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"Hidden in the foothills of the Jura massif between Lyon and Geneva, the tiny village of Mérignat appears around the bend of a country road. Behind the austere demeanor of a small medieval village hides in the cellars a natural sparkling wine which reveals part of its mystery when the bottle opens and reveals its color..." - Renardat-Fache.com
The Renardat-Fache Bugey Cerdon Methode Ancestrale has been a perrenial favorite at Chambers Street for its amazingly delicious sweet fruit and delicate bubbles - we're now happy to annonce the arrival of three new and fabulously yummy wines from our our friends Elie and Christelle.
Along with Elie's father Alain, they make their Cerdon from Gamay and Poulsard, and follow the technique of méthode ancestrale. The grapes are picked by hand, pressed and fermented in cold vats until the juice reaches about six degrees of alcohol. After a light filtration that leaves most of the active yeast in the unfinished wine, it is bottled and continues its fermentation in the bottle, reaching about 7.5 or 8 degrees of alcohol and retaining a fair quantity of its original sugar. It is more vinous (with grapey primary aromas) than most Champagne, since there is neither dosage nor addition of yeast before the second fermentation.
The first new release is the non-vintage Bugey Cerdon "Initiale" - made primarily with Gamay, Elie says it reminds him of what the estate was producing 20 years ago: fruity, "glou glou" Cerdon to knock back with abandon. Creamy, round and delicious with aromas of red and black fruits and spice, the wine is sappy and refreshingly sweet with ripe strawberry and raspberry compote in the finish.
The 2020 Bugey Cerdon, the estate's "normal" cuvee, has a much higher percentage of Poulsard this year (58% Gamay and 42% Poulsard) which gives the wine a lighter, dryer feel, even though the sugar level remains about the same. With beatiful ripeness and fabulous pure raspberry fruit, just a gorgeous wine.
For lovers of Poulsard comes the sensational 2020 "Au Commencement," made in a very old-fashioned style with less residual sugar and with 100% Poulsard, which the Renardats are proud to have in their vineyards. (The wine has no added SO2 and was not disgorged - being stilll on the lees, be sure to stand the bottle up for a while before opening.) Very little of this beautiful juice was made...
And finally, the 2019 "En Blanc Aussi" 100% Chardonnay. 2019 is only the second vintage of this méthode-ancestrale white, made from a small amount of certified-organic grapes grown on limestone soils purchased from a friend in Bugey. Hand-harvested, fermented with native yeasts in tank, bottled at 6% alcohol, kept on the lees for a year and finished technically dry (5-7 grams RS/liter) at around 10.5% alc.. (Will not be produced in 2020 or 2021)
Elie and Christelle are incredibly nice people who make delicious, authentic wines - we hope you will try all four and we hope to host the winemakers at a tasting in NY this Spring...
Renardat-Fache NV (2022) Bugey Cerdon Méthode Ancestrale "Initiale"
(Arrives 4/6) The Bugey Cerdon "Initiale" is a new release from our friends Elie and Christelle at Renardat-Fache - made primarily with Gamay, Elie says it reminds him of what the estate was producing 20 years ago: fruity, "glou glou" Cerdon to knock back with abandon. Creamy, round and delicious with aromas of red and black fruits and spice, the wine is sappy and refreshingly sweet with ripe strawberry and raspberry compote in the finish. The 2022 vintage is just beautiful, floral and fresh with a lip-smacking finish - keep one of these in the fridge at all times!
Renardat-Fache 2020 Bugey Cerdon Méthode Ancestrale
This charming, low-alcohol sparkler hails from the tiny appellation of Bugey (across from the Mont du Chat in Savoie). At 8% ABV this delicately sweet and exquisitely balanced pét-nat is the breakfast of champions, a companion while you prepare a feast, or the perfect solution to tricky dessert parings. A blend of Gamay and Poulsard, the wine pours a pleasing shade of magenta in the glass and offers up vivid aromas of purple wild flowers, raspberry patch, and mouth-watering grapefruit zest. The palate is light and fresh with flavors of sweet strawberries, raspberries, and crunchy blueberries on the attack then finishes with thirst-quenching mineral acidity. A purely enjoyable bottle at a great value. Serve chilled alongside fruit tarts, dark chocolate, or with tangy cheeses. -Amanda Bowman
Renardat-Fache 2020 Vin de France Au Commencement
The sensational new Renardat-Fache 2020 "Au Commencement," is made in a very old-fashioned style with less residual sugar and with 100% Poulsard, which the Renardats are proud to have in their vineyards. The wine finished at 11.5% alcohol with 17 grams of residual sugar and is classifed as a Vin de France because the Cerdon AOC does not permit pure Poulsard wines. (The wine has no added SO2 and was not disgorged - being stilll on the lees, be sure to stand the bottle up for a while before opening.) Very little of this beautiful juice was made. Completely different profile not just because of the lack of sweetness clocking in at 11.5 %, but also because of the slight bitter orange note reminiscent of Aperol! Savoury, herbaceous, blood orange, some grippy tannins, bright zippy acidity and a long persistent finish. An excellent food wine, bring on the grill!
Renardat-Fache 2019 Vin de France En Blanc Aussi
100% Chardonnay. 2019 is only the second vintage of méthode-ancestrale white from Renardat-Fâche, made from a small amount of certified-organic grapes on limestone soils purchased from a friend in Bugey. Hand-harvested, fermented with native yeasts in tank, bottled at 6% alcohol, kept on the lees for a year and finished technically dry (5-7 grams RS/liter) at around 10.5%. The wine was not made in 2020 and will not be made in 2021. JP says it's gently dry, a touch chalky in flavor and feel, yellow apple-y, soft bubbles, kinda crisp and round at once. Aperitif wine all day long...