 13.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Limestone, Sandstone and Clay
Added S02: Yes

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Adam is macerated 4 days and part of it is aged 12 months in chestnut oak while other part in amphorae. Warm and deep has notes of honey and mediterrean bush. Long, sapid and fresh.

Producer: Cantina Giardino
Grape: Greco 
Color: Orange
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: Italia
Region: Campania
Subregion: Irpinia
Alcohol: 12.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil: Limestone, Sandstone and Clay
Added S02: Yes

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: 319 days of skin contact for those Greco grapes: maybe this can may you think about a meditative and deep orange glass but thanks to the soil and wise old vineplants Sophia is direct and friendly wine that can be with you in any case - during an aperò, on a sunny lunch or a rainy dinner.

Producer: La Grange Saint André
Grape: Grenache Noir, Cinsault 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 13.5%

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

Funkyness: Clean

Tasting Notes: Easy drinking, light, fruity and fresh Grenache/ Cinsault blend from Languedoc

Producer: La Grange Saint André
Grape: Cinsault, Grenache, Carignan 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2019
Country: France
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Subregion: -
Alcohol: 12.5%

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

Funkyness: Clean

Tasting Notes: This bright, fresh and juicy red (mainly Cinsault) is great value. It's practically bursting with strawberry and red cherry, with earthy undertones and a touch of fine tannin. Manual harvest, vatting in whole clusters for 48h, without reassembly or batonnage. Six months whole bunch in concrete tank, bottled with no SO2.

Producer: Noella Morantin
Grape: Côt 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 14%

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

Funkyness: Clean

Tasting Notes: This cuvée is made from Côt vines, the name given to Malbec in Touraine. We love the expression of this grape variety in the Loire Valley because, unlike the more "southern" wines (Cahors in particular), the region's climate allows the wines to retain a beautiful freshness. Noëlla offers us a little jewel with "Côt à Côt", a cuvée which seduces by its fruit, its greediness and its slightly spicy character. The tannins are present but fine and the wine keeps a very nice freshness.

Producer: Noella Morantin
Grape: Côt, Cabernet Franc 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2017
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 12%

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

Funkyness: Clean

Tasting Notes: The colour is deep, the nose on ripe fruits, it is ample, the tannins are there but fine and the length is present. It is magnificent!

Producer: Noella Morantin
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2017
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Clean

Tasting Notes: The result is excellent, as the old vines, which have the particularity of expressing the characteristics of the terroir with more intensity, reproduce it magnificently here. The latter is composed of flinty clay on a limestone parent rock, which brings a slight tension and a complex aromatic structure of white fruits, wild flowers and citrus fruits (grapefruit) without the varietal side that one too often finds in Sauvignon. The palate is fruity, refreshing and long.

Producer: Noella Morantin
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 13.5%

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

Funkyness: Clean

Tasting Notes: Noëlla knows how to show us how elegant this grape variety can be in the Loire Valley when it is cultivated and vinified with care, at reasonable yields. On opening, we immediately feel the characteristic notes of Sauvignon harvested at perfect maturity, as we like them. The clear, limpid colour is a pretty straw yellow. On the palate, there is a perfect balance between minerality and sweetness. It is long, salivating and so good that we want more!

Producer: Noella Morantin
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Clean

Tasting Notes: Stella Maris is made using Sauvignon Blanc grapes bought in from the other Touraine grower wayward import, Mikaël Bouges. The resulting wine is very different to your typical white from this region; first of all the grapes are allowed to fully ripen before picking, meaning an absence of those green, underripe flavours. Second, after fermentation the wine is allowed rest for a little over a year in old barrels and only once the sugar has completely fermented out of the wine (a completely natural process with the native yeasts) is it ready for bottling. The fruit has an almost tropical lilt to it, with the time in barrel rounding it out nicely. Impeccably clean and crystalline, this is Noëlla’s entry-level Sauvignon that delivers pleasure in spades.

Producer: Côme Isambert
Grape: Chenin Blanc 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2020
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 13%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: 100% Chenin Blanc, grown on clay-limestone and shale soils. Thirty months in 500-litre barriques and 12 months in tanks, then blended.

Producer: Côme Isambert
Grape: Grolleau 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 12%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: 100% Grolleau Noir from Saint Georges sur Layon, grown on schiste a very good year for Grolleau. Destemmed by hand - 3 weeks in tanks punchdowned by hand, pressing off in a vertical press and blending press and running juice. Aged in two barrels - 600l barrel for 20 months. There were a few bunches in the tank to help filter the wine which also infused into the wine to give some structure. A wonderfully deep and elegant Grolleau which is drinking well now, but will age wonderfully.

Producer: Côme Isambert
Grape: Cabernet Franc 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2017
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 13.5%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Conversely, the Little Robin uses the press juice from the same Gamay as went into his Onomatopee wine in 2019. This is then put into old barrels before being blended with a large proportion of Cabernet Franc from 2017 which had already had a long thirty month ageing in in barrel to smooth out the tannins. He likes to make this blend to give fruit and acidity to the depth and structure in the Cabernet. The wine is elegant, soft and spicy, a great bottle for dinner, particularly with grilled meats.

Producer: Côme Isambert
Grape: Cabernet Franc 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2015
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 12%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Côme Isambert with help from Francois Saint-lo & Olivier Schwirtz have purchased the wine from the last vintages of Clos Cristal that was in the cellar and bottled it without additions, under the protest Cristal Closed label designed by Justine Saint-lo. These wines are history in a bottle. Chiselled from Limestone soils, this a deep smokey and velvety Cabernet that just gets better and better with age.

Producer: Côme Isambert
Grape: Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Grolleau Gris 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2018
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 11.6%

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

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: This wine tends to be his lighter red, a vin de soif which still has a touch of structure and elegance. Most of this feel comes from the fact that the wine is mostly made up of what is called the running juice. In what I often see repeated with small winemakers, they will make a different ageing to this juice, which naturally comes from the grapes during the maceration and the press juice, which comes from when they actually press the grapes. The running juice tends to give a lighter wine in feel and structure. In 2019 this is around 85% Gamay from a grower called Patrick Thomas in Saint Georges sur Layon, grown on limestone. Côme gave the grapes a 12 day carbonic maceration, then aged in tank, before blending before bottling with just a touch of his Grolleau Noir 2018 and Cabernet Franc 2017, which all came from the same grower. Both of which he already had ageing in his cellar. The idea is to just to give a touch of structure to the wine.

Producer: François Saint-Lô
Grape: Chenin Blanc 
Color: White
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2017
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 13%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil:
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: The very first vintage of a new cuvée of Chenin Blanc that comes from a parcel that François is now leasing from Sylvain Dittiere. The parcel is situated in an old river bed and the vines are about 30 years old. A third of the harvest macerated whole bunches for about 2 weeks, while the rest were pressed directly. They were kept separate in 600L barrels plus the Stockinger (1200L), then the whole thing was put together a few weeks before bottling. Super texture, incredible fruit, almost tropical but with lots of minerality. If the day is any indication...!

Producer: François Saint-Lô
Grape: Grolleau 
Color: Rosé
Sparkling: Pet Nat
Vintage: 2018
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 11%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil:
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: This is a blend of two thirds Gamay & one third Grolleau, from the parcels that go into Hey gro! & Hey Gamin! It was left on the lees in bottle for just over a year before disgorgement by hand. Brilliantly bright fruit, very varietal and delicious dark sparkling rosé.

Producer: François Saint-Lô
Grape: Cabernet Franc 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2017
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 12.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil:
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: The most sublime Cabernet Franc from this prodigious young Loire vigneron. The vines in the Palennes vineyard are well established (around 70 years old) and the fruit is of excellent quality. Here the grapes go through vinification as a blend of both destemmed and whole clusters - this technique results in an extraordinarily fine tannic structure once the wine is complete, as the contact between the must and the grape stems is carefully managed. There is always great depth in the Cabernet Franc of Saint-Lô; the black cherry fruit, bitter dark chocolate and the characteristic herbaceous bearing of the varietal all marry perfectly. The wine is polished and smooth. BOOM!!!

Producer: François Saint-Lô
Grape: Cabernet Franc 
Color: Red
Sparkling: -
Vintage: 2016
Country: France
Region: Loire
Subregion: Anjou-Saumur
Alcohol: 12.5%

Aging in wood: Yes
Soil:
Added S02: No

Funkyness: Mild

Tasting Notes: Les Bois Guyon is Francois' Cabernet Franc from 80 year old vines grown in limestone. The handpicked grapes are de-stemmed, macerated on skins for 10 days then pressed into 400 litres barrels where it ages for 2 and a half years before bottling. An enchanting and ethereal wine with lifted, floral aromatics and savoury game, wood and mineral notes on the palate.