Wine: Biodynamic
Results
Champs Divin Champ d'Étoiles Cremant du Jura
This has many characteristics of fine Champagne, but is also quite clearly from the Jura. Fully dry (they use no dossage) it has notes of pear and citrus with a light, clean texture and lovely, tiny bubble from the Metthodé Champenoise style of fermentation. A lovely wine to enjoy on it's own, and truly perfect with oysters.
La Clarine Farms Suma Kaw Syrah
Hank Beckmeyer and his wife Caroline juggle full time jobs, a herd of 50 goats, cheese and soap-making while, of course, making their unique style of natural wines. Suma Kaw is one of their two vineyards, and while they used to combine fruit from both, they have recently started bottling each separately. We like Suma Kaw best (obviously). Dark fruits, a bit floral, a bit gamey and a bit spicy. Mineral driven lasting finish. Drink slowly and see how it changes., this wine is truly alive! Only a few hundred bottles are made. Winemaking Details: Low SO2 Added, Foot Treading, Wild Yeast Fermentation
Musella Valpolicella Ripasso
Biiodynamic wines from the Veneto are extremely rare. The fact that this is also one of the best ripassos we've tried makes it even better. Often called "baby Amarone", this one lives up to that moniker. Quite rich with dark cherry fruit, it has a silky texture but plenty of structure and acidity to remain in balance This is a benchmark of what good ripasso can be.
Domaine Brana Irouléguy
Pioneers in the rebirth of the Irouleguy region in the French Pyrenees, the Branas were the first to replant vineyards in the area on a meaningful scale. They use biodynamic farming practices, and make this delicious, lighter red from their steeply terraced vineyards. Bursting with red fruit, a bit of spice and a hint of earth, this is an extremely versatile food wine, and the perfect accompaniment to chicken, pork, veal, or heartier vegetable dishes.
Foradori Teroldego
You ain't lived until you've tasted Foradori. Elisabetta Foradori is one of Italy's classiest winemakers, known for championing the Teroldego grape variety, one of the country’s oldest grapes. Dark and spicy, brimming with bright fruits and hints of black pepper and herbs. By heck, it's gorgeous. Winemaking Details: Wild Yeast Fermentation, Vinified in Used Barrel
Jacques Puffeney Arbois Rouge Poulsard
A classic. Captures the scrappy, beam-of-fruit exuberance of the variety in ruggedly delicious form. Puffeney added no sulfur at all to his 2010 reds. His (typically non-dogmatic) reply to the question “Why not?”: “They didn’t need it.” Winemaking Details: Wild Yeast Fermentation, Unfiltered, Unfined, Low SO2 Added
Jacques Puffeney Poulsard M
Puff Daddy! Jacques Puffeney is known as the Pope of Jura. He makes textbook Jura wines with traditional grape varieties. Poulsard is a little known indigenous grape variety in the Jura region. Bright red mountain fruit, slate and earthiness, amazing wine from "la pape" Winemaking Details: Wild Yeast Fermentation, Unfiltered, Unfined, Low SO2 Added
Vignetti Massa Monleale Barbera
Monleale is the name of the town where Massa is located; there's the high, alto, and low parts of town; Massa is in Monleale Alto. All the classic Barbera cherry and raspberry fruit but the grape's high acidity is honed into a tight knitted complexity. One of the few Barbara's that age and become more complex. Winemaking Details: Aged in Botti, Low SO2 Added, Unfiltered, Vegan, Spontaneous Yeast Fermentation
Clos du Moulin aux Moines Bourgogne
Clos du Moulin aux Moines is the most exciting new Burgundy producers to come along in many years. Jordane Andrieu is making tiny quantities of world-class Burgundy, mostly from vineyards in the Pommard region, and his reputation is growing by the day. This wine is alive with red and dark fruits, earth and spice on the nose, with red fruits on the palate balanced with just the right amount of acidity. You are not likely to find a better Burgundy at this price.
Marcel Deiss Alsace Rouge
The Deiss Family settled in Bergheim in the heart of Alsace in 1744. The current winemaker, Jean Michel Deiss was born into this family of winegrowers. He is somewhat controversial but the essential figure in Alsace. He is an advocate for the region and its potential to make quality age-worthy wines, and he believes in vineyard expression over varietal expression. This is a fun wine, with Pinot Noir the dominant grape, mixed with Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Sylvaner, Pinot Auxxerois, Chasselas, Traminer, Muscat Ottonel and the obscure Pinot Beurot.