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Importer of fine wine from France and Italy. Established 1972 | Berkeley, CA
Featured Producer
Domaine Maestracci
High in the foothills of Monte Grossu mountain, inland from Calvi, lies the granite plateau of Reginu, an area long known for U Vinu di E Prove – the wine of the Prove, as the micro-climate is known. The particularity of the plateau is the exposition to hot and dry daytime temperatures with high altitude cool nights, all within a short distance from the sea and regular maritime winds. The plateau has been continuously used for vine and olive growing for centuries, and was once the site of a major olive pressing operation that supplied a large part of France with its olive oil. In 1945, when the owner of the olive oil mill packed up and moved his operation to colonial Algeria in search of bigger land and greater profits, Roger Maestracci saw a golden opportunity and moved in. The departing olive oil baron had left behind a massive concrete structure with walls so thick the air inside stayed cool year round. Originally used to house the mill and the pressed oil, Roger adapted the structure for old wooden casks and concrete tanks and set about replanting vines on the property. Within a few years the domaine had established a firm reputation in the area and when it came time for Roger to retire in the early 1980’s he passed along the reins of the domaine to his son-in-law, Michel Raoust, who has since handed over the winemaking and winery management to his daughter, Camille-Anaïs Raoust. Given the particularity of the terroir and the diverse influence of the temperature variations and granite soils, Camille allows the red an extended time to age and mellow before release, at least two years in large oak casks, while the white is bottled young to maintain the freshness and iodized ocean breeze of the terroir. The wines Camille makes are quintessential Mediterranean food wines.Thierry Germain
The rendering of Thierry Germain by renowned French wine artist Michel Tolmer that appears on most of Thierry’s labels is the perfect image to capture the essence of his accomplishment. A tall and imposing presence, physically and intellectually, Thierry casts a long shadow. His vines, old, wise, and vibrantly healthy thanks to biodynamic viticulture, cast an imposing shadow themselves. They meet in a symbolic embrace of perfect connection, each feeding off the other’s energy.Thierry’s domaine, Roches Neuves, whose vineyards are planted in the Saumur (Blanc) and Saumur-Champigny (Rouge) appellations, has rightfully become one of the greatest examples of high achievement in biodynamic vine growing in France. We put him up there with the greats: Abbatucci in Corsica, Ganevat in the Jura, Ostertag in Alsace. His total dedication to site specific wines produced from Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc, his “parcellaires,” has produced some of the most exciting wines in the Loire Valley today.
Thierry relocated to the Loire from Bordeaux in the early 1990s, and soon fell under the influence of his spiritual father, Charly Foucault of Clos Rougeard. Thierry would ultimately convert his entire domaine to biodynamic viticulture, which was the equivalent of his wine epiphany. Listening and observing his plants, allowing them to guide him, revolutionized his way of thinking. Thierry harvests on the relatively early side to preserve fresh, vibrant fruit. His goal is to produce Cabernet with purity, finesse, and drinkability, while avoiding rusticity, vegetal character, and hard tannins. When it comes to his Chenin, he makes bone dry, high acid, mineral wines that drink like Chablis young and take on weight slowly over time. Aging takes place in large oval foudres (for the whites) and round foudres and demi-muids (for the reds) in Thierry’s frigid tuffeau cellars below his winery in Varrains. His incredibly diverse terroirs are translated with utter clarity and precision.
While most of Thierry’s bottlings bear the Roches Neuves name, others include the name of his long-time associate and vineyard manager at the domaine, Michel Chevré, who purchased some of his own vineyards with Thierry’s encouragement. These wines are followed by Thierry, Michel, and their team (biodynamically of course) from vine to cellar and vinified at Roches Neuves in Varrains.
Pierre Gonon
Pierre Gonon farmed some of the best slopes of Mauves, in the very heart—and the historical birthplace—of the Saint-Joseph appellation. In 1988, he turned direction of the property over to his sons, Jean and Pierre. This friendly, talented team of brothers has since earned a reputation as the domaine of Saint-Joseph.This section of the western bank of the Rhône boasts a long history of viticulture and winemaking. Grown on stone terraces dating back to Roman times, le vin de Mauves—a term coined by Jesuits in the 17th century— featured prominently on prestigious tables throughout France and beyond, even enjoying a mention in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. When Saint-Joseph gained AOC status in 1956, the area under vine was very small, centered around the villages of Mauves, Tournon, and Saint-Jean-de-Muzols. The steep, east- and southeast-facing slopes here create what is nearly a mirror image to the fabled hill of Hermitage directly across the Rhône. In fact, the two appellations sit on the same granite bedrock formation, bisected by the river's flowing waters to create the topography we see today.
In 1971, the Saint-Joseph appellation was significantly expanded, bridging the gap between Cornas to the south and Côte-Rôtie in the north. The vast increase in acreage included lesser sites on flatter land, and many over-cropped, forgettable wines soon followed. The Gonon brothers break this paradigm completely, as they both farm and vinify in the old-school style. They work their ten hectares of land entirely by hand, the steep grade and narrow spacing making mechanization impossible in most parcels. Their vines are trained in the traditional échalas method, with a single stake per vine, and they do not trim the shoots. While the Gonons have been farming organically since 2004—without any chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides, and using all-natural composts—they obtained certification in 2013. Their low-yielding vineyards span the three original communes of Saint-Joseph, sitting on poor, well-draining granite and gneiss soils, including old-vine parcels purchased from the famous Raymond Trollat, now retired, in 2006. Vineyards are replanted with sélection massale cuttings from their strongest vines to perpetuate healthy rootstock and ensure genetic diversity. Once in the cellar, they ferment the wines traditionally in open, oak vats, with regular punch-downs by foot. The reds see a high proportion of stem inclusion, traditional in the region, and show classic aromatics of black olive, violets, and game with a great capacity for ageing. The Gonon brothers' wines are gutsy and wild, while still showing the freshness and delicacy typical of the appellation.
Domaine Leon Barral
Didier Barral represents the thirteenth generation to grow grapes in the tiny hamlet of Lenthéric, within the confines of the Faugères appellation deep in the heart of the Languedoc. While his forebears made a living off of cultivating the vine, Didier took the family business to the next level when he began estate-bottling and commercializing his wines on a larger scale in 1993. Named for Didier's grandfather, Domaine Leon Barral is a beacon of revolutionary winegrowing: shortly after founding the domaine, Didier decided that biodynamic practices were the best choice for farming his thirty hectares of vineyards. He has pioneered numerous innovative agronomic techniques with the goal of establishing his vineyards as a self-sustaining ecosystem. This Renaissance man, naturalist, and biodynamic maven commands tremendous respect among his peers for his visionary approach to topics like soil management, pest control, and drought mitigation in his vineyards.Incorporating biodynamic practices necessitates enormous investment and an uncompromising work ethic. With so much land to farm, it is fortunate that Didier has so much help. His workers of choice? A team of twenty cows, horses, and pigs that roam the vineyards during winter, grazing the cover crops while adding natural fertilizer to the soil. Without compacting the earth the way a tractor would, the animals effectively cultivate healthy microbial activity, bringing mushrooms, ants, ladybugs, earthworms, and other essential life forms, which add important nutrients while aerating the soil. This is the concept of sustainability at its finest, where the ecosystem thrives from the symbiotic relationships Didier has fostered amid the vines.
This approach ultimately translates to tremendously powerful, complex, and age-worthy wines inflected with an earthy mineral note from the schist soils of Faugères. Most of Didier’s vines get full southern sun exposure; in this Mediterranean climate where summer heat waves and drought are constant during the growing season, pruning in the gobelet style shelters the grapes from the blistering sun. Most of his vines are very old—some up to ninety years of age—keeping yields naturally low. Once in the cellar, Didier’s harvest is cared for with the same zeal, although he would consider the wine all but finished once it leaves the vineyard. This level of artisanship was once nearly extinct, had it not been for Didier and the profound influence he is having over other viticulteurs who now see how his work ethic and ideology translates to results.
Domaine Les Hauts Lieux
Loire native Mickaël Olivon often traveled to the southern Alps in his youth to go rock climbing, but little did he know he would eventually make his home in the shadows of these dramatic peaks to become a vigneron. Raised on the rural outskirts of Nantes, he was exposed early on to the country tradition of growing and transforming his own food—his grandfather and mother taught him how to make pâtés, jams, and other preserves—but wine was never part of the story. Despite having no family ties to the wine world, Mickaël always had a fascination with viticulture. He felt drawn to the idea of creating a product from scratch, managing the entire process from start to finish, so he moved to Burgundy to pursue studies in viticulture and enology.Upon receiving his degree, Mickaël sought vinification experience through numerous internships in cellars in France and abroad. He then worked for ten years as an agronomic consultant in the northern Rhône, allowing for formative exchanges with a number of reputable vignerons. Later, on a year-long bicycle trek through the Alps and beyond, Mickaël learned more about the challenges of viticulture in extreme terroirs. This journey of self-discovery further inspired him to settle in the mountains, sparking ideas for a future project of his own.
The seed planted years prior finally sprouted in 2019. Charles-Henri Tavernier, an eccentric artisan who pioneered natural winemaking in the remote Hautes-Alpes, was retiring, and Mickaël would take over. He had worked the harvest with Tavernier in 2016 and looked up to the old man whose life path mirrored his own: a transplant to the Alps drawn to the mountains, graced with a spirit of independence that led him to build something from the ground up and succeed against all odds.
The domaine sits above the town of Embrun in the Hautes-Alpes département, between the Alpine city of Gap and the French-Italian border. At the far north of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, the area enjoys a continental climate with strong Mediterranean influence, more similar to Alto Adige than neighboring Savoie or Provence. In fact, the Hautes-Alpes are distinct from both the Provence and Savoie wine regions, in terms of terroir as well as their winemaking traditions. “You need to have a pioneering spirit to make wine here,” says Mickaël, pointing out that local wines have rarely ever been produced on a commercial scale (even today, just a handful of small domaines call this area home). As a result, a hodgepodge mix of grapes—hybrids and transplants from other regions—are found on these Alpine slopes, with Mollard being the only true native. Mickaël has already begun replanting with varieties he feels are better adapted to the mountain terroir, including Savagnin, Pinot Noir, and Persan.
Mickaël’s 2.5 hectares (including new plantings yet to begin producing) are scattered across several tiny parcels on soils of glacial moraine and rocky scree at 900-1,000 meters above sea level. While the dry air at this elevation facilitates organic farming, the Alpine conditions present a number of new viticultural challenges. Vintage effects are amplified due to the unpredictable weather, but the diverse mix of grape varieties—often co-planted old vines—provide some protection from climatic mishaps. He prunes late to mitigate the risk of frost that runs well into May, and he does not trim the vine shoots to protect the fruit from summer hailstorms. “Optimization is key,” he asserts, highlighting how conventional grape-growing wisdom does not always apply in this extreme setting.
Armed with strong convictions from his many years of experience—among them, a distaste for herbicides and a penchant for sulfur-free vinification—Mickaël produces two whites and two reds from his little cellar nestled beneath magnificent snow-capped summits. With little winemaking precedent in this uncharted region, he is free to follow his instincts, adapting his methods to create something completely novel in a beautiful, but challenging environment. Mickaël’s cuvées are original wines of purity and class, characterized by floral aromatics, bright, fresh fruit, and stony minerality from these Alpine slopes. Born from the most unlikely of places, these unique wines illustrate heroic viticulture at its finest.
Nicole Chanrion
When Nicole Chanrion began her career in the 1970s, convention relegated women to the enology labs and kept them out of the cellars—even her mother thought winemaking was man’s work—but she would not be deterred from her dream of becoming a vigneronne. With six generations of family tradition preceding her, she grew up helping her father in both the vineyards and the cellar in the Côte-de-Brouilly, one of the southernmost crus of the northern Beaujolais. Though she is mild-mannered and slight of build, her determination and conviction have consistently defied all doubts. Ever since taking over the family domaine in 1988, she works all 6.5 hectares entirely by herself, from pruning the vineyards and driving the tractors to winemaking and bottling, all without bravado or fanfare. In 2000 she became president of the Côte-de-Brouilly appellation, a position of respect and importance among peers. It’s small wonder then that she is affectionately referred to as “La Patronne de la Côte,” or the Boss of la Côte.The Côte-de-Brouilly appellation sits on the hillsides of Mont Brouilly, a prehistoric volcano that left blue schist stones and volcanic rock along its slopes. These stones yield structured wines with pronounced minerality and great aging potential. After her formal training at the viticultural school in Beaune Nicole began working at a her family’s domaine and gained a deeper appreciation of the traditional winemaking techniques of the Beaujolais: hand harvesting, whole cluster fermentation, aging the wines in large oak foudres for at least nine months, and bottling unfiltered. The resulting wines are powerful, with loads of pure fruit character and floral aromas.
Château Ducasse
Hervé Dubourdieu’s easy charm and modest disposition are complemented by his focus and ferocious perfectionism. He prefers to keep to himself, spending most of his time with his family in his modest, tasteful home, surrounded by his vineyards in the Sauternes and Graves appellations. Roûmieu-Lacoste, situated in Haut Barsac, originates from his mother’s side of the family, dating back to 1890. He also owns Château Graville-Lacoste and Château Ducasse, where he grows grapes for his Graves Blanc and Bordeaux Blanc, respectively. In the words of Dixon Brooke, “Hervé is as meticulous a person as I have encountered in France’s vineyards and wineries. Everything is kept in absolutely perfect condition, and the wines showcase the results of this care – impeccable.” Hervé is incredibly hard on himself. Despite the pedigree and complexity of the terroir and the quality of the wines, he has never been quite satisfied to rest on his laurels, always striving to outdo himself. This is most evident in his grape-sorting process for the Sauternes. Since botrytis is paramount to making great Sauternes, he employs the best harvesters available, paying them double the average wage to discern between the “noble rot,” necessary to concentrate the sugars for Sauternes, and deleterious rot. Hervé is so fastidious that he will get rid of a whole basket of fruit if a single grape with the harmful rot makes it in with healthy ones to be absolutely sure to avoid even the slightest contamination. Another thing that we love about Hervé is that he would rather entrust the selling to us than be away from his vines, so he lets us buy the lion’s share of his production. This is an important factor in keeping wine of this quality at so low a price.Roûmieu-Lacoste is in the climat of Haut Barsac, an area famous (and in fact more renowned historically than the Sauternes appellation as a whole) for its particularly robust, powerfully styled moelleux with pronounced acidity. The vineyards are just across the road from First Growth Château Climens on a similar soil: calcareous clay on fissured rock, peppered with red iron, white limestone, and grey flint gravel. The Graville-Lacoste property produces a Graves Blanc, known primarily for its stony soil composition and fresh minerality. This wine and the Bordeaux Blanc of Château Ducasse are very different from others from their appellations: Hervé blends a high proportion of Sémillon (60%) and a splash of Muscadelle (5%) with Sauvignon Blanc (35%), creating a rich, full, aromatic mid-palate to complement the clean finish. These are the perfect go-to whites that pair well with anything from fish to poultry, picnic fare to Indian curries.
Château de Bellevue
The good-natured proprietor of the Château de Bellevue, André Chatenoud, seems more at home in his cellars than anywhere else. Though he and his family have owned the property since 1971, the history of the château dates back to at least the 18th Century. One needs only to explore the incredible limestone caves and see the rich range of old graffiti engravings to be impressed: from harvest workers of the 1700s to American G.I.’s of the 1940s, so many of its visitors have been eager to mark their place in time through the walls of this small yet refined estate. Like other châteaux of the region, the winery is adorned with the elegant architecture of the era - the “chartreuse bordelaise.” This typical 18th century edifice is built in a U-shape, using quarried stone from under the vineyard. It is very practical: you make a living from the upper layers of soil and build your house from the deeper limestone.Lussac St-Émilion is found on the Right Bank of the Bordelais, and is often regarded as a “satellite” appellation of St-Émilion. The terroir here is characterized by exceptional quality – only surprising because the great, low prices here at Bellevue stand to shift the perceptions of what good Bordeaux should cost. All twelve hectares of the clay and limestone vineyards are farmed organically and were certified through the French agency, Ecocert in 2002. All grapes are de-stemmed and only native yeasts are used. Wines are aged in the subterranean cellars for two years before bottling. There is a beautiful mineral components and freshness to all three wines: The Sauvignon Gris (a local, white, heirloom varietal), the Lussac St-Émilion “Les Griottes” (a fresh, easy-drinking cuvée of 100% Merlot), and finally their classic Lussac St-Émilion (comprised of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc). Recent tastings of Bellevue’s 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2005 vintages prove that one need not pay a high premium for age-worthy, elegant Bordeaux. With such lushness and mineral backbone, this small estate’s offerings only stand to impress.
Domaine Coche-Dury
One need only speak of Meursault to evoke a myriad of questions regarding the village’s resident icon, Jean-François Coche. He began working in the family vineyards alongside his father, Georges, at the age of fourteen, becoming the third generation of Coches to tend these vines. His marriage to Odile Dury in 1975 added to the family holdings, which lead to the formation of Domaine Coche-Dury. Since then, the enigmatic, modest, Jean-François has only reluctantly accepted the celebrity status of his wines. When asked, he would be most likely say that it is rigor, constant vigilance, and adherence to old-school tradition that makes the wines so special. Jean-François’ heritage seems more closely linked to the studious, farmer-monks that once propagated this area of Burgundy during the Middle Ages than to the stocky Gauls of lore, as his work style is almost hermetical. When Kermit, Coche’s biggest single client, calls for a rendezvous, he is always told, “Only in the evening when I come back from the vines.” Today, his son, Raphaël, has taken the reins with his wife, Charline, and the two continue the family tradition with great reverence.The Coches farm almost nine hectares of vineyards on minuscule parcels over six communes: Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Auxey-Duresses, Monthelie, and Volnay. Approximately half of their holdings are situated around their hometown of Meursault, with their parcels of Bourgogne surrounding the home and winery. Though they are best known for their Chardonnay, they also bottle six exquisite Pinot Noirs. No clones of any kind are planted—an absolute rarity in Burgundy, where cold, humid winters, spontaneous springtime hail storms, and harvest rains all make farming a challenge. Once in the cellar, vinifications are long and traditional, with extended lees contact. This extra time on the lees prevents oxidation and works in tandem with the terrific freshness his grapes achieve. A good proportion of new wood is used, not to influence the taste of the wine, but rather to extend the cellar-aging potential of these pedigreed wines and to serve as a clean slate for perfect fruit. Coche believes strongly that the white wines of Burgundy should have nerve, and his are never among the ripest or highest in alcohol of his colleagues. It is their vibrant acidity, often hidden in the opulence that helps them to age so successfully and predictably. Though their bottlings are extremely limited, any chance to taste the wines of Coche-Dury promises a rare glimpse into some of the greatest vineyard management and winemaking in the world.
Cantina Favaro
Benito Favaro and his sons, Camillo and Nicola, are masters of Erbaluce, one of the most traditional white wines native to Piemonte. In fact, the DOC for Erbaluce di Caluso was the first white wine to receive that status in the region in 1967. The name “Erbaluce” is derived from the local legend of the fairy “Albaluce” who is said to have blessed the region with this prolific white grape. Today we know that Erbaluce’s genetic heritage likely stems from the Provençal Clairette, although more research is ongoing. There is no doubt that these beautiful golden grapes, which tend towards a rosy blush when ripe, light up the vineyards under their pergolas like little lanterns.Erbaluce di Caluso is tucked into the hills near Ivrea, a specific microclimate in which Erbaluce (and Nebbiolo) thrive. The acidic soils are a mixture of granite, clay, and sand, to which these local grapes are perfectly adapted. These hills are the product of ancient glacial activity, and the resulting glacial lakes that punctuate the terroir moderate some of the Alpine influences this far into the mountains.
Camillo Favaro is a true Renaissance man whose passion for wine reaches far beyond the boundaries of his own vineyards, and even his own country. He and his partner, Antonella Frate, developed a cottage design firm geared towards helping other small wineries. They design labels, launch websites, direct photography, and produce trade events to promote other regions and indigenous grapes. Their firm also provides an avenue for French coopers to connect with small Italian wineries. Additionally, Camillo has co-authored three editions of “Vini e Terre di Borgogna” (Wines and Vineyards of Burgundy)—the first book about Burgundy ever written in Italian, for Italians.
The Favaro family are true garagistes, crafting their wines under their home in a subterranean cellar just next to their vineyards. They work organically in the vines, and all their efforts support coaxing the maximum expression of their land out of the wine. Green harvesting, carefully working the soils, and an ancient pergola system maximize the quality they obtain. Their expression of Erbaluce is a benchmark for the appellation, and these white wines are capable of aging beautifully. The tiny bit of Nebbiolo and Freisa produced here are also extremely special wines, as elegant and aromatic as anything made elsewhere in Piemonte.
From the Blog
Elena Lapini’s Ribollita Recipe
Earlier this month, Elena Lapini of Podere Campriano shared her recipe for ribollita with us. She explained, “Usually, every family in the Florence area (ribollita is typical only in Florence, Arezzo, and the plain of Pisa) has its own recipe that was passed down from generation to generation, and I have my own recipe that came from my grandmother. Here is that recipe, translated into English because we occasionally make it in our cooking classes and I offer it to my English-speaking guests.
“As you might know, it was traditionally a peasant recipe, made of bread, vegetables, and broth. It was usually done on Friday, because the Catholic religion says that meat should not be eaten on Friday, but then it was also heated in the following days and this is why the name ribollita (re-boiled) was born. It seems the name was born around 1910, but already in the Middle Ages, a similar bread soup was cooked that was simply called by another name. Today, it is eaten during winter because of our abundance of winter vegetables.”
Click here to view our 6-bottle sampler of Tuscan reds to pair with ribollita.
Posted on January 29, 2020, 4:11PM, by Tom Wolf
Earlier this month, Elena Lapini of Podere Campriano shared her recipe for ribollita with us. She explained, “Usually, every family in the Florence area (ribollita is typical only in Florence, Arezzo, and the plain of Pisa) has its own recipe that was passed down from generation to generation, and I have my own recipe that came from my grandmother. Here is that recipe, translated into English because we occasionally make it in our cooking classes and I offer it to my English-speaking guests.
“As you might know, it was traditionally a peasant recipe, made of bread, vegetables, and broth. It was usually done on Friday, because the Catholic religion says that meat should not be eaten on Friday, but then it was also heated in the following days and this is why the name ribollita (re-boiled) was born. It seems the name was born around 1910, but already in the Middle Ages, a similar bread soup was cooked that was simply called by another name. Today, it is eaten during winter because of our abundance of winter vegetables.”
Click here to view our 6-bottle sampler of Tuscan reds to pair with ribollita.