The Heart of Cheverny: Peltier Ravineau

After visiting Arthur & Achille in the Loire a couple of weeks ago, we're very pleased to have a second tranche of wines from the two childhood friends working together under their own name as Peltier Ravineau in Cheverny.

A three-hour drive from Nantes to Cheverny, with a detour to hunt for a missing airbnb key meant we arrived in the dark, unable to walk the vines this year - but we were so pleased to be greeted by their wonderful hospitality - a shed full of new wines to taste and a dinner together around the wood-fired stove at Achille's home.

Tasting the wines together, we were struck by their versatility and layered profile. Highlights included their dynamic, textural whites, and nimble, characterful reds.

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Arthur and Achille grew up in Cheverny and have known each other since they were teenagers. Both studied winemaking in Beaune from 2015 to 2019, and cut their teeth with mentors like Philippe Pacalet and Les Foulards Rouges. Returning home they furthered their education with local luminaries Hervé Villemade, and Clos du Tue Boeuf (Arthur's father had spent many years working with the Puzelats) before taking the leap into their own project.

They started their domaine, Peltier Ravineau in 2021 with one hectare, one barrel, and one tractor. The first couple of vintages were undertaken part-time, with the fruit sold to local growers, before bottling their first vintage in 2023.

They now farm 5 hectares organically on limestone and flint, planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay, Côt and old-vine Romorantin, alongside a little carefully chosen négoce fruit. It's a farming-led approach here, shaped by intuition and limited equipment "Most of the time we are in the vineyard," says Achille. "We don't have the luxury of over-complicating things, being just two of us and five hectares to look after."

Working delicately, they produce alive and direct wines with bags of character. Similar to the lads themselves, the wines boast a jubilant energy and a maturity beyond their years.

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From their 2024 vintage - the second from their own space - we have the following wines:

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2024 - La Marnière - Sauvignon Blanc, Menu Pineau

An assemblage of 80% Sauvignon, 20% Menu Pineau, pressed slowly, aged in fibreglass for six months on the lees. Mineral and long, with crisp pear and spice, lovely texture and snappy acid.

2024 - Les Rosiers - Romorantin

From a 65-year-old half-hectare parcel of Romorantin that they have taken over from Hervé Villemade, the wine is pressed directly to barrel and aged for 8 months. A really beautiful expression of the regional variety - with lovely waxy reduction, herbal aromatics, and a profound mineral length. Drinking well but will reward patience too. We missed out on the Romorantin last time so are glad to have been able to take some tiny quantities on this order!

2024 - Les Bois ont Brûlés - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay

A co-planted parcel of 50% Sauvignon and 50% Chardonnay, planted over clay and flint, pressed slowly and aged for 12 months in barrel, great length and depth, with beautiful orchard fruit, crushed citrus and juicy acids. Only small quantities to go round.

RED

2024 - Balle dans le Pied - Gamay, Cot, Cab Franc

A welcome top-up of their perfect bistro red, negocé fruit from organic neighbours, 12 days of whole bunch maceration for the Gamay & Côt, together. Cab Franc pressed directly and added on top. Aged in a large truncated oak vat for 6 months. Delicate but bountiful fruit, bright aromatics and pepper.

New from 2Naturkinder

After catching up with the pair at La Dive last week - in great spirits, positive energies, and pouring a dizzying array of delicious wines - we are excited to start this week with new wines from Melanie & Michael Voelker at 2Naturkinder!

Firstly, we welcome the return of their house white blend - Vater & Sohn - at a very nice new price - available in great volumes for those of you who need something delicious to pour by the glass. A pretty, pithy assemblage built around a vibrant core of their most vigorous Muller Thurgau parcels, this year fleshed out with macerated Pinot Gris, Sylvaner for complexity and a bright lick of Riesling.

Alongside the very last of the juicy '22 Black Betty arriving with this tranche, we have two more very special, limited releases from their Kitzingen batcave:

2024 Bat Nat is their hand-disgorged pet-nat of Pinot Meunier, pressed slowly but directly from the Fledermaus parcel very close to town - one with a remarkably biodiverse habitat and the first home of their bat boxes over 10 years ago. Showing beautiful, high-energy fruit before unfolding into a very pure, mineral finish, it's a really delicious vintage.

The second edition of their Brutal!!! cuvée* comes this year from the steep slope of the vineyard picked for Weinschwarmer. In 2023, they decided to pick a separate section where the Pinot Gris begins to struggle on the steepest rows with the poorest soils. The bunches here are smaller, and the yields lower, and fruit was pressed directly to a single 600L barrel and aged for two years before bottling in the summer of 2025. The wine is dynamic, layered and driving, a unique and textural expression of their Pinot Gris, one we're lucky to share with you.

Melanie & Michael's relationship with La Sorga’s Antony Tortul goes back 10 years, and they are very proud that he asked them (also the first in Germany) to join the limited list of domaines invited to use the new gold Brutal!!! labels, a way of refocusing the project as originally intended - a celebration of true zero-additions winemakers.

2NATURKINDER - MELANIE & MICHAEL VOELKER GERMANY, FRANCONIA, KITZINGEN

SPARKLING

NEW 2024 - Bat Nat

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NEW 2023 - Brutal!! - Pinot Gris

NEW NV - Vater & Sohn 6 - Muller Thurgau, Silvaner, Riesling, Pinot Gris

RED

2022 - Black Betty - Domina, Regent, Pinot Noir

FOR WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: HELLO@WINESUTB.COM

Mar 02: A Tasting at Ducksoup

Back to Soho! We'll be pouring for the trade in London on Monday, March 2.

We'll be showing new arrivals, and joined by Ham Street with a tranche of their latest releases, alongside our pals Otros Vinos and Sén (themselves joined by Belloca Vini) - all from 10am at our beloved Ducksoup.

To RSVP, please send us an email with your group size & preferred time you'd like to taste.

See you there!

Lucy Chilvers Tour of the UK

Lucy Chilvers is coming to town! Next week, working our way down from Edinburgh to Brighton, we’re looking at a pretty effective bit of tour-mapping here and can’t wait to hit the road (railways).

Lucy will be pouring at these lovely venues:

• Feb 11 Spry Wines - Edinburgh from 5pm, wines by the glass, turn up for a chat and a glass, and a plate of something delicious.
• Feb 12 at long-time Lucy-supporters House - Heaton for a tasting, tickets available via their page.
• Feb 13 we return to the beautiful Isca for an evening of food and wine from 6pm
• Feb 15 a homecoming of sorts in Brighton at Onair - DM them to reserve your spot at the 4pm tasting, before we make space for drinks, dancing and chats from 5!

Mar 09: A Tasting at Montrose

A big date for your diary for those in the north (or looking for an excuse for an Edinburgh trip) - we'll be pouring for the trade at the beautiful Montrose alongside many of our pals: Roland Wines, Beattie & Roberts, Wright's, Wayward and Otros Vinos - themselves joined by JB from La Voluta. What a lineup!

Over two floors we'll have a wide array of optimistic spring wines from across our six portfolios, so it should make for a productive visit.

If you're keen to come and taste please drop us an email with your group size and preferred time you'd like to taste.

FOR WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: HELLO@WINESUTB.COM

New from Tenuta Foresto, Monferrato

New arrivals courtesy of our man in Monferrato, Francesco Pozzobon at Tenuta Foresto.

Available now are Leuto & Favonio from the 2023 vintage - by Francesco's measure, his best for his white varieties - alongside a new (to us) micro-cuvéee from the same year - Br4ch3tto - and from 2022 comes a barrel-aged edition of his sparkling La Comedie and his beloved Barbera, IDEAle.

The new arrivals are detailed in full below and we'll be pouring them for the trade Antidote on Monday Jan, 26.

With eight hectares planted over clay and the chalky limestone, Francesco practices a zero-input farming method inspired by Fukuoka, growing mostly Barbera, with a little Moscato, Cortese, Dolcetto & Brachetto.

Each wine walks the line between Francesco's meticulous attention to detail, and intent to not interfere with the vines, the fruit, or the wines. Work in the cellar is delicate and considered, producing wines of great depth without sacrificing freshness and tension.

SPARKLING

NEW 2022 - Comedie v2 - Barbera

Comedie V2 takes a two-year barrel-aged Barbera from a younger parcel (the first pick each vintage. Macerated for 24 hours.) After its long rest, the resulting wine is sparked for secondary fermentation in bottle with the fermenting must of the 2024 vintage. A really vinous, elegant expression of Barbera.

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NEW 2023 - Leuto - Cortese

With great cropping in 2023 for his whites despite another year of drought, Francesco took the risk to try a completely different vinification for Leuto, one he'd been hoping to try for a few years, to soften the extraction. A 20-day carbonic maceration in an oak fermenter, aged for 18 months in acacia barriques. Less orange than in previous years, but with great structure that will age beautifully. Tense and characterful.

SKINS

NEW 2023 - Favonio - Moscato

Francesco has stuck with his vinification technique for the new Favonio (a week of de-stemmed maceration in an oak fermenter) but decided to develop the wine in acacia tonneaux for 18 months - buffering the intense aromatics of Moscato beautifully, we're enjoying the balance of this vintage.

RED

NEW 2023 - Br4ch3tto - Brachetto

A new one for us - with only two barriques produced, there is rarely any spare for export - Francesco has roughly 50 plants of Brachetto growing in his Moscato vineyard (the two were traditionally co-planted) and in 2023 the fruit underwent a month of carbonic maceration in concrete before 18 months in barrique. Tiny volumes available!

NEW 2022 - La Ideale - Barbera

Francesco's expression of the grape that brought him from Veneto to Piedmont (via Highbury) - from a parcel of 25-30 year old vines, gently destemmed and macerated for two months in foudre with super low extraction, just a little juice occasionally to keep the cap wet. Aged in 20hl oak barrels for 18 months before bottling unfined and unfiltered. Great depth of fruit from a warm, dry vintage, a wine that has settled so nicely with a little age.

Jan 26: A Tasting at Antidote

We're looking forward to getting 2026 started in earnest by opening new arrivals and optimistic bottles to coax back the sun from its sleep.

Join us alongside our pals Otros Vinos and Sén on Monday 26 January as we pour wines for the trade upstairs at Antidote from 10am - 4pm.

To RSVP please send an email with your group size & preferred time you'd like to taste. See you there!

FOR WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: HELLO@WINESUTB.COM

Year in Wine 2026

Here's our pal Joe Gamble and our 2026 calendar he's illustrated for us: his take on a year in wine (in the northern hemisphere at least) in a three colour riso courtesy of the wonderful Pagemasters crew.

Talking about the project with Joe, and noting how we love to spot the calendars on growers' walls as we visit through the year, we found the idea particularly funny of a winemaker needing to turn to their calendar to remind themselves of that months important job, as if it wasn't just in their bones - and deciding to pass those important jobs through several layers of abstraction like a chaotic game of telephone.

Process is important to all of us, and we love that Joe decided to leave in all the artefacts of his process in the final product, just like in the wines we love - decisions upon decisions. Some shots from the project here courtesy of Joe and Pagemasters.

This is always a fun way to welcome the new year, and Pagemasters do such a wonderful job - for those unfamiliar, the Riso print process uses Soya and Rice-bran oil inks - better degradability properties than their petroleum-based counterparts - and the printer runs almost entirely without thermal energy - much more energy efficient than most digital printing processes such as laserjet and inkjet printing.

Both Pagemasters and Joe are available for future projects here: Pagemasters - Deptford
Joe Gamble

Zero Zero 0.0% - Freija Is Back!

Freija is back!

At the end of 2024 we received an excited message from Daniel & Jonas telling us about their new creation - inspired by their partners Pauline & Melanie becoming mothers and the result of lots of experimentation - they had finally cracked a properly delicious alcohol-free sparkling.

Since the first batch sold out we've been eagerly awaiting its return, and are very glad to say its now here.

Produced in collaboration with Jonas' partner Pauline Baumberger & her winemaking family - Freija No.1 is a complex sparkling, consisting of herbal teas made with foraged ingredients from both family vineyards, their own grapes and fruit, lacto-fermented raspberry, the results blended and carbonated. The ingredient list is short, and completely natural - a sight you rarely see on many no-alcohol alternatives.

With a huge focus on agroforestry in both families' vineyards, the Freija project allows an outlet to ensure this fruit production isn't wasted, and can be used in an exciting way, without sacrificing flavour and complexity, or compromising their philosophy.

Fruit for the 2025 batch was picked at the end of August, and the drink was bottled in mid-winter, no additions.

ZERO-ALC

NEW Freija NO.1 - Grape juice, lemon balm & wormwood, verjus and raspberry

FOR WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: HELLO@WINESUTB.COM

Jan 18: A Celebration of UK Winemaking

We're very pleased to announce the return of this special event in the new year, on Sunday January 18 at Montrose Edinburgh.

One of the largest gatherings of some of the finest organic and biodynamic growers working in the blossoming UK wine scene right now, open to both the trade and public.

All of our UK growers will be in attendance for the event, along with good friends from other importers, and the day will be a rare chance to try many of their wines under one roof and to discuss the work with them directly!

Afterwards, the wine bar will be open with a compact selection of dishes from the kitchen and a focused list of UK wines by the glass.

Tickets are available now via Montrose.

First up from Lucy Chilvers' 2024

lucy chilvers
CATALUNYA, EL PENEDES

We're so glad to have new wines from Lucy Chilvers, direct from her project in the hills of El Penedès. Arriving are the 2024 editions of her invigorating macerations: Flor de Maeve and Nuria. Delicate and pure expressions of very-old vine Xarel•lo and Muscat respectively.

2024 was the fourth consecutive year of drought in Catalunya - with yields down and maturity a struggle with water lacking, the silver lining from a tricky year is these wines of great tension and finesse. Sourced from Lucy's 4.5 hectares of old indigenous vines around the surrounding hills, fruit is farmed organically, worked very gently in the cellar, and bottled with no additions.

Alongside the new macerations we have a little of her direct-press Sumoll ancestral sparkling - Toca'M - her pressing of 3-week macerated centenary Xarel•lo - Sasa - and good volumes of her excellent expression of Merlot - El Nam Sam - vibrant fruit nicely softened by extended barrel ageing.

The new wines are detailed below.

FOR WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: HELLO@WINESUTB.COM

2024 - Flor De Maeve - Xarel•lo

100-year-old Xarel·lo hand-harvested from Sant Joan Samora - El Penedès at 150m altitude over clay-rich and calcareous soils. De-stemmed and crushed, fermentation on the skins for two weeks with punch-downs in the first week and only wetting the cap in the second. No pressing, the free-run juice is drawn off by gravity. Naturally cold settled over winter in stainless steel, bottled after seven months on the lees with no additions. (The press-juice is aged separately for her textural Sasa cuvée.)

2024 - Nuria - Muscat d'Alexandria.

Muscat d´Alexandria from Torrelles de Foix - El Penedès at 320m altitude on sandy/clay soils. De-stemmed & crushed, fermentation on skins for two weeks, Pressed gently into stainless steel, naturally cold settled over winter. Bottled in early spring with no additions.

Christmas is Coming: Penguins For Life! (Rietsch Arrivals)

JP RIETSCH

FRANCE, ALSACE, MITTELBERGHEIM

December is here and with it, one of our favourite seasonal arrivals. A march of flightless birds heralds the approaching festivities: JP Rietsch's iconic Crémant d'Alsace arrives! And remember, Penguins are for life, not just for Christmas!

As is often the case, the Penguins tend to fly at this time of year (no pun intended) - so if you were keen to get some stocked, we recommend ordering sooner rather than later.

Alongside the Penguins, we've received top-ups of the macerations, and the white litre among others - and have released more of the terroir-specific and Grand Cru cuvées, those are crying out for their place on the table to lift December's rich, festive dishes. Everything is detailed in full below.

Jean-Pierre has been at the helm of his family vineyards in the historic village of Mittelbergheim, Alsace for over 37 years now. Diligently organic, but working above and beyond in the parcels to ensure the resulting wines channel their terroir with both complexity and drinkability in equal measure.

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SPARKLING

2023/24 Crémant Extra Brut Non Dose - Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris
The latest edition of the crémant is made from wines of the 2023 harvest, to which juice from 2024 has been added as spark. Consistently one of our all-time favourite sparkling wines. Exotic fruit and citrus up front, with a lively and saline attack which opens and continues to develop.

2022/23 Crémant Extra Brut Non Dose Magnum - Auxerrois, Chardonnay
Disgorged to order, the Magnums spend longer on the lees, developing a slightly richer profile, the signature salinity and acids still very much present. This year's magnum is made from wines of the warm 2022 vintage, sparked with fermenting must of the 2023 vintage.

LITRES & MACERATIONS

2024 - Tout Blanc Litre - Auxerrois, Riesling
Fresh acidity and lovely tension, a nice bit of texture from its time on lees, all press-direct after an overnight maceration to kickstart fermentation.

2023 - Demoiselle - Gewurztraminer
A really bright & expressive edition of this wine, alive with fruit and acid, very immediate - macerated Gewurz at its best.

2023 - Quand Le Chat - Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris from clay-limestone of Mittelbergheim and grés of Mutzig. A short infusion of whole-bunches under juice, the 2023 has great freshness and detail, bright with strawberry and herbal twist, just a little spice.

2024 - Pinot Noir - Pinot Noir
Light and alive, brambly fruit and bags of cherry alongside pithy bit of grapefruit, juicy and on the fruit in 2024. Drinking very well.

TERROIR CUVÉES

2024 - Les Mains Libres - Savagnin Rose
The wine Jean-Pierre makes every other year when not producing the perpetual Pas-a-Pas from this parcel. 50% whole bunch in direct-press juice, great detail, layered fruit, long and mineral with the lightest savoury oxidative note.

20/23 - Stein - Riesling
A top-up of the Riesling from the vines beside the house that JP planted with his father 30 years ago, the Leu dit Stein grown on Grey Marl and Limestone. A true terroir Riesling expression, multi-dimensional, long and mineral, ageing beautifully. The solar 2020 brings generosity and depth of fruit, the 2023 providing a line of tension and persisting saline minerality.

21/22/23/24 - La Nef Des Fou - Riesling
A beautiful expression of Riesling, hand harvested from the south/south-east facing Grand Cru vineyard, planted over marl, limestone and compacted sandstone. Seeing such extreme variability in vintages with the mood swings of climate change, Jean-Pierre has been saving barrels each year from this parcel as a way of finding true balance in the wine. Stone fruit, grapefruit, cultured butter, this one continues unfolding along its mineral line for quite a while.

2022 - Grand Cru Zotzenberg - Riesling
Zotzenberg is a south/south-east facing Grand Cru vineyard, planted over marl, limestone and compacted sandstone. 2022 was one of the hottest years on record, and whilst the wine still boasts Jean-Pierre's signature acidity and light touch, it is bolstered with a brilliant sun-kissed ripeness. Zotzenberg has been developing incredibly well in bottle the last few years, really singing.

Yann Durrmann's 2024 Arrives

Yann Durrmann
France, Alsace, Andlau

Alsace sunshine incoming courtesy of Yann Durrmann - his new 2024 wines have arrived!

The wines of this vintage have great purity and finesse, a lovely sense of balance and juicy acids. It's always exciting to receive a shipment like this from Yann, a full run through every style of wine he makes.

In Andlau, 2024 saw another warm vintage, but this time with bags of rain and high humidity that led to battles with mildew, losing yields in the Pinot Noir parcels in particular. A silver lining here, the two Pinots are among our favourites in recent years - good maturity of fruit twinned with a brilliant freshness. With only 200 or so bottles of each of the reds to go round, we don't expect these to last long this Christmas. The whites and macerations have great energy, it's a treat to now have Yann's take on five of the Alsace white varieties. As an added bonus we have a little of their wood-fired Alembic still Eau-de-Vie: Mirabelle & Anisette to keep your festive health up.

If you work in the trade and would like to taste - we'll be opening all the new arrivals on Monday December 1 at Ducksoup from 11:00am - drop us an email to RSVP!

The new wines are detailed in full below:

DURRMANN 2024 RELEASE

For all the whites (since 2023) Yann now de-stems, and after a gentle crush the fruit spends 24 hours on the skins in bespoke steel vats he has designed, in order for them to be carried to the press more easily. He no longer needs to press for as long, as fruit has begun to break down, but his main reason is that it helps the juice take more nutrients from the skins to encourage a healthier fermentation.

More or less everything except the Grand Cru wines are aged in steel.

Yann's work is committed to expressing his varied terroir scattered over 30 small parcels around the village. Where possible he prefers to vinfy parcel by parcel, bottling varieties according to their soil type and location. With five distinct geological makeups in a five kilometre radius, to drink the entire Durrmann range is to glean a true insight into the terroir of Andlau.

Yann has been heading up the domaine since 2018, taking an already groundbreaking Alsatian family who were dedicated to organic farming, a long-established no-till practice, agroforestry, and indigenous fermentations one step further into unfiltered, zero sulphur winemaking.

SPARKLING

2024 - Grizzling Has to be up there with our favourite iterations of this cuvée - bags of kiwi and green apple, limes and salt crushed together. Clean, bright, disgorged for purity of fruit, no additions added. Super good.

2022 - Noctambulle A top-up of this ace vintage from a warm, dry year. First of the season Fraise des Bois - a pet-nat of Pinots Noir & Gris with soft, powdery tannin, and such a welcome zip of volatile acidity.

WHITE

2024 - Ron-rond Litron Blanc
Pinot blanc, Sylvaner, Riesling, Muscat, Gewurz picked from neighbouring organic parcels, fermented separately and assembled. White peach and kiwi, quite a generous vintage cut through with some classic Alsace acid.

2024 - Sylvaner
From parcels of granite and a little clay, the '24 is briny and tense, with long refreshing acids. With the 24 fermentations showing generally more reductive for Yann, he decided to rack all the wines clearer this year to ensure stability and to not compromise fruit.

2024 - Pinot blanc
A 50/50 blend of Pinot Blanc on Schist for acidity and structure, and Auxerrois on Gres for aromatics and fruit. With plenty of rain in 2024, the Pinot Blanc feels buoyant and nourishing: a nicely integrated reduction over aromatic orange blossom, nashi pear and long, salty acids.

2024 - Muscat d'Alsace
A lovely new one from Yann, from a parcel on sandstone that has gone to the pet-nat in recent years - coming into good maturity, he decided it was time to start doing it's own cuvée. Great aromatics without tipping into soap territory, a very pretty expression of the variety. With '24 being a high-acid vintage, the Muscat really works in this style.

2024 - Zegwur
Yann has been picking from two parcels of Gewurz over Granite & Gres for this wine since heavy mildew damage in 2021 - he likes the balance so much that he's continued since. One third was macerated for three weeks, the rest for 24 hours. This is such a wonderful vintage for Zegwur - rose, lychee & kiwi - saline and elegant, just enough aromatics and chew to keep you interested, long driving acids - pure!

2024 - Riesling sur grès
The first release of the terroir Rieslings, 2024 is a very 'aerial' vintage as Yann likes to say, a very pretty expression of its citrus and fleshy stone fruit.

SKINS

2024 - Riesling Krax
A super-tropical 24! a 3-4 week destemmed maceration on skins, the tannin is super delicate this year, with abundant fruit, pithy citrus and beautiful acids. A really accomplished vintage.

RED

2024 - Pinot Noir Rouge Gorge
Negocé from his neighbouring organic parcels. Yann notes that whilst the domaine and negoce (Gorge) Pinots are picked at similar times, both mostly over sandstone, and made the same way, his neighbour's parcel is a site with less sun, and not as diligent yield control as Yann - so not as much concentration of fruit. Both the PInots are hand-harvested and destemmed, macerated gently for three weeks, aged in stainless steel and bottled with no additions.

Great juicy fruit for 24 without tipping into confected territory, a lovely fine frame of tannin and finishing with a pleasing bitterness. Lovely, and tiny amounts to go round.

2024 - Rouge de Pinot Noir
With the schist parcels being most susceptible to mildew in '24, this year's domaine Pinot is mostly sandstone. With yields controlled carefully, there's more material in the domaine compared to the Gorge, really beautiful delicate structure, cherries and orange zest, a whisper of smoke.

EAU DE VIE

Taking over the practice from his father André who has just about retired from his distilling now, Yann used the wood-fired Alembic still for these incredibly pure Eau de Vie.

Mirabelle - Mirabelle plum

Grown among the Kastelberg parcels, the Durrmann family Mirabelle's are quite the thing of beauty. Distilled here with the stones, bringing almond, vanilla, a bright cherry, and even coconut.

Anisette - (distillation of Vin Chaud must, anise, cinammon, apricots and citrus rind)

The spirit of Christmas? Since Yann has been making his (now iconic) mulled wine (Vin Chaud) at Strasbourg Christmas Market he has wanted to do things properly. To tie it in with their farming, he adds to the pot of spices and wine a jam made with Mirabelle plums from their fields. The leftover mash of star anise, cinnamon, citrus and sticky jam residue smelt so good he didn't want to throw it away- and decided to make a distillation. A christmas miracle.

Post-Gard : A trip to Quilles de Joie

We just returned from a weekend in the Gard to attend the village of Souvignargues' annual winter fair, Quilles de Joie. Our good friends Vicky & Fergus Clague were there to cook for the masses on Saturday and pour the 22 Sa Fille, from their old vine Grenache. Whilst planning, they had the generous idea to invite Lucie & Jules from Ham Street (Rue de Jambon as they were affectionately nicknamed) to pour their wines at the fair as their guest.

To observe the interactions between Lucie & Jules, and the guests & growers at this rural fair was a proper privilege. Watching friendships form, pre-conceptions being happily challenged, the atmosphere of hospitality and curiosity around their barrel was a joy throughout the weekend.

Quilles de Joie is a very wholesome affair, organised by an association of local volunteers, with growers primarily from the Gard and its surrounds, with a few choice producers from further afield. A communal lunch with everyone bringing a contribution starts the day on Saturday, local (suitably eccentric) music late into the night closes out Day 1, and Day 2 has a long Sunday lunch for the growers and guests in the main tent as it's centrepiece. Ferg brought another injection of UK gastronomy by blowing minds with one of the best scotch eggs we've eaten thanks to a local pig, and mince pies (fruits confits et pommes en tartes feuilletée) for dessert.

Monday saw a chance to quickly catch up in the cellars of our growers around Souvi, to taste a properly energetic and nourishing set of 2025 wines from tanks - a vintage that's already showing incredibly well across the board. Thierry Forestier, Olivier Pichon, and Laurent Bagnol each showed us their unique take on the terroir of Souvignargues, and over in Vieilleville, the Moulin brothers at Mas De La Font Ronde taught us about their pumpkins, indigenous wheat, and where the Pompom of their titular rustic charmer comes from (Yves' treasured horse harness). We finished the trip with a lunch of their carrots, and roast pork reared on the farm with mushrooms foraged alongside.

A huge thanks to everyone for their hospitality and generosity of spirit - long live the Gard. The wines of this region have such a soft spot for us, and for those of you seeking characterful, good value zero-zero wines from true paysan vignerons, we couldn't recommend them more.

The full list of what we have available from these Gard growers is detailed below.

Overlooking the Cévennes from Laurent Bagnol’s cave, just above Souvignargues.

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Ferg Clague

Vicky & Fergus Clague: Junas

(Red) 2022 Sa Fille
Grenache

Hand harvested from their vineyard in the Gard commune of Souvignargues: less than half a hectare of 80-90-year-old vines on grès soils in the foothills of the Cevennes, surrounded by olive groves, and Garrigue - dry, scrubby wild evergreen woods of green oaks, pines trees, juniper, thyme, rosemary, lavender, and fennel. Over the grès, is clay that holds the water well, the topmost part of the vineyard is a favourite place for wild boar to come to drink, root around, and help turn over the earth for Vic & Ferg.

Sa Fille (named for Ferg's daughter, Saffie) is a 10-day whole bunch maceration of Grenache, in a tank topped with carbon dioxide and semi-filled with some direct-press juice. Fruit was basket pressed back to tank, before bottling in spring with no additions.

Mas Lau

Laurent Bagnol: Souvignargues

50km from the sea, overlooking the foothills of the Cévennes, alongside his olive trees, Laurent organically farms eleven hectares of old goblet vines deep in the garrigue, with a soft-spot for the area's indigenous varieties. Across his surface are plantings of Carignan, Oeillade, Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah.

Soils are incredibly rich and varied in their geological complexity: beneath the clays are the notable compacted sandstone/limestone 'gres' soils and shimmering limestone, rich in molluscs and marl.

The wines are hugely charming, a rustic, romantic expression of a unique terroir. To us, they're among the most direct examples of what we love about the Gard. Raised in simple vats of steel and enamel, vinified gently with very little extraction, Laurent likes to keep out of the way.

(White) 2021 Melina Blanc
Grenache Blanc Gastronomic, textural and deeply tropical direct-press Grenache Blanc.

(Red) 2021 La Cabane du Malet
Carignan, Syrah. A gentle maceration of whole bunches for 1 week, aged simply in tank: a dark-fruited but juicy red, abundant hedgerow fruits, wild herbs and the finest snap of tannin.

(Red) 2021 Clin d'Oeil
Oeillade Laurent's spotlight on the nearly-extinct local 'Oeillade' variety, black-fruited and spicy, a short whole bunch maceration, incredibly versatile.

Mas de La Font Ronde

Yves & Vincent Moulin: Villevieille

Yves & Vincent converted their farm, Mas De La Font Ronde to organics nearly 20 years ago. Farmers first - growing wheat, potatoes and chickpeas, they have 25 hectares under vine.

Just below the hillside village of Vielleville on a plateau of clay-limestone, their international varieties are sold to the local co-op, whilst Vincent concentrates his efforts in the cellar working with the traditional local varieties. The Moulin family have been farming in the village of Villevieille for over 300 years. Quintessential vigneron paysan!

Working gently and simply, they produce great value, charming wines that are always a treat to have back on the list.

(Skin) 2024 Pom Pon Blanc
Carignan Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc. Super approachable introduction to the world of orange: 2 days on the skins gives it a pop of stone fruit, a lovely hint of salinity, and a touch of pepper.

(Red) 2023 Pom Pon Rouge Avril
Aramon, Alicante, Cinsault, Carignan. Charming easy-going bistro red, juicy fruit, peppery tannin. Short maceration from a hot year.

(Red) 2024 Pom Pon Rouge 5L BIB
Aramon, Alicante, Cinsault, Carignan

(Red) 2023 Midrium
Carignan
A sappy, dense-fruited maceration of old-vine Carignan, heady with garrigue, fresh acidity making this a perfect table wine.

La Grange Saint Andre

Olivier Pichon: Souvignargues

Down a litlle Chemin in Souvi, you'll find the cellar of Olivier Pichon: one-time social worker turned winemaker. Over the last 10 years with the help of a small but close-knit local community of natural winemakers, Olivier has learnt the ropes on the job; each year bottling a small range of completely charming wines with bags of character.

Working more or less the same way each year - simply, quickly and delicately. Whites are pressed directly, reds are macerated as whole bunches with no extraction for two to four days in fibreglass and steel.

(Red) 2023 Le Marmot
Cinsault, Grenache
A bright, juicy maceration of Cinsault, filled out with a little Grenache, ripe fruited, great table wine for winter.

(Red) 2023 Stella Maris
Syrah
A direct, structured Syrah, dark-fruited and driving for 2023.

(Red) 2022 Grenache des Grès
Grenache
A sappy Grenache, dense-fruited, brittle tannins providing a fine frame of structure.

Mont de Marie

Thierry Forestier: Souvignargues

In the village of Souvignargues on clay and limestone, Thierry farms 12 hectares of native Gard varieties, having traded in his career in IT for that of a vigneron back in 2004. A friendship with Eric Pfifferling was the catalyst for working as gently as possible, minimal intervention in every sense of the word.

Farming old vines organically in co-planted parcels surrounded by forest, prioritising soil health and diversity, Thierry has become something of a luminary in the area. Now nearly twenty years into his journey, he's a champion of zero-sulphur winemaking and careful farming, he's helped fledgling growers with vinifications, lends a hand in re-training their vines back to traditional goblet pruning, or helping source grapes when growers hit hard vintages.

In the cellar, Thierry keeps macerations short, whole bunches rarely stay in tanks for more than 5 days, presses are gentle, ageing is simple. A light touch is the order of the day in the cellar.

(White) 2023 Anatheme Blanc
Ugni Blanc, Carignan Noir

Anatheme Blanc is a special little wine, bags of character and great value: from old goblet vines of Ugni Blanc & Carignan Noir on clay and sandy soils, pressed gently and directly to demi-muid barrels for 9 months fermentation and ageing on the lees, no fining or filtration. Bottled by gravity, the result is a beautifully generous expression, with great tension and saline length.

(Red) 2023 Anatheme Rouge
Carignan, Aramon

2023 was a year with a bad frost and further bad hailstorms in Souvignargues, meaning we have a smaller range of wines from Thierry this year - the surviving fruit from the Altissima and Les Planques parcels has been blended into the Anatheme Rouge and Blanc cuvées, and we also have a brand new wine: Coquin De Sort. Info below.

(Red) 2023 Salve Ager
Grenache, Cinsault

(Red) 2023 Salve Ager Magnum
Grenache, Cinsault

(Red) 2022 Altissima
Grenache

(Red) 2022 Altissima Magnum
Grenache

(Red) 2023 Coquin des Sorts
Grenache, Cinsault

(Red) 2023 Coquin des Sorts Magnum
Grenache, Cinsault

With hail severely diminishing yields in the oldest-vine parcels Thierry picks for Puech Coucou and Altissima, he macerated fruit from these two parcels (80-year-old Cinsault and 70-year-old Grenache) together as whole bunches for 6 days before ageing on the lees in tank for 9 months.

Nov 26: 2Naturkinder at Bunch

We are beyond thrilled to have Michael Voelker of 2Naturkinder in the UK next week, and to be kicking off his trip with an evening at Bunch (Liverpool). We'll be pouring wines alongside Bunch's Bobby who worked with Michael for nearly three years from 2022 to 2025.

Marking 8 years to the date (give a week) since we visited Bobby at Bunch to host an event with Michael before they had even opened, so it feels like a perfect full-circle moment to be returning to Liverpool with 2Naturkinder.

Join us on Wednesday 26 November from 5pm, with Michael on hand to pour and chat through the wines. Bobby has made a beautiful selection of his favourites from his time spent in the Kitzingen vines and cellars with Melanie & Michael. Resident chef Jaimitos will be coming in especially to cook his menu of lovely little plates of Mexican-inspired fare. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can DM Bunch to reserve your spot.

See you there - Release The Bats! (Again)

Nov 27: 2Naturkinder at Isca

Isca turns six! At the end of the month we'll be helping Isca celebrate their birthday with one of their favourite chefs and one of their favourite winemakers.

An evening not to miss, Sam Buckley (WTLGI) will be cooking with Issy & Tom in the kitchen, whilst Michael (2NAturkinder) joins Caro and Al on the floor to select wines for you. We are very excited for a night of good wine & good food bolstered by good friends.

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivé!

In the unlikely event that you'd missed it - the Beaujolais Nouveau from Mathilde & Sylvère at Séléné has finished fermentation, is tasting beautiful, and has landed at the arch safe & sound.

If you hadn't pre-ordered yet and were still looking for some, we have a little remaining (magnums are sold out) and can deliver out of London this week, and within London as late as next week.

Let us know asap if you would like any and are worried about missing out!

We're also very pleased to have a Muscadet Nouveau for those in need of a white option to pour on the day!

From Marion and Manu at Complemen'Terre: responsible for some of our favourite expressions of the mosaic-soils of Muscadet.

Following biodynamic principles, Marion and Manu farm a cluster of twelve micro-parcels totalling nine hectares, majority-planted to Melon de Bourgogne.

After a brutal 2024, 2025 was a different story, being an almost picture-perfect year. Ripe, healthy bunches and big maturity, they even had enough fruit to make their Primeur/Muscadet Nouveau - Circus Melon - again. Visiting them in September the pair were so thrilled to have had a joyful vintage after the challenges of 2024.

Circus Melon is a wine of celebration, tasting great!

Nov 3: A Tasting with Dandelion & Sophie Evans

Five winemakers pouring for the trade on November 3rd!

We're pleased to collaborate again with our good friends Otros Vinos and Roland Wines as we host a tasting for the trade at the lovely new Oranj Wine site on Dray Walk, Shoreditch. Each of us will be joined by a winemaker or two, with five in total pouring their wines on the day, alongside new arrivals from each of our portfolios.

For our part, we're very lucky to be joined by both Christian from Domaine Dandelion and Sophie Evans , Otros Vinos will be joined by Bodega La Senda and Roland by Piri Natural and Andi Mann - it's a rare opportunity to taste with a handful of the most accomplished growers working today just before the silly season kicks in, and we'd encourage you not to miss it.

If you work in the trade, please drop us an email to RSVP with your preferred time slot between 10am - 4pm and your group size. We can't wait to see you there.

Nov 6: Domaine Dandelion at The Clarence Tavern

We're excited to announce that on Thursday November 6, we'll have the privilege of hosting Christian Knott of Domaine Dandelion (Beaune, Burgundy) in London, as the team at the beautiful Clarence Tavern in N16 will be celebrating their wines alongside the dishes of their region for one night only. This will be a rare opportunity to have access to a deep list of Dandelion's astonishing wines from across the last few years.

To join, you can simply book your table from 6pm on 06.11.25 via The Clarence's website now.

Moonage Daydream: Jean Delobre's Sept Lunes

La Ferme Des Sept Lunes
France, St Joseph, Bogy

Very pleased to release these from Jean Delobre's La Ferme Des Sept Lunes in St Joseph. Beautiful work that heralds the approaching colder months, these are the kind of wines we love to watch develop over a long lunch, complexity in spades without sacrificing drinkability and freshness.

Winding up 350m from the valley floor, perched on the hillside, one would find Jean Delobre and his 10-hectare farm in Bogy. The latest of three generations here, he took over from his parents in 1984, began organic conversion in '96, and converted to biodynamics in 2001- the year he decided to leave the local co-op and focus on vinifying his own fruit. Parcels are mostly on steep slopes over granite, with a little sandy clay topsoil.

Jean was joined in 2017 by his good friend Jaques Maurice, also looking to leave the local co-op to have more input over his own fruit. A companion to help in the vines and the cave has really energised Jean, and the wines found even more focus in the last decade.

These are among our favourite expressions of Syrah, with good energy, delicate tannins and real depth, and the latest white from Jean continues the trick of gaining real tension and minerality from varieties not renowned for either.

Jean is masterful in his balance, but credits much of it to his fruit, and retaining the energy in the parcels, which hum with life.

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Now Available:

2024 - VDF Viognier Roussane
50/50 blend from loess soils. Pressed directly, fermented and aged in tank. Mineral and flinty, with a bright crunch of apple, lovely bit of stone-fruit weight and honeysuckle lift.

2022 - Lune Rousse (Roussanne)
The Roussane is from a younger parcel of vines on the plateau beside Jean's house, vinified in tank and aged for a year in concrete egg and a larger old barrel, with no additions. Absolutely pristine, has aged beautifully.

2023 - VDF Syrah
100% Syrah from granitic soils, a mix of whole bunch and destemmed fruit, and raised in tank, with no sulphites added. A wonderfully pure and aromatic expression: black fruit, olive core, a nice bit of weight up front and soft, supple tannin.

2023 - Premier Quartier (Syrah)
From parcels on an east-facing slope at 330m, over deep granitic gravel. Plantings from the early 1980's and massal selection vines from 2006-2008. 12 months ageing in big old Bordeaux barrels. Vivid and lifted, bright fruit struck with a great saline olive balance and garrigue herbal edge.

2022 - Pleine Lune (Syrah)
Pleine Lune is a south-facing slope, among the warmest of the farm's parcels of Syrah. Aged for 12 months in large 600l barrels. No added sulphur. Softer and supple. Plump, juicy fruit, bags of blackcurrant and blackberry, hedgerow lift.

2021 - Chemin Faisant (Syrah)
The oldest vines, planted in 1974 from massal selection, close to the Premier Quartier parcel, but on much shallower soils, over almost pure granite. 12 months in demi-muid, no additions. This is the fullest of the tranche we've received, with deep cassis fruit and spice, beautifully integrated acidity.

FOR ALL WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: HELLO@WINESUTB.COM

Photographs of Jean & the vineyards by Bryan McComb