4th generation winemaker, Professor of Viticulture, Tenerife native, Juan Jesus has spent the past 25 years dedicated to preserving the indigenous grapes of Tenerife.

Ungrafted vines are 100+ old in volcanic soils, 300-700 meters in elevation in the northwestern part of the island. Hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, aged 3 months in used 225L French oak barrels.

Concentrated layers of black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, red currant, roasted sage, black pepper, licorice, smoky earth framed by fine grain tannins and fresh acidity.

Black currant and blueberry linger on the smoky finish.

Viñátigo Listán Negro Tenerife DOP 2019

 4th generation winemaker, Professor of Viticulture

Pioneering winemaker, clay amphora innovator Francesco Cirelli farms 23 hectares of certified organic land in the sandy hills of Colline Teramane, near the Adriatic Sea.

From a 2 hectare vineyard with calcium and clay soils. Grapes are destemmed, gently pressed with maceration on the skins. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in stainless steel followed by 3 months ageing in stainless steel. Unfined and unfiltered

Wild strawberry, cherry, hibiscus, sea spray, shake of white pepper, cinnamon glossed by tangy acidity.

Light, dusty tannins fuse with cranberry and cherry on the saline mineral, crisp finish.

Cirelli La Collina Biologica Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC 2020

 Pioneering winemaker, clay amphora innovator Francesco

Antonio and Daniela di Gruttola save indigenous, old vineyards in Irpinia that were at risk of being abandoned or uprooted.

Grapes are from a 70 year old vineyard located 450 meters in elevation. Spontaneous fermentation on the skins with wild yeasts for a couple of days, followed by 1 year in chestnut casks. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulphur. ➖

Intricate tiers of grapefruit, peach, nectarine, plum, lavender, clover honey, saline minerality flanked by green tea tannins and tangy acidity.

Pear, white pepper, ginger, wildflowers, smoky earth infuse the salty finish. Dynamic, vibrant, compelling.

Cantina Giardino ‘Paski’ Coda di Volpe Campania IGP 2018

 Antonio and Daniela di Gruttola save indigenous, old

Anneliese and Werner Michlit live in harmony with nature, agriculture and viticulture in the middle of a World Heritage Site in Seewinkel, on the eastern side of Lake Neusidl in Burgenland

Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts with skin maceration for about 20 days in concrete eggs, aged on the lees for 1 year

Orange, pink grapefruit, apricot, apple, mango accented by tingly acidity.

Green tea tannins fuse with peach, mango and citrus zest on the crisp mineral finish.

Field Blend of Gewürztraminer, Gelber Traminer, Roter Traminer

Meinklang ‘Konkret’ Weiss Burgenland 2016

 Anneliese and Werner Michlit live in harmony with nature

𝑬𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒃 “𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆” 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏, 2018

📍Traben-Trarbach, Mosel, Germany🇩🇪

The wine was decanted a few hours before first test.

Very dark and golden color - probably from the late harvested grapes and the tiny maceration.

The aromas are powerful and delicate, offering ripe pear, lemon peel, beeswax, baked lemon, mild petrol, old eraser, dark honey, lemon wine gum, wet and smoky stones and lees.

On the palate, the wine is rich and creamy (not heavy) with a sick acidity to balance the body. Ripe pomelo, nectarine, lemon peel, a mild green bitterness, lemon verbena, honey (without being sweet) and white wine gum. Very fine minerality, lots of salt and a hint of salmiak in the finish.

• Hand-harvested from the famous and steep Enkircher Ellergrub vineyard

• Naturally fermented in 8-year-old barrique

This is the first Ellergrub “Reserve” wine from Weiser-Künstler, and probably the last for a long time, since it was kind of a (happy) accident. In the very hot vintage of 2018, Konstantin Weiser and Alexandra Künstler were waiting and waiting for the humidity causing the botrytis - but it never came. The vines were actually ment to be used for an Ellergrub Auslese, but instead, the overripe and very sweet grapes (still in perfect condition) resulted in a dry Riesling Reserve with high alcohol for its kind.

Konstantin and Alexandra started the winery in 2005, and quickly they were on the lips of the biggest international wine personalities. They farm a little morethan 4 ha of Riesling, all biodynamic and with a low amount of sulfur.

 ⭐️91/100⭐️ 𝑬𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒃 “𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆” 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏, 2018

𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒎, 2018

Umbria might not be the biggest and most famous appellation in Italy, but with many upcoming names focusing on biodynamics and low intervention wines, the future seems bright.

Fongoli, run by Letizia and Angelo, has worked organically since the beginning of the winery’s history in 1927. Their portfolio of wines range from the more classic to the more juicy and “fun” wines - all made with care and nature in mind.

• The local Trebbiano Spoletino, used here, is distinct from Trebbiano Toscano by, most often, producing wine with a richer texture and more overt and deep fruit and having a less bright acidity.

• Spontaneous fermentation in open vats

• Aged in steel tanks for a few months on the lees

The aromas are very expressive. Heavy and fresh at the same time, offering notes of warm apple juice, tangerine peel, canned peaches, dried apricot, mango puré, honey and chamomile with hints of spray painting, sweet liquorice and asphalt.

The palate in rich with fine grained tannins and a medium acidity and a prickling minerality. Nice crunchy mouth feeling.

Semidried apricot, bitter orange jam, grilled pineapple, pepper and herbs on the tongue. Walnut and salt on the finish.

Nice, but gets a bit mousy pretty quick, though.

 ⭐️88+/100⭐️ 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒎, 2018 📍Montefalco, Umbria, Italy🇮🇹 🍇

𝑮𝒆𝒍𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒌𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒗𝒐𝒎 𝑶𝒑𝒐𝒌, 2018

In the village of Leutschach in southern Steiermark (Styria), Maria and Sepp own 10 hectares of vineyards - all farmed biodynamically and organically (Demeter certified since 2003).

Sepp took over the vineyards from his father in 2000, but the estate’s history dates back to 1727, which is one of the main reasons for the many old vines.

Their vineyards are located on steep hills (400 meters altitude) mainly on soil locally known as “Opok”. It looks like slate but is in fact a rare mix of clay, limestone and silt. Opok is one of the key elements for the characteristics of Muster’s wines, according to Sepp.

* Spontaneous fermentation in 2400 liter oval wooden barrels with indigenous yeast

* Bottled without fining or filtration, no sulfur added.

After a bit of air, light aromas of green apple, lime and lemon peel, fennel, applecider vinegar and a touch of green olives came out the glass.

On the tongue, the wine has got a medium body with high acidity.

Green gooseberry (sour and sweet), lemon juice, green apple and pickled ginger and fresh green bell pepper. It’s very mineral in the finish - salt(!) and beach stones.

 ⭐️89/100⭐️ 𝑮𝒆𝒍𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒌𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒗𝒐𝒎 𝑶𝒑𝒐𝒌, 2018 📍Steiermark

Acquiring small, abandoned vineyards along Lake Bolsena in Lazio, Massimo Antonuzi and Patrizia Montanari revitalized old [70+ years], un-grafted native vines, saving them from extinction or being ripped out.

Organic and biodynamic cultivated vines are in volcanic soils [a mix of tuff/sand/rock], 400-550 meters above sea level. Hand harvested and destemmed, crushed by foot. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeast with 10 day skin maceration in fiberglass tanks. Aged in old oak and chestnut barrels for at least 1 year. Unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2.

Vivid blood orange, apricot, apple, honeysuckle, sea salt glossed by citrus acidity and supple green tea tannins. Orange zest infuses the smoky mineral finish.

85% Procanico, 10% Trebbiano, 5% Malvasia

 Acquiring small, abandoned vineyards along Lake Bolsena in

Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault Virtual Tasting and Interview with Xavier Amirault·

🎙 Join my Instagram Live interview with Winemaker and Owner Xavier Amirault from

 in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, France, on Wednesday, June 10th, at 9:00 am PST. Xavier and his wife Agnès Biodynamically farm an estate of 92 acres across 12 distinct soil types. Xavier is also a champion of the wines from St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil·

🍷 We will be tasting three different wines that are all 💯 Cabernet Franc, each from a unique soil type and all from the 2015 vintage - Le Clos des Quarterons Vielles Vignes, Les Gravilices, and Le Vau Renou. Please join our Instagram Live and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories·

 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault Virtual Tasting and

Interview with Helena and Clemens Lageder of Alois Lageder

.lageder . We discussed Biodynamic Viticulture in Alto Adige and how they are working with vine-growers to convert to Organic or Biodynamic practices. We talked about the Porer Pinot Grigio and how using skin contact short, and long term can help retain a perception of freshness in the wines. We talked about the origin and intent of the Summa wine conference. Finally, we talked about how to be a successful family-run winery.

 Interview with Helena and Clemens Lageder of Alois Lageder

2015 San Polino - Brunello di Montalcino (92 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Sangiovese Grosso from certified Organic and Biodynamic vineyards in the Brunello di Montalcino sub-region of Tuscany, Italy. The vines were planted in 1998 and 2007. Indigenous yeast fermentation with 30-40 days of maceration in large Slavonian oak vats. The wine was aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for three years before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe black cherry, blackcurrant, red plum, sage, oregano, pencil eraser, and a touch sanguine.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, high drying tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and medium+ body. The palate has a dusty texture but is framed by the acidity and the tannins built with each sip. A medium+ length finish of ripe black cherry and oregano.

🔔 San Polino makes wonderful Brunellos. This wine, when initially opened, was tightly wound. It needed a few hours in the decanter to coax the aromatics to show themselves. Some drinkers may find the structure to fruit ratio overly drying on the palate, mostly if consumed without food. Drinkers that can wait 3-5 years should be handsomely rewarded.

 2015 San Polino - Brunello di Montalcino (92 pts) @brunello

ℹ️ This wine is a blend of 60% Nero d'Avola and 40% Frappato from estate vineyards in the appellation of Vittoria of Sicily, Italy. The vineyard is certified organic, but they do work Biodynamically as well.  The average vine age is 25 years old. The grapes are hand-harvested. The indigenous yeast fermentation takes place in unlined terracotta amphorae. The wine is aged in amphorae for 9 months and then rested in the bottle for 3 months before release. Pithos is the Greek word for amphora.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe strawberry, sour cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, peony, elderflower, gamey, and slight lambic sour beer

👄 The wine is dry, medium acidity, medium round tannins, med alcohol (12%), and medium+ body. A medium length finish of strawberry, rhubarb, and florals.

🔔 Initially, when this wine was opened, it was extremely "Natty," showing sour beer and yeasty funk than anything else. However, with a fair amount of air, this started to open up. The Frappato is the star of the show, showing those seductive floral notes, and it married well with the ripe and earthy notes of the Nero d'Avola. Overall, I prefer the Cerasuolo di Vittoria bottlings from COS.

 2018 COS - Pithos Rosso @aziendaagricolacos ℹ️ This wine is

2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Les Clos des Quarterons Vieilles Vignes St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (92pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Cabernet Franc from the St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil appellation in the Loire Valley of France. The vineyards are certified Organic and Biodynamic. The Vieilles Vignes is less than 10% of the production from the best old vine plots that are at least over 40 years old. The soil type of gravel and silty clay with some limestone. The grapes are hand-harvested, then macerate in a tank for 5-6 weeks. The wine is aged for 12 to 18 months in demi-muids (500 l barrels), with 1/6 being new.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe red cherry, black currant, raspberry, rose petal, bergamot, basil, sweet tobacco, and wet rock.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium chalky tannins, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium body. More earthy and spice notes on the palate. A medium length finish of ripe crunchy red fruit, flinty wet rock, and basil.

🔔Cabernet Franc, in the right hands, can be such an elegant grape, especially in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. This wine is lighter and crisper than a lot of the wines from Chinon and Saumur. Honestly, it comes across more Pinot Noir-esque with charming floral, herbal, and mineral notes. Tasting a glass of wine like this reminds me that I need to be exploring more producers like Xavier Amirault.

 2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Les Clos des

2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Les Clos des Quarterons Vieilles Vignes St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (91 pts)

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe red cherry, black currant, raspberry, rose petal, bergamot, basil, and wet rock.

🔔 Cabernet Franc, in the right hands, can be such an elegant grape, especially in St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. This wine is lighter and crisper than a lot of the wines from Chinon and Saumur. Honestly, it comes across more Pinot Noir-esque with charming floral, herbal, and mineral notes. Tasting a glass of wine like this reminds me that I need to be exploring more producers like Xavier Amirault.

Filipa Pato - 3B Rosé Extra Bruto Bairrada

ℹ️ This sparkling wine is a blend of 69% Baga (red) and 31% Bical (white) from the Bairrada region of Portugal. Bags and Bical are two of the three Bs in the name. I believe that the third B is for Bruto. The grapes are Biodynamically farmed, hand-harvested, and undergo indigenous yeast fermentation in stainless steel. This wine is made using the traditional method with nine months of lees aging.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe strawberry, raspberry, blood orange, and subtle floral notes.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium-size vigorous bubbles, medium- alcohol (11.5%), and medium body. A short length finish of bright red fruits and florals.

🔔 3B is an honest everyday glou glou sparkling wine. As it says on the front label, "Authentic wines without makeup." The wine shows solid red fruits, a touch of florals, and is bone-dry. Sub-$20 sparkling wine that is a traditional method and not using dosage (sugar) to cover flaws in the base fruit is rare. Crisp, fruity, and affordable that can be consumed by the case at your next summer BBQ.

 Filipa Pato - 3B Rosé Extra Bruto Bairrada @filipa _pato ℹ️

2015 Occhipinti - SP68 Bianco Sicilia IGT (89 pts)

See 📺 video review 👉 https://youtu.be/3LD7OktPNtU ·

 2015 Occhipinti - SP68 Bianco Sicilia IGT (89 pts)

2015 Occhipinti - SP68 Rosso Sicilia IGT (87 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is from the Alto Adige region of Italy. The wine is 💯 Pinot Grigio. The winery only farms with biodynamic methods of viticulture and encourages other growers to learn about these practices. The vines are 14-31 years old and grow at 230+ meters asl. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts. This wine is a blend of three different winemaking approaches as a way to preserve freshness in the face of climate change. The first approach (60%) is an immediate direct press (the most common expression of Pinot Grigio) of the grapes. In the second approach (20%), the wine stays in contact with the grape skins for 15 hours. The third approach (20%) keeps the wine on the stems and skins for 8 months. These three component wines are blended to give a perception of freshness and liveliness to the wine·

👁 Medium gold color, slight orange hue·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of peach skin, dried apple, bruised pear, honeycomb, yeast, hay, cinnamon, tarragon, and dried flowers·

👄 The wine is dry, medium acidity, low tannin, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium+ body. Slight phenolic bitterness on the medium length finish of dried orchard fruit and honeycomb·

🔔 This Pinot Grigio will reset many people's expectations of what is possible in Alto Adige with this grape. It is a perfect example of a winery not resting on its laurels and adapting the spirit of their wine in the face of climate change. Alto Adige Pinot Grigio is known for its crisp acidity, and when you give more warmth to Pinot Grigio, it loses that quickly. Skin contact brings out phenolics that give this wine texture and a touch bit. Fascinating concept and something I am looking forward to tasting over a few vintages·

 2018 Alois Lageder - Porer Pinot Grigio @alois .lageder · ℹ️

2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Le Vau Renou St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (92 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Cabernet Franc from the St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil appellation in the Loire Valley of France. The vineyards are certified Organic and Biodynamic. This wine is a blend of two vineyards: one with chalk soils and the other with clay and flint soils. The grapes are hand-harvested, followed by native yeast fermentation in small barrels with daily punch downs. The wine is aged for 24 to 30 months in a combination of French oak barriques (228 l) and demi-muids (500 l).

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe black currant, pomegranate, sweet cherry, black licorice, clove, dried roses, dried violets, and tobacco.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium fine-grained tannins, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium+ body. The silky texture on the palate. A medium+ length finish of ripe red and black fruit and dried potpourri.

🔔 My favorite of the three wines tasted from Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault. This is the silkiest texture and is seamless on the palate. The palate’s initial attack is all ripe fruit. The mid-palate shows earthiness and subtle oak spice. The finish leaves you holding a dried flower bouquet that is wonderful. Altogether a very nicely put together. Given this is 2015, it is not showing any signs of development yet, which leads me to believe that this still has considerable room to improve. At the $50 price range, this is excellent quality for the money.

 2015 Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault - Le Vau Renou

2016 Anne et Jean-François Ganevat - Le P’tiot Roukin Vin de France Rouge (90 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is a Vin de France, and the Cuvée changes significantly based on the year. Some years it a multi-regional blend of grapes from Gamay, Syrah, or ancient indigenous varieties preserved by his father but banned in the appellation guidelines. 2016 is a blend of Pinot Noir, Poulsard, and Trousseau from a 70-year old vineyard planted on marl and limestone. Biodynamically, hand-harvested, and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Semi-carbonic maceration for 10 months in a conical wood tank. This wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without the addition of Sulfur.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe red cherry, cranberry, red currant, bay leaf, and earthy.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, low soft tannins, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium- body. A medium+ length finish of crunchy red fruit and bay leaf that is surprisingly long.

🔔 This wine is an avant-garde example of what VdF and natural wine could and should taste like in the right hands. The color is hypnotizing. In the glass, this is not flashy, but pure crunchy red fruit that lingers on the palate with a slight herbal and earthiness for added complexity. There is a "low sulfur" aroma that comes across like beer foam on the nose but blows off with air. It definitely feels like a glou glou wine to me. A joy to drink, but don't overthink it.

 2016 Anne et Jean-François Ganevat - Le P’tiot Roukin Vin

Interview with Winemaker Eddy Leiber-Faller of Domaine Weinbach. We discussed a brief overview of the Alsace wine region. We talked about the Noble grape varieties and the diversity of soil types. We tasted the 2017 Pinot Blanc, 2017 Riesling Cuvée Colette, and the 2016 Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence. We covered the Biodynamic Viticulture practices, Winemaking at the Domaine, and thoughts on natural wine.

 Interview with Winemaker Eddy Leiber-Faller of Domaine

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐚 (𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐨 & 𝐆𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐧𝐢) 𝒁𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒃𝒃𝒐 𝑩𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒐, 2014

📍Pantalleria, Terre Siciliane, Italy🇮🇹

🍇 100% Zibibbo (Muscat d’Alexandria)

In a former life Gabrio Bini was an eccentric architect in Milan. Now, he’s a an eccentric winemaker in a very eccentric place: the tiny volcanic island of Pantelleria, located just south—west of Sicily.

Since the foundation of Serragghia in 2000, Gabrio has become a legend - a cult figure when it comes to natural wine - because of his skills in the toughest natural environment, and because of his personality. Today, Gabrio and his son Giotto run the winery together.

+60 years old bush vines located on some of the highest vineyards on the island - extreme sun exposure balanced with the cool breeze from the ocean and the altitude. The vineyards have never seen any chemicals, are biodynamically farmed and tended by hand and horse

• Aged 7 months on the skin in Spanish amphoras, that are buried in the vineyards, and a few months in the bottle.

• Unfined, unfiltered and no added sulphur.

Wow!!! Extremely expressive on the nose and very tropical, offering notes of grilled mango and pineapple, orange oil, dried papaya, canned peach, dried apricot, rosemary and some undefinable herbs and a smoked/burnt scent.

The palate is almost vulgarly rich and “warm” with silky soft tannins and medium(+) acidity. On the tongue; sweet/sour unfiltered apple juice, kumquats in syrup, mango, passion fruit, candied citrus, almonds and yeast. The finish is long with lots of minerality - mainly salt.

 ⭐️92+/100⭐️ 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐚 (𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐨 & 𝐆𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐧𝐢) 𝒁𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒃𝒃𝒐 𝑩𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒐

𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 “𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒐”, 2017

📍La Morra, Barolo, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹

Roberto established the winery in 1986, and today he rules over parcels on some of the best and most prestigious vineyards of La Morra.

He is an exceptional farmer and winemaker and his methods in the vines are extremely careful: He fertilize each plant (not the whole vineyard and no chemicals), and he thins out the vines at least twice before harvest - in July to make sure only 5 clusters are on each plant, and in August where he almost cuts away 30% of each cluster.

In the cellar, Roberto is considered somewhere between a modernist and a traditionalist due to his mix of small and big barrels (some new, some old), but still with a long maceration.

- Total production: Around 45.000 bottles

• Hand-harvested from the vineyards of Vigneti S. Francesco and Fontanazza in La Morra

• Spontaneous fermentation in steel tanks

• Aged 12 months in tonneaux and barrels of 25 hl each (30% new) followed by 8 months in steel tanks

Very expressive on the nose right from the start. For a Langhe, it’s very dark offering dark cherry, blackberry, strawberry wine gum, chocolate, Bassett’s brown liquorice, cloves, rose petals and violets, fresh asphalt and watermelon rind.

The palate is medium-bodied, a bit fat in structure, with fine small tannins and medium acidity. Elderberry, fresh dark cherry, sweet blueberry, black liquorice, coconut, black truffle, vanilla. Long finish with a graphite-like minerality.

Greater depth than most Langhe Nebbiolos!

 ⭐️92/100⭐️ 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 “𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒐”, 2017 📍La Morra

With a PhD in Philosophy, Marta Sierota is inspired to craft single varietal wines that express the distinctive land, soil and air from which they are grown.

Located in the hills outside of Pisa, she adheres to biodynamic principles following the lunar cycle.

Vines are in sandy-loamy soils. Hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in cement without temperature control, unfined, unfiltered.

Grippy tannins and tangy acidity flank black cherry, pomegranate, red apple, red currant, violet and grilled herbs. Hazelnut and cherry linger on the earthy finish.

Podere Anima Mundi ‘Gavagai’ Toscana Rosso IGT 2019

 With a PhD in Philosophy, Marta Sierota is inspired to

The driving force behind Alex Craighead’s winemaking is preservation of the biodiversity of the land on which he lives and makes wine.

Located in Upper Moutere, at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, his 11 hectares of vineyards are certified biodynamic and organic.

Hand harvested, vines are in alluvial, clay and gravel soils. Spontaneous fermentation on the skins for 5-10 days in clay amphora, aged in clay amphora. Bottled by gravity, unfined, unfiltered, no added S02, corked by hand.

Tangy acidity and green tea tannins flank orange, nectarine, pink grapefruit, lemon, pear, citrus blossom and trace of yellow apple.

Orange zest, melon, trace of chamomile linger on the crisp finish.

50% Gewürztraminer, 40% Riesling, 10% Pinot Gris

 The driving force behind Alex Craighead’s winemaking is

Wife and husband team Julie and Toby Bainbridge focus on crafting fresh, bright wines in Anjou.

Their 4 hectares of old vines are farmed organically, biodynamically and with minimal intervention.

Vines are 85 years in age in black schist soils. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts and carbonic maceration in stainless steel. Bottled with “a bit of leftover CO2 to further protect the wine”, unfined and unfiltered.

Transparent red-violet in colour, with aromas of black cherry, garrique, peppermint, summer woods.

Raspberry, black cherry, pomegranate, black pepper, grilled herbs, fresh acidity meld with black tea tannins.

Cranberry and strawberry infuse the spicy finish.

Julie et Toby Bainbridge ‘Cuvée 50:50’ Vin de France 2020

 Wife and husband team Julie and Toby Bainbridge focus on

The Valdisole project began in 2015 with Giuseppe Amato and Kyriaki Kalimeri behind it. Since Giuseppe doesn’t originate from a family of winemakers, he decided to buy a vineyard, and so, it happened that the first vineyard, half a hectare of abandoned Nebbiolo, was bought on a website specialized in used second-hand things (yes!).

Kyriaki, originally from Greece, is an electronic and computer engineer who entered the wine world simply out of curiosity. She met Giuseppe during sommelier classes, and shortly after, the Valdisole became reality.

“Amos” (“Άμμος”, in Greek) means sand, referring to the terroir of this vineyard, bringing elegance and finesse to the young vines (20 years old).

Hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented in steel tanks and oak tonneau, followed by two years in old barrique and 6 months in the bottle.

Only 20 mg/L sulphur are added during bottling.

An intense in-your-face-bouquet; slightly reductive to a start, followed by a heavy scent of sweet cherry wine gums, sweet Finnish liquorice, extremely floral/perfumed notes (violets , lavender and rose petals), tar, white mushrooms and a touch of fresh forest floor. After an hour, more oxidative notes came through like brown leaves, truffle and clay pot. Still very fruity.

Medium(+)-bodied with high acidity and soft tannins. It’s very direct and fruit driven - well balanced between freshness and fruit sweetness with notes of ripe strawberry, hard raspberry candy, raw liquorice root and herbs. A bit salty finish.

 ⭐️90/100⭐️ Valdisole Amos, 2017 📍Roero, Piemonte, Italy🇮🇹 🍇

Stefano Lubiana 2018 Primavera Tasmanian Pinot Noir

Recommendation: Buy; let them rest for a few years.

It is such a crowded market at the moment with pinot's, especially in that $40 price range. It is hard to differentiate between the good and the outright average. Price is never a good indication.

_lubiana_wines pinot recently being sold for $32, there is no question, it's a complete steal. Beautiful Tasmanian pinot noir. Estate grown, handmade elegance.

Bright and juicy, but I feel it is too young at the moment and needs time. I taste its potential and I'm excited for the future, so I've bought a few for the cellar. I think this will be great in a few years...simple...

 Stefano Lubiana 2018 Primavera Tasmanian Pinot Noir Rating:

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Les Amoureses”, 2016

📍Chambolle-Musigny, Bourgogne, France🇫🇷

This small but high quality domaine has holdings in the top vineyards in Chambolle such as the Grand Cru “Bonnes-Mares”, 1er Cru “Les Amoureuses” and “Les Charmes”, with vines that are around 45 years old. Bertheau has been in the business since 1984, and took over the management of the winery in 2004 carrying the philosophy of as much hand-off winemaking as possible. The domaine is certified as biodynamic with no intervention in the cellar - only indigonous yeasts, little remontage and pigeage and mainly use of 2-3 year old barrels to let the wine express itself as pure and typical for the terroir as possible.

“Les Amoureses” might be the most hailed 1er Cru vineyard in Bourgogne. There’s a general agreement in the fact, that it outshines some of the Grand Crus (and should be counted as one).

What a sensual and beautiful young wine! The bouquet needs some time to show off, but wow, the fruit and floral scents were magnificent, pure and intense with notes of blueberry, amarena cherry, violet and rose petals (with a green touch of stem), chocolate, hibiscus, warm baking spices and mild toasted oak.

The palate is soft and bold with a refined, balancing acidity.  The taste is very youthful offering fresh raspberry, cranberry juice, candied orange peel, black tea, white pepper and a dark touch of sweet cranberry sauce - a fine, medium long mineral finish.

It might sound like any other good Pinot Noir from the tasting notes, but this one is extremely well made with great elegance, power and structure. What a wine!

 ⭐️93/100⭐️ Domaine Francois Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny 1er

📍Côtes Catalanes, Languedoc-Rousillon, France🇫🇷

The small winery of Domaine de Majas, owned by Agnès and Alain Carrere, is working closely together with the biodynamic/natural wine-pioneer Tom Lubbe (Domaine Matassa), trying every year to improve their wines and spread the word of natural/biodynamic wine.

Destemmed clusters, maturation in concrete tanks, nothing added and only a tiny filtration.

Baked red berries; strawberry and cherry (fresh ones, but also some very, very overripe berries - almost a little rottenness - in the weird, good natural wine way, you know..), lavender, turpentine, forrest floor and horse stable. All build up as quite a complex and interesting nose.

Cherry, dried strawberry, olives and bay leaves with a long, smooth finish.

The tannins are clear but very soft, and the acidity is almost a little prickling.

This wine is serious value for money! I was a little more into the 2017, though. But it still does it’s job👌🏼🍷

 ⭐️85/100⭐️ Domaine de Majas Rouge, 2018 📍Côtes Catalanes

Gut Oggau is a biodynamic wine project located in the small village of Oggau in Burgenland. Eduard and Stephanie Tscheppe began the project back in 2007, when they bought and restored a 17th century winery, that had been abandoned for more than 20 years - vineyards included. The vines were standing untouched as long as the winery, which was perfect, as that allowed the Tscheppes to immediately begin working biodynamically with their viticulture. Today, they are fully Demeter-certified and one of the most well known austrian natural wineries. .

Abrand new vintage, a brand new style. The earlier vintage tended to be more herbaceous and earthy. This one is pure, funky juice. A “vin de soif” with character. The aromas of this beautiful rosé is loaded with red berries, especially strawberry and cranberry, followed by watermelon, red apple, cucumber and some quite pleasant yeasty notes to finish it off. The palate is dry with a gentle tannic level and high acidity. Once again, red ripe berries steal the show. Apple cider, light herbs, green stems, lemon and white wine vinegar.

It’s a really solid rosé. One of the better ones I’ve tried in a long time. And it’s delivered in 1 liter bottles🤪😎

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ Gut Oggau Maskerade Rosé, 2019 Oggau, Burgenland

The Brutal wine cooperation (related to the cult Barcelona wine bar, Bar Brutal) is a loose cooperation of natural winemakers. To be “accepted” into the club, the winemaker has to make a “brutal” wine (in one way or another…) - super low intervention (natural) and only one barrel of it. It has to stand out as a funky or extreme wine - it can be some sort of experimental wine as well. In generel, the Brutal label looks the same, but in some cases, the winemaker is allowed to change the style a bit.