Champagne Constantine

The vineyard is made up of 5.5 ha, spread over around thirty plots, made up of the three grape varieties of the Champagne appellation: Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Meunier.

The vines are located in four communes in the Marne Valley (2 hectares owned) and in the commune of Villedommange in the Montagne de Reims Premier Cru (3.5 hectares owned).

From pruning to harvesting, most of the work in the vineyard remains manual. Laborious but conclusive, this work thus makes it possible to develop fine and singular champagnes.

Pierre Grandin and Marion Mordelles are the forces behind this Grower House.

Pierre’s viticulture and wine-making heritage goes back to his ancestor Thomas Jardin (1647-1717), the first generation to know this new wine which would eventually be called champagne and which had just been discovered by Dom Pérignon at the Abbey of Hautvillers. He understood very quickly that this product would have a great future and decided to acquire the first plots of vines. It was therefore in Villedommange, on the Montagne de Reims that Simon Jardin (1689-1769) became the family's first winemaker in 1719.

The ‘House’ style - Solarris - is a solera system wine: “Soléra is a vinification method originating from Spain and adopted for several years by certain Champagne winegrowers. It is the opposite of a vintage champagne because this technique consists of assembling different years. Thus, the first year, we fill the tank with the harvest of the year. The following year, the quantity of wine withdrawn is replaced by that of the current year's harvest.

Thus, the wine from a solera always contains part of the first harvest. This method allows the aging of the wine but also a homogenization of the vintages through the vintages, thus respecting the style of the house.”

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC

*FUTURE STAR

Mélanie Pfister

With winemaking experience at Chateaux D’Yquem and Cheval Blanc, as well as at Burgundy heavyweight Méo-Camuzet, Mélanie Pfister is one of the brightest and more exciting young winemaking talents in Alsace today.

She is an 8th-generation winemaker, taking over from her father about 15 years ago.

Based in the village of Dahlenheim, in the northern part of Alsace, just west of Strasbourg, she promptly set about converting her vineyards to organic viticulture, re-branding the labels and generally applying an incredible level of finesse and lightness to her wines.

She was the first non-German to enroll in the ‘Fair n Green’ system - a forward-thinking certification that promotes sustainability and fair business practices in the wine business.

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC

*YOUNG-GUN WINEMAKER

*LONG-LIVED GRAND CRUS

Domaine des Pérégrins

The Moreau family has been farming their own 13 hectares of vines organically for over a decade, though long sold their fruit off to negociants. When Eléonore Moreau took over the vinification in 2016, she insisted on unusually long aging for all the wines, organic certification, and a rigorous attention to work in the vines and the cellar. Eléonore has a rare vision in Chablis, focused on producing exceptional wines while remaining an excellent steward of their land.

The vines were all planted by Eléonore's father, Laurent Moreau, in the early 1980s on land that the family has owned for generations in Poilly-sur-Serein, located in the southeast corner of the Chablis appellation on typical clay-limestone terroir.

The wine is vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and then aged for 12-18 months on the lees in stainless steel, an unusually long time for Chablis, where wines are often released less than six months after harvest. Moreau produces relatively equal quantities of Chablis and Petit Chablis. The wines are produced in the same exact fashion from vineyard to bottle. The difference is the terroir - Petit Chablis is grown on Portlandian limestone, while Chablis comes from Kimmeridgian limestone.

Domaine Buisson-Battault

Exceptional Meursaults!

Francois Buisson’s reputation continues to grow as one of the finest exponents of the Appellation. His wines balance Meursault’s classic richness with taut, zippy acidity and a poised minerality.

The domaine has many old vines planted by Francois’ Grandfather and enviable plots in some of the village’s best vineyards. The sense of pride in the family history is palpable.

The wines are characterized by purity of fruit and high-toned minerality, developing lovely length and expression of ‘terroir’. The wines are fermented and go through Malo in oak, only 20% of which is new. Francois likes to keep the wines in barrique for the first year, then move them to tank. He carries out no bâtonnage in barrique but pumps the fine lees into tank as well as the wine. By gently keeping these in suspension he gets a similar effect to a very gentle bâtonnage and believes the wines add depth and richness during this time.

Buisson-Battault is no longer the insider’s secret it was, known locally as a fine source of Meursault, but little known abroad. His reputation is now growing worldwide, and it is richly deserved.

Domaine Pierre Naigeon

The Domaine Naigeon, though old by even Burgundy standards, remained fairly small until the present generation. Shortly after 1945 Pierre Naigeon gave his name to the domain that is now managed by his grandson, also named Pierre. Until 2005 the domain consisted of two hectares of two grands crus, Charmes-Chambertin and Bonnes-Mares! In 2006, Domaine Pierre Naigeon dramatically increased its size with the addition of 9 hectares of vineyards in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits and Gevrey Chambertin area.

Recently sold, the wines are now being made by Julien Millet, son of Francois Millet, the former winemaker and director at the iconic Domaine Comte de Vogue. Already deemed a future cult wine by those in the know.

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC

*YOUNG GUN WINEMAKER

*HIGHLY ALLOCATED

Maison Marchand-Tawse

The story of the Maison Marchand-Tawse in Burgundy begins with the extraordinary story of Pascal Marchand, the French Canadian boy wonder, who in 1985 at 22 years old, took the reins of the Clos des Epeneaux in Pommard. He became an overnight sensation, and in the process pretty much defined modern Burgundy.

There are several highly thought of modern negociant houses that have emerged in this last generation. Some have outside funding; some are insiders and have connections. Marchand-Tawse is a bit of both. And they are highly respected by their peers and by critics around the world.

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC

*GREAT RANGE OF APPELLATIONS PRODUCED

Grégoire Bichot, Domaine des Clos

When founding his domaine, Grégoire Bichot had but one philosophy: to respect his terroir by farming without herbicides and pesticides, and in doing so, to allow the finest possible expression of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Gregoire is a dyed-in-the-wool Burgundian vigneron who broke off from his family (owners of the large Albert Bichot negociant house) in the early 2000s and founded this domaine which is situated on the outskirts of Nuits-Saint-Georges, and which encompasses holdings in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Beaune, Chorey-les-Beaune, and Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, as well as various tiny negociant bottlings from Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey-Saint-Denis—parcels for which Gregoire oversees both farming and harvesting.

Gregoire works organically—practising since 2005 and certified since 2012—and the wines pulse with the energy of healthy fruit and impeccable vineyard work. In his gorgeous high-ceilinged cellar, Gregoire practices only spontaneous fermentations, allowing even the more basic wines two full winters of ageing and bottling without fining or filtration. These are gutsy, layered wines with striking aromatic presence and phenomenal concentration—and, to boot, the Chablis is hand-harvested (a rarity in the region).

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC

*FUTURE STAR

*HIGHLY AGE-WORTHY WINES

Savennières

Nicolas Joly (Coulée de Serrant)

Planted in the 12th century by the Cistercian monks, the domaine experienced successive owners and much renown until it was bought by the Joly family in 1962. Nicolas Joly only took over the estate in 1977 when he was drawn home by his innate desire to make wine after several years spent working for JP Morgan in New York and Canada. After studying at Bordeaux University and experimenting with conventional methods, he witnessed disappointing results, so began to rethink. In 1981, he stumbled across a book by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner who in 1924 theorised about the holistic approach to agriculture which became known as ‘Biodynamics’. Seduced by these ideas, Nicolas started applying the Biodynamic principles at the Coulee de Serrant and the results were very promising. The whole domaine was under biodynamic principles from 1984 and was fully certified in 1985. After years of perseverance and hard work, he finally got the recognition from the public and the experts.

Nowadays, Nicolas is the spearhead of biodynamic viticulture in France. With 7 hectares planted on steep slopes along the Loire River in the Savennières appellation, Clos de la Coulée de Serrant is one of the greatest wine estates of the Loire valley.

Joly’s prime emphasis is on living forces, and the correct timing of viticultural interventions. “The soil has to be alive.”

*ICON WINERY

*HIGHLY ALLOCATED/RARE

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC/BIODYNAMIC

Nantes

Domaine de La Foliette - Muscadet Specialists

Denis Brosseau and Eric Vincent, who have worked together twenty five years, share their passion and expertise to create a range of Muscadet wines with very definite tastes.

The vines have been omnipresent in the Loire Valley since Roman Times (around 276 A.D., in the times of the Emperor Probus). At “la Foliette”, the oldest documents date back to 1635 and mention the exchange of vine plots of a white grape variety, which proves the previous existence of wine growing on this Domaine.

Today, the grapes come from vines planted on mica-schist soils on several plots of the La Haye Foussière, Haute Goulaine and Vertou vineyards.

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC

*HIGHLY SUSTAINABLE (TERRA VITIS CERTIFIED; HAUT VALEUR ENVIRONMENTAL)

*HISTORIC ESTATE WITH VERY OLD VINES

*VIGNERON INDEPENEDENT

Our range of Bordeaux wines is always evolving.

We always keep in stock a variety of wines at every price point - entry level to rare and collectable. Please contact us for an up-to-date list.

All our Bordeaux is stored in temperature-controlled storage, and the provenance of the rare wines is always verified before we purchase them.

Chateaux that we work closely or exclusively with:

Bordeaux Supérieur

Chateau La Loubière,

The Teycheney family has been owning Chateau La Loubiere for six generations. The wines are made by the father and son team of Jean-Claude and Jean-Francois Berrouet of Chateau Petrus.

This is a high-quality, great-value red Bordeaux that punches way above its weight in terms of its price. Merlot-driven, this is a wonderfully juicy yet firm style that even shows a potential to age. Average vine-age for this wine is 40 years.

AOP Blaye - Cotes de Bordeaux

Chateau Haut Grelot

Château Haut-Grelot was established in 1920 in the village of Les Grelots by the Bonneau family. Today the property is comprised of 58 hectares of vineyards and is run by Céline and Julien, who have been awarded the title of "Best Young Talent" in Bordeaux. The vineyards lie on sandy-gravel hillsides bordering the Gironde Estuary and on clay-silt further inland. Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux benefits from an ideal microclimate where there is a high level of sunshine and just enough rain. The reds are fruity and concentrated and the whites are fresh, vibrant and delicate. The white, which is 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon, is elegant and crisp with exotic grapefruit aromas. The red is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and is rich and plummy with silky tannins.

Fronsac

Chateau Les Trois Croix

Chateau Les Trois Croix dates back to at least 1712 when the large stone tower was carved and inscribed Trois Croix, which is translated to three crosses. However, we start paying attention to the property after Patrick Leon purchases the vineyard in 1995.

Prior to taking over Les Trois Croix in 1995, Patrick Leon was the winemaker for Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac. Sadly, Patrick Leon passed away in 2018. Today, the property is managed by his son, Bertrand Leon. In 2020, Les Trois Croix finished their renovation and modernization of the their barrel cellar and bottling room.

The 20 hectare Right Bank vineyard of Chateau Les Trois Croix is planted to 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The terroir is limestone and clay soils. The vineyard is well placed at the peak of the Fronsac appellation with an elevation of 87 meters at its high point. They have old vines here. In fact, they still maintain a parcel of vines that was planted in the 1940’s.

Domaine Pey Blanc

The Pey Blanc estate is a gem in the Aix-en-Provence wine-growing landscape. It has been a family-owned estate since 1930, and under the management of energetic winemaker Gabriel Giusiano since 2004.

Gabriel often talks about “preserving the terroir, listening to the vines and remaining attentive to their equilibrium” as he seeks to strike a balance between the elegance and freshness of his wines.

The best methods involve simply respecting the terroir’s potential and carefully training the vines for winemaking.

*HIGHLY-SUSTAINABLE WINE-MAKING

*CLASSIC PROVENCAL ROSÉ

Domaine de la Rectorie

Banyuls is just down the road from Collioure and, whereas one is more famous for red and one for white, they both share the same extraordinary beauty, with a luminous Mediterranean backdrop framing natural bays with steep sea-facing vineyards and balmy breezes. Domaine de la Rectorie, run by the Parce family.

The Parce brothers are children of Banyuls (first trace of the family dated 1635) who with tenacity and dedication placed their Domaine De La Rectorie in the pantheon of Banyuls. The family knows how to isolate and sublimate the diversity of the terroirs of Banyuls, on varied exposures and altitudes. Local grape varieties are in good place: Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Grenache for the reds, Grenache gris and white for the whites. In the Collioure appellation, the wines benefit from the freshness of the sea to display a beautiful balance and a sharp acidity, especially on the whites. The reds also display finesse, elegance and freshness.

*ICONIC ESTATE

*100+ YEAR-OLD VINES

Domaine Leon Barral

Didier Barral, natural vigneron, became the 13th generation of his family in 1990 to farm his family estate in the hamlet of Lenthéric in the Languedoc. From the beginning of his career he was sensitive to biodynamics and biodiversity in general. But his estate is vast – 35 hectares – so Didier had to find solutions to be able to naturally fertilise his soil, manage weeds and grasses, etc. So what was his all-in-one solution? A cow, or rather a herd of them – Jersiases (an Anglo-Normand breed), which graze in his vine rows from October to April.

In the winery: the vinifications are done without sulphur, and are generally hands-off, non-interventionist in spirit. The natural cellar, made without concrete or cement, but rather carved into a hillside of shale rock, provides stable temperatures all year long. It’s an old-fashioned construction, and not entirely watertight (rain often trickles in) – but it’s all part of the return to nature that earned this man such respect – and his wines such renown.

*ICON WINE

*CERTIFEID ORGANIC+BIODYNAMIC

*HISTORIC WINERY/VERY OLD VINES