If there's any phrase in the wine world that could be considered polarizing, "Natural Wine" would probably be it. In certain circles, "new oak" makes people shudder, for others, "orange" gets an immediate thumbs-down, but overall when looking at the wine-world as a whole, the emergence of "natural wine" in the marketplace has led people to stand staunchly on one side or another of a line in the sand. So, though the producers highlighted in this email all farm according to organic, Biodynamic, and even Cosmocultural principles (more on that later!), always allow indigenous yeast fermentation, and intervene very little with the wine, adding nothing besides SO2, and at times bottling without any sulfur additions, we will not mention that they are Natural Wine producers. The wines speak for themselves, are unique expressions from their respective regions, and all share a particular vibrancy and energy. We can refer to them as living wines, or "Real Wines" as the late Joe Dressner did and our own David Lillie often does, but above all else, they are just darn good wines that have a true sense of place and reflect varietal and regional characteristics. 

Vinyer de la Ruca & Tutti Frutti Ananas

Manuel de Vecchi Staraz is the good-natured, friendly gent behind the Vinyer de la Ruca and Tutti Frutti Ananas projects in Banyuls-sur-Mer. Originally from Tuscany, he moved to this tiny enclave to make wine many years ago, drawn to the beauty of the region, which is in the heart of the French Catalan country bordering with Spain, at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains. All of his farming is at least certified organic, though he does not bother to put it on his labels anymore. Though he works primarily without using sulfites at any stage, he cares a lot about making stable wines, and is never against using them if he has a wine that lacks stability or has the potential to develop flaws during fermentation or aging. This freedom from any particular dogma (I've heard producers say "jamais jamais" about sulfites, even when their wines were undrinkable... which just doesn't make sense to me) allows Manuel to make wines that are true to his vision and that he is confident in. During a recent tasting, he told us that he wants to make wines that people can serve by the glass, that will be just as good on day two as they are at opening. This is all refreshing to us, and so are the wines! The Tutti Frutti Ananas project is mostly from purchased, organic fruit in Banyuls, and was started in 2017, when Manuel decided he wanted to produce affordable and approachable wines from the area, to compliment his very precious and limited range of wines from the Vinyer de la Ruca project. Vinyer de la Ruca, Manuel's original project, started with a sweet wine that he made for several vintages, before starting to make tiny runs of dry wines, often just 200-300 bottles produced per year! These are small parcels that he tends on steep hills overlooking the Mediteranean. Though logistically very challenging to ship, the bottles are truly special and we are happy to be able to offer a small quantity today, along with a healthier amount of Tutti Frutti wines! 

Domaine Philippe Viret

Philippe Viret, who passed away this year, was a particularly interesting fellow, who formulated and essentially "patented" the concept and practice of Cosmoculture. Pulling from many ancient traditions, Cosmocutlure could be likened to Biodynamics in its respect of lunar patterns and also energy fields and telluric currents. Though it might sound a bit "new-age," it's more accurately a look back to how ancient civilizations observed water sources and planetary movement to inform how, where, and what they would plant. The wines come from the southern Rhone Valley, are aged often for many years in concrete, and are undeniably Rhone wines, with a lot of soul! From their website, they explain a bit about the approach:
 
"For over 20 years, we have been producing wine from Cosmoculture. Our ambition is to make great wines without using oenological inputs and/or by limiting the addition of external products. Our viticultural practices are very demanding, and follow the specifications of Cosmoculture. We have banned all adjustments and additives from our winemaking, with the exception of SO2 with a maximum dose of 20mg/L. We want to promote our terroir, as well as the qualities and know-how of the people who work it."
 
We present three wines from Philippe today (including Mags of the delicious 2016 Cuvée Renaissance!), and honor the great contributions he quietly made to the wine world. I often presented his wines as some of the best examples of "Natural Wines" that could not be categorized like many in the genre. Old-school, rustic, earthy, with textbook varietal characteristics. Customers would complain about a hazy, overly acidic light red that they were served when they asked curiously about natural wines, and I felt it was my responsibility to show them that there is no taste or style that defines a natural wine. Viret's wines were some of my favorite for this, because the conversation was always about purity and a sense of place, never about the sulfites or lack thereof. Rest in Peace, Philippe, and thanks for everything you did and for the great wines that many have shared in good company, to the joy you brought to the world in your own little way. 

La Bohème: Patrick Bouju and Justine Loiseau
 
Located in the village of Glaine-Montaigut in the Auvergne, the south-easternmost appellation of the Loire Valley, Patrick Bouju and Justine Loiseau of La Bohème farm about 5 hectares of vines, most of which are planted to Gamay and Pinot Noir, though some of them are 120-year-old vines of Gamay d’Auvergne: an ancient indigenous variety. These vines are planted in a mixture of very stony soils at the top of the slope with more dense subsoil further downhill at about 500m in elevation. Volcanic basalt-rich soils are intermixed, as is common in the area. Given the fact that Patrick is working organically and practicing minimal intervention in the cellar, they are able to produce healthy grapes that result in fantastically quaff-able wines. 
 
During a visit in 2018, we tasted several wines with Patrick and Justine. The cellar was tiny, and at the time, there was only one 500L barrel of Gamay d'Auvergne! So the story has gone for many years, and you will always hear it about the Auvergne, perhaps as much if not more than the Jura. Grape-growing, especially without the use of antifungals, pesticides and other petro-chemicals, can be quite challenging. Bouju ended up branching out at a certain point, just to be able to have some source of income that was reliable, but today we actually have a decent amount of wine to offer from actual Auvergne fruit! These wines are a treat, usually best if given 6-12 months in the bottle after their arrival to the US (which was recent), and always transmitting a certain lift and spice distinct to the Auvergne.