After all of these years spent as both amateurs and professionals, we continue to be inspired by natural wine; how it makes us feel (high), what it can do to our own ways of seeing the world, and perhaps most importantly how it brings people together.
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Francois Grinand
Bugey, France
In what is becoming a more than familiar story about the 2021 vintage, it was quite the struggle for Francois Grinand’s La Vigne du Perron domaine in the Bugey. Instead of the usual five or six cuvées produced each year, Francois was able to make only a couple out of what little grapes he had left—one red, one white. And since he only worked with the high potential grapes that managed to survive the insanely tough growing season, the resulting wines are very high in quality themselves, and show what Grinand, an admittedly sometimes hard to follow vigneron and his corner of the alpine Bugey are all about.
Katarina 2021
Chardonnay + a little Altesse
$48
“One of François oldest cuvees and perhaps the most typical of his native Bugey, which afterall is an extension of the Jura massif. This chardonnay is tense and nervy, offset by the feeling of honey on the pallet [sic] and what I can only describe as the smell of elderflower. Exceptionally in 2021, it also includes a few drops of Altesse!” - Importer’s notes
Persanne 2021
Mondeuse + a little Pinot Noir and Gamay
$48
“The Mondeuse fared better than the other reds and it dominates this blend, which also includes traces of Pinot and Gamay.” - Importer’s notes