Organic and Biodynamic

The "second wine" here, the 2016 Le Petit Clos is a very different blend from the 2015; it is now mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with just 4% Merlot and 1% Carménère, while last year it was almost half Carménère. The vineyards are now certified in organic and biodynamic agriculture. The bunches were hand-destemmed, and the grapes fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and a six-week maceration. Malolactic was in barrique, and the élevage happened as follows: the wine spent seven months in new French barriques, and then 71% of the volume was transferred to French oak barriques (22% new and 49% second year), while the rest of the wine was put in oak vats. The élevage was 23 months in total. With the change in varieties, this feels very different from the Clos Apalta—more Cabernet here and more Carménère there. The nose is elegant and nuanced, with herbs, spices and a core of ripe red and black fruit, quite varietal and with integrated oak. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with round tannins and vibrant acidity, making it long and supple.

The "second wine" here, the 2016 Le Petit Clos is a very different blend from the 2015; it is now mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with just 4% Merlot and 1% Carménère, while last year it was almost half Carménère. The vineyards are now certified in organic and biodynamic agriculture. The bunches were hand-destemmed, and the grapes fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and a six-week maceration. Malolactic was in barrique, and the élevage happened as follows: the wine spent seven months in new French barriques, and then 71% of the volume was transferred to French oak barriques (22% new and 49% second year), while the rest of the wine was put in oak vats. The élevage was 23 months in total. With the change in varieties, this feels very different from the Clos Apalta—more Cabernet here and more Carménère there. The nose is elegant and nuanced, with herbs, spices and a core of ripe red and black fruit, quite varietal and with integrated oak. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with round tannins and vibrant acidity, making it long and supple.

Dom. Des Trinités L'Etranger Cinsault 2019, VdF "Fresh red-berried nose. Hurrah! Here is another Languedoc producer who 'gets' Cinsault. Perky, bright, raspberries and with that lovely telltale Cinsault salty-sweet tang that always reminds me of the best prosciutto or jamon. A bit of white pepper and ground cumin tangled into feather-light sinews of tannin. This is absolutely YUM. Tapas/aperitivo wine, without a doubt. I could drink this all summer long." 17/20 Dom. Des Trinités L'imaginaire Roussanne 2019 IGP d'Oc "100% Roussanne planted on their highest vineyards, a steep north-facing slope in the foothills of the Cévennes mountains. Isolated vineyards surrounded by herbaceous shrub and woodland on schist and basalt boulders. Hand-picked at 20-25 hl/ha, Five days' on skins then 48 hours of cold settling before racking. Spontaneous fermentation, no enzymes, no fining, minimal sulphur and sulphites. Carbon dioxide nap used to avoid oxidation. Smells of mimosa and cold pebbles. So tight it's as if the fruit has been hot-waxed onto the palate. Wild, wild fruit and flowers, all hedgerow and fields. Iodine and salt, dust and dry bricks, saffron and yuzu. So much texture it's like licking chalk-dusted rose petals. Fascinating wine, that changes as you sit with it, like sunset dropped into a kaleidoscope, like light on water. Masses of undertow, savoury and sweet." 17/20 Reviews from jancisrobinson.com Dom. Des Trinités Les Deves Pezenas 2015 Carignan 85% Grenache Noir 15% The old vine Carignan delivers bags of bramble and spice. Deep and rich in texture – a classic Languedoc wine in a refined style.

Possibly the best value expression of Gewurztraminer in the world. Simply beautiful.

A classic dry estate Riesling from Olivier Humbrecht. Mineral and taut to start off with, this wine really opens up in the glass. Fresh, floral, peachy, exciting.

Without a doubt one of the most remarkable Gewurztraminer's in production today. None of that sickly, confected, Turkish delight aromas here. This wine is pure, focussed, driven, and mineral with an intense finish reminiscent of freshly spat out lychee stones. Phenomenal.

Fruit from Goldert Grand Cru. Not the typical overt Gewurztraminer style on the nose but the fruit absolutely explodes on the front palate. It’s forward and tropical but then there is some pleasing smokiness and reserve on finish. Totally different. Vibrant, varied, and flamboyant.

The soils of Goldert Grand Cru and Jurassic limestone marl, the same as in southern Jura. This is a stunning wine. Floral, pretty, aromas at first, then a hint of peach yoghurt, and a final menthol, eucalyptus whiff. On the palate alongside these explosive flavours there is some charming toastiness and salinity. This salinity goes hand in hand with the acidity to create a wine of precision and balance. The Goldert Muscat has remarkable ageing potential. We were lucky enough to taste the 1964 at the winery. An intriguing, dry, salty wine, but charming all the same. The nose was complex with petrol-like characters, wormwood, orange pith, polish, camphor, and sweet spice. The palate was bone dry, and though the fruit had faded, the wine still had great persistence with a gentle acidity swathe of acidity running all the way through. Tasted at the Domaine March 2020, AA

Heavy soils of Oligocen and limestone marl with a high lime and iron content. Steep south and west facing vineyard. This vineyard was planted just before the estate’s conversion to biodynamics which has caused headaches since with planting style. Clean, herbal, citrus, lime, grapefruit, and bitter orange aromas. Powdery, chalky texture on the palate. Super high acidity. Citrus dominant palate; lime and grapefruit. Long. Persistent. Tasted at the Domaine March 2020, AA

Tasted at the Domaine March 2020 "Slight rosiness to the colour. A very different wine. Meaty, savoury aromas. A broad, fleshy palate, yet precise with no oiliness. It’s almost beyond any Pinot Gris I’ve ever tasted. A touch of florality on the finish brings the wine back in to line. Refreshing and foody." AA

Rangen de Thann is one of the most Southerly vineyards of Alsace. Volcanic soils, and vertiginous slopes. This site is so difficult to work it requires that estate to employ four full time staff for just 5.5ha! This wine fermented to full dryness in just 3 weeks. No MLF. Elegant, floral, charming. Savoury, smoky, bright. Hot, and dormant.

Rangen de Thann is one of the most Southerly vineyards of Alsace. Volcanic soils, and vertiginous slopes. This site is so difficult to work it requires that estate to employ four full time staff for just 5.5ha! "Very closed. Smoky, lees-y, saline. The fruit is very reserved right now and lacks some density. There’s texture, tannin, and heat. These vines produce very small, tiny berries giving a greater ratio skin to pulp, hence the sensation of tannin on the palate. This wine is all structure at the moment." Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)

Planted 1972-4. 1.2ha just below Hengst Grand Cru. Touch of bottle shock. Broader, more concentrated aromatics. Slightly savoury spice and musky flowers. Rather like a Gruner Veltliner. Saline and savoury on the palate, but with some plump fruit too (8.2g/l RS). The fruit concentration seems to be in a crescendo. Brooding. Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)

As the name indicates, all the vineyards are located on the poor granitic soils of the Brand hillside. It is in fact the second wine of the Grand Cru Brand. These precocious and warm granitic soils produce wines that have a vertical structure, always expressive at a young age and never shy on their aromatic potential. Tasted at the Domaine March 2020: "Fruit from Brand Grand Cru. Pretty much a declassified second wine. Soils here are biotype pink granite. This wine comes from seven parcels: two planted 1947-49, three planted in the early 1980s, and two planted about 20yrs ago under biodynamics. New release. It seems like there’s a bit of bottle shock here. It’s rather muted at the moment. There is some fleshier fruit on the palate, and it is absolutely bone dry. Bitter fruits. Pithy. Smoky finish. ." AA

The estate is seeing a dry Pinot Gris renaissance at the moment - terroir driven, versatile wines, but not as high acidity or ‘intellectual’ as Riesling. The Roche range really does represent remarkable value. The fruit for the Roche Calcaire wines comes from young vines in Clos Windsbuhl. But at Zind Humbrecht when they say ‘young vines’ what they mean is an average age of 35-40yo vines, rather than 85-90yo! In many other regions this wine would be classed Vieilles Vignes! Only just released, this Pinot Gris was quite closed when we tasted it. Pinot Gris ferments quickly making reduction more likely. There are notes of bitter almond and apple skin. On the palate the wine is fleshy, with an fine underlying acid structure. At the moment it may seem a little austere and difficult, but this wine still has a long way to go. Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)

The Roche Volcanique range is younger vines from Rangen de Thann. This wine has 9.6g/l residual sugar. An immediate whiff on gunflint hints at a touch of reduction. The palate is soft at first, with pure ripe fruit to the fore. It tastes floral. There’s reserved acidity and slightly lifted alcohol. The lightly acidic soil makes wines with higher pH. It’s moreish, charming, long, and thoroughly enjoyable now. Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)

Fruit from Goldert Grand Cru. Not the typical overt Gewurztraminer style on the nose but the fruit absolutely explodes on the front palate. It’s forward and tropical but then there is some pleasing smokiness and reserve on finish. Totally different. Vibrant, varied, and flamboyant. Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)

Instant Gewurztraminer appeal. Pure, punchy, and perfumed. Pink grapefruit and wet stones. Lifted and round with a wonderful linear backbone of acidity throughout. No oiliness. Rather intangible on the finish. Upfront but then reserved. Remarkable. Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)

Rangen de Thann is one of the most Southerly vineyards of Alsace. Volcanic soils, and vertiginous slopes. This site is so difficult to work it requires that estate to employ four full time staff for just 5.5ha! A golden pinky colour. Very savoury on the nose. Washed rind cheese. Floral, honied, advanced. Very tertiary. Burnt acacia honey, membrillo, yellow apple skins, peaty medicine. Suddenly there is freshness, length, and depth. Hugely layered. Less rich then 2012, but more than 2017. Pure, crystalline, developed. Plateauing. Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)

Deep golden colour. Well developed and well aged whilst also seeming clean and fresh. Unctuous botrytis balanced by bright acidity. Fragrant and smoky. Not cloying at all. Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)

Phenomenal aromatics. Honied, polished, savoury, smoky. So layered. Like the freshly spat out stones of super ripe lychees. Not the fruit, but the stone. Then there’s a note similar to high acidity coffee or cacao. Musk, almond kernels, and something animal. Intensely long. Moreish. Stunning. Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)

Grand Cru Brand overlooks the village of Turckheim where Dom. Zind-Humbrecht are based. These are special steep granite soils. 2014 was an absolutely phenomenal vintage for Brand. A wine of opulent aromas - white fruit, acacia, and a whiff of smoke. The wine coats the palate, revealing great depth, complexity, and length. Racy and dry on the finish. For keeping.

A superb off-dry Prosecco alternative produced exclusively for the UK market by Eva Plazas, the ever dynamic winemaker at Vilarnau Cava. Produced from a blend of indigenous grape varieties, Macabeo, Parellada and Subirat Parent, aromatic primary fruits on the nose lead to a palate with excellent balance between acidity and sweetness. Using the highly aromatic and rare Subirat Parent grape as part of the dosage (15g/l) is inspired.

This Claret is fresh and balanced. The blend is Merlot-based and the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months, giving a nice aroma of spice and wood smoke. The palate is fleshy with a hint of plum, the tannins fine and firm, leading to a generous finish. Drink now to 2029

2nd Wine of Ch Laroque, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé. Made of 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc from vines more than 50 years old, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Les Tours de Laroque opens with pretty raspberry coulis, black cherries and warm plums scents with underlying fungi, black loam and cracked pepper hints plus a touch of beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and fresh, with a firm line of grainy tannins, it delivers a graceful, earthy finish.

Monthelie is a sleepy appellation just outside Meursault, famed for good value wines. This example accords to the Prunier-Bonheur style of silky/creamy texture and nuanced savouriness. Delicate, evolved, charming, hints of nutmeg and orange peel. No need to decant or aerate, a ready-to-drink treat. Organic.

Jancis of the 13 "Relatively dense and sweet. Lots to get your teeth into here. Lots of charm. Definitely Côte d’Or and really Very Good Value" All the classic notes of nut oil, vanilla, dry honey. Very classy. Famed organic Meursault grower. Monthelie is just yards from Meursault.

A blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this full bodied and opulent wine is a real blockbuster. 92 points Tim Atkin

The Guimberteau family has owned the Château Franc-Baudron estate since 1923. This is a vineyard on a human scale where each generation has left its footprint on the family heritage. Since 2010, the new generation of Château Franc-Baudron has embarked on an environmental approach by converting the entire vineyard to organic farming. The area hosts bee-hives, uses plants for treatments (horsetail, nettle and ferns) and seeds flowers to encourage biodiversity of wildlife in the vines. They have begun implementing new winemaking techniques by using minimal inputs to express at its best the nature of the grapes and the type of soil. Most of the family’s plots of Montagne Saint-Emilion are located on a clay-limestone plateau. Bright and intense in colour with aroams of blackcurrant, blackberry and oak notes.Well balanced, powerful and velvety.

Succulent, off-dry Chenin Blanc with ripe peach and red apple fruit, good weight in the mouth, and an elegant dry finish.