Vermouth Routin

Made from Sauvignon and Jacquère wines and a blend of 18 plants, including vanilla, cinnamon, elderflower, thyme, and wormwood, this vermouth, so light and fragrant, is made in La Distillerie Des Alpes in Chambéry, guarding the recipe since the year 1883 and named in honour of the founder Routin (Philibert Routin). A unique Alpine recipe that, after undergoing weeks of maceration, is perfect to be served as an apéritif with ice and orange slices, in my case, or mixed in cocktails.

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Domaine de Chevillard Pinot Noir

It was the first wine I bought at the neighbouring natural wine shop. Not the Pinot Noir but the Chardonnay from Chevillard, and it still is my all-time favourite wine from this shop and the Savoie region.

Coming from a small domaine nestled in Massif des Bauges, in Saint Pierre d’Albigny and Saint Jean de la Porte, this organic vinery produces wines from grapes native to Savoie, but not only, as in the case of Pinot Noir. As the land is very particular here, combining limestone, clay-limestone, and marl-limestone, as a result, so is the wine — full of character, yet lightness and elegance. One of the best examples I have had from the region is so little known for its wine. What a shame.

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Marie Louise Morgon Corcelette

With organic and biodynamic vineyards planted around the hills or Morgon in Beaujolais, this is different from the typical Beaujolais wine you have in mind with being too fresh and impersonal. This wine from the Bodillard family is quite the opposite. It is elegant and light, with a very distinctive character, mellow red fruit aromas, and tastes that show all the best that Gamay can show, as the grapes come from 20-100 year-old vines. Harvested solely by hand and treated with the most respect from vine to the last drop, this is one of the best Morgon wines in this price range. At least for me, and I have indulged in a decent amount of this wine.

La Ferme Saint-Martin Les Romanins

Made from Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre grapes, growing on 4 to 30 years old vines, this wine comes from Côtes du Rhône and presents a simple yet exquisite, fruity, quite fresh wine that has been made without ‘additives’, undergoing 6 months ageing in concrete vats, making the aroma and taste profile wonderful and unique. With hints of spices on the nose and mouth, this is the perfect wine to serve with a charcuterie board or lighter meat dishes.

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Vincent Dancer Bourgogne

This exceptional, nearly perfect Burgundy wine is difficult to get your hands on. Still, whenever there is a chance, you should, as this is an example of an elegant, refined, clean, and precise wine. Made by the famous Vincent Dancer, this Chardonnay is made from grapes from 23-34 years old vines growing in Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet and produced only in 5000 bottles. Again. A rare treasure. Its citrus and tropical aromas will make your nose linger much longer in the glass while minerality and round mouth feel will make you want to take those sips faster than expected, enjoying every bit of that process.

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Pourpre Reniteo

Made from a blend of biodynamically grown Gamay Saint-Romain and Gamay de Bouze grapes, both growing on granite soil, this purple-coloured wine, being a natural wine, is one of those that is more on the side of natural and actually tasting like wine, not a sour cider, although it does benefit from being open an hour before serving, thus releasing some natural notes and letting the wine open and develop those so beautiful otherwise hidden round aromas and fleshy notes.

”Reniteo in Latin means ‘shine again’, a lovely way of expressing rebirth. The estate bears this name to illustrate the professional reconversion of David Michelis, who first worked in the world of arts and culture before settling down in Ambierle, on the Roanne coast.”

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The empty bottle parade. December