Translation missing: en.Gramenon + Henri Germain + La Calmette from Cahors Tasting This Saturday from 3pm-6pm! + New Shop Hours: Gramenon + Henri Germain + La Calmette from Cahors Tasting This Saturday from 3pm-6pm! + New Shop Hours
Gramenon
Domaine Gramenon are one of the most sought-after domaines of the Southern Rhône with a unique backstory. In 1990 Michelle and her husband Philippe established their winery and young family in Montbrison-sur-Lez encompassing some ancient vineyards containing 100+ year old vines. Winemaker Philippe quickly gained international acclaim for his concentrated and complex wines resulting from minimal-intervention techniques, but in 1999 tragedy struck when Philippe was suddenly killed in a hunting accident. Michelle was devastated yet determined that the winery would continue in his tradition. She has been at the reins ever since with the help of her son Maxime François who continue to farm and make wine together that people from all over the world chase.
Today, Michelle works roughly 26 hectares together with her son, along organic and biodynamic principles and and makes wine with the gentlest touch in the cellar. Not only do they farm their vineyards this way, they also embody and live sustainably growing their own food and raising their own animals. In the cellar, they use gravity-fed tanks and age their wines in oak demi-muids and foudres. The wines are not fined or filtered and are bottled with only the smallest amount of sulphur - a risk they deem necessary to highlight the nuances of old vines in unique terroir while also loving to push the boundaries of the appellation.
We've just picked up some of these fantastic wines to share with you. We have the '24 'Cotes du Rhone La Sagesse' which is composed from 2 parcels of 60 year old vines and drinks with a high degree of silkiness and subtlety. The '24 'Cotes du Rhone L'Emouvante' - a very rare wine made from the oldest vines of Syrah on the estate and can go toe-to-toe with their top flagship Grenache. Finally, the '24 'La Meme Ceps Centennaires' is the pinnacle of the Domaine, coming from Grenache vines of about 130 years old. This is a wine to ponder and take your time with. There are only small amounts of these wines in circulation do don't hesitate to pick these up!
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Henri Germain
Henri Germain is perhaps the most underrated producer of white wine (and red, for that matter (in all of the Côte d'Or). Those that are in the know already know of how fantastic his wines are and it seems in recent years more export markets have clued in as well. Germain is the favourite winemaker of many other exceptional winemakers in Burgundy including none other than: Bruno Clair, Olivier Lamy, Benjamin Leroux and Thierry Pillot. This is your favourite winemaker's favourite winemaker.
Germain's methods are very traditional with organic farming, low yields and cellar work that keeps interference to a minimum. In 2004, thanks to subtle changes in viti and vini culture, the wines became more textural and more intense as a departure from the previous more austere wines that they produced. The hands-off vinification involves no added yeasts, no enzymes, nor any bâtonnage (bar extremely austere vintages like 1996). If the lees are ideal, the wines are not racked and the élevage lasts 18 months for the village wines and a full 22 months for the remaining wines. The wines are rarely fined or filtered and the cold cellars make for a very long, slow élevage, the malolactic conversion is always late, and the primary fermentations typically take between three and twelve months. Importantly, the wines see little new oak, usually between 20-30%.
We've already sold some of these wines that we bought from Henri Germain but we still have a little left to go around. Firstly, we have the '23 'Aligote' which comes from a single plot of vines planted in 1976 and ages half in wood and half in tank for 12 months. The '23 'Côte d'Or Bourgogne Blanc' is an excellent introduction to Germain's whites. We have a few bottles of the '22 'Meursault' left which comes from 7 different lieux-dits within Meursault from vines averaging 15-70 years old. We also have a white from outside of Meursault - the 'Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Les Fairendes 1er' in 2022 and 2023 vintages which is sourced from one of the 20 lieux-dits within this Premier Cru. Racy and mineral unlike many other wines from this site. The last white we have is the '23 'Meursault Charmes 1er' - a tightly wound Premier Cru full of energy and tension from one of the best sites in Meursault. This is one of Burgundy's greatest treasures, snap up these last few bottles before it's too late!
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La Calmette Tasting
Saturday 27th
3pm-6pm
Join us this Saturday as we taste through the enigmatic wines of La Calmette from Cahors!
Cahors is a region that most people are only vaguely familiar with (if at all) due to it being the origin of Malbec, but there is a whole world of unexplored terroirs, indigenous grape varieties and styles of wine to dive into.
La Calmette was established in 2015 by Maya Sallée and Nicolas Fernandez, having discovered via Fabien Jouves, a side of Cahors they didn’t realise existed. Maya grew up in Latin America, her father was at the forefront of fair-trade coffee in France, working directly with growers over 30 years ago. Nicolas, originally from Rioja, moved to the French Basque when he was young. With Oenology and agronomist degrees, they have travelled extensively and have experience working at Château Margaux, Opus One and Domaine Gauby in Rousillon.
La Calmette are located in Trespoux-Rassiels, on the limestone causses overlooking the village Cahors. Maya and Nicolas’s 10 hectares of vineyards situated on the plateau. The soils here are what make these wines truly remarkable, a mix of clay limestone, Kimmeridgian limestone and Siderolithic. Farming organically since their inception, the estate received organic certification in 2019, followed biodynamic certification in 2020. These are the wines that we'll be pouring on the day:
La Calmette Nyctalope Pet Nat 2022
La Calmette Resurgences Blanc 2022
La Calmette Serpent a Plume Rouge 2023
La Calmette Trespotz Rouge 2023
La Calmette Peau a Peau Rouge 2023
A line up wines from Cahors that includes a Malbec Pet Nat and a white wine is not something that comes around every day. Don't miss out on trying these special wines!
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New Store Hours
We have some new opening hours effective from next week on Monday the 29th of June. Our shop hours going forward will be as below:
Monday: 10am - 8pm
Tuesday: 10am - 8pm
Wednesday: 10am - 8pm
Thursday: 10am - 8pm
Friday: 10am - 8pm
Saturday: 10am - 8pm
Sunday: 10am - 7pm
We look forward to seeing you next week!