3/27/26 - 

Today we have some exciting new arrivals from all over France, from Alsace to the Northern Rhone to the Loire Valley and beyond!

Starting in Alsace, recently landed in New York are nine new wines from our friends Florian and Mathilde Beck-Hartweg. While we’ve enjoyed these wines for years, it’s always exciting when a new vintage lands and this time around there are several cuvees that are brand new even to our shelves! For a bit of background, Eben had written previously about these outstanding natural wines: "Florian and Mathilde Beck-Hartweg are young winemakers based in the town of Dambach-La-Ville. First available in the States some years ago, the wines have quietly grown a loyal and passionate fan base here in New York, for good reason! Farming is organic, and they have stopped plowing in recent years, preferring instead to use the "rollofaquer," a farming tool that pushes over plants to create organic cover and protect the humidity and biodiversity in the soil. All wines age in large old barrels of 1000-1500L capacity. Their locality in Dambach-La-Ville is centered around a concentration of granite terroir that lends a fascinating and scintillating minerality and salinity to their wines. They've been inspired by the dynamic natural wine scene in France and beyond, and have changed their approach in the cellar in the last decade, not just in terms of sulfur use, but also stepping away from the tradition of varietal wines and focusing on terroir expression and parcel-specific blending. For example, instead of separately bottling a Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir from specific granitic parcels in Dambach-la-Ville, Florian and Mathilde Beck-Hartweg now make a single wine, 'Granite,' that is a blend of all the grapes from said parcel, and the resulting wine expresses the intense granitic structure and spice of those sites."

While on the subject of Alsace, we have some new arrivals from old friends: two bottlings from Bistro Louis Severine (vines in photo above). The Louis in the name is Louis Broderick, from Basket Range winery in Australia, and the Severine is none other our friend Severine Perru, who many New Yorkers will remember sharing a glass with at Ten Bells during her tenure there. Sev was not only the wine director at Ten Bells for many years, but she was most notably one of the most energetic and active advocates for natural wines in New York, organizing countless parties, "meet the winemaker" events, and bar takeovers. Even when she moved to Australia first and then back to her native France with Louis, she continued to plan events with winemakers at Ten Bells. Her influence on the New York scene and on a larger scale is long-reaching and we are very happy to now be promoting her fantastic wines from Alsace! Sev and Louis met in Australia and recently moved to France together. After sourcing some grapes from friends and making wine in the Jura starting in 2019, the duo moved to Alsace, where Sev had long-time friendships with Christian Binner and Jean-Pierre Rietsch, among others. Through support of their peers, they started making their own wines in 2023, with scattered parcels in Ammerschwihr and Katzenthal that they farm and supplemented by organic grapes from neighbors. As described by their NY importer: "The name “Bistro” reflects their aim to produce honest, drinkable wines meant for the table and shared company." Made with care and without additives, immensely drinkable and very pure and clean, both of the wines on offer are well worth a try! Julien is 100% Riesling, from granitic sites in Dambach-la-Ville, where Florian and Mathilde Beck-Hartweg live. It's direct and lifted, with depth and a combination of full texture and mineral cut. Chrysalis is a fascinating co-fermentation of Sylvaner, Pinot Noir and Muscat Ottonel from a parcel Sev and Louis farm in Ammerschwihr. As Sev describes, it's a "light red with soft tannins and gentle aromatics. Bright Sylvaner acidity, Pinot fruit, and floral Muscat notes." You can treat it is a light red or a floral pinkish-hued skin-contact; it's absolutely delicious no matter how you describe it! -Eben Lillie

Moving south, we’ve long been fans of natural wine legend Eric Texier in the northern Rhone, known for his outstanding Syrah and Marsanne in little-known areas with great terroir like Brézème and Saint Julien en Saint Alban. Equally as compelling are the wines from his son Martin Texier (pictured above), who has been making wine alongside his father since 2014 and has a knack for coaxing incredible freshness and energy out of his wines. Martin works about five hectares of vines in and around St.-Julien-en-St.-Alban, planted on clay, limestone, gneiss, marl, schist and granite soils. This gives a broad range of flavors and textures that he can draw from to give balance, depth and personality. Tasting his 2023 reds was a revelation—I’ve always enjoyed the wines but they seem to be getting better and better each year, with outstanding purity and finesse without any rough edges. The 2024 Brézème Blanc, which is 100% Marsanne, is a true testament to his winemaking. In a tricky vintage, he’s managed to make a wine with bright acidity, layers of complexity and pristine clarity. As yields are incredibly low, there sadly isn’t much to go around and we can only hope to see more of this wine in the future. His 2023 Brézème Rouge is a beautiful Syrah that's lively and approachable now but with elegant structure showing good aging potential, and 2023 Le Preyna is an incredible old-vine Cinsault with some Grenache that is crunchy, lithe and full of character. 

From the Loire Valley we have a fresh drop of 2023s and one 2024 from Frantz Saumon (pictured above), who has been working in Montlouis-sur-Loire since 2002. He works mostly with Chenin Blanc although has some Menu Pineau and Romorantin, as well as Gamay, Sauvignon Blanc and Côt. Farming is all organic with minimal input in the cellar, and the wines are always clean and focused, with a certain textural element that flows through all of his wines. The Mineral Plus (Chenin Blanc) is always a store favorite, but his recent foray into a single-varietal Romorantin is outstanding and don’t sleep on the Cave se Rebiffe sparkling Gamay, which is a Pet-Nat but drinks more like a rosé Champagne. Also from the Loire are a few special wines from La Grange Tiphaine, including two 2023 Chenins: Les Epinays and Les Ormeaux. Not much of these made it to New York, so this is a unique opportunity to grab a bottle or two to drink now or put away for awhile. Rounding out the list are a few individual wines that have stood out recently, including a fascinating wine from Cahors from Clos d’Audhuy, comprised mostly of the indigenous grape Ségalin with some Malbec. It’s atypical for the area, showing beautiful pure fruit, very low tannins and an easygoing chillable style. Additionally the Foulards Rouges 2025 Octobre is a real treat this year, showing a bit more depth than previous vintages while still remarkably fresh and vibrant.

-Jeff DiLorenzo

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