Nice: april 2025

Camin Larredya

White Blend

Jurançon

Former professional rugby player and La Revue du vin de France’s “2023 Vigneron de l’Année,” Jean-Marc Grussaute has elevated Jurançon's historic Camin Larredya to international fame. With the unexpected early passing of his father, a very young Jean-Marc returned home from his life in sports and quickly converted his family’s 9.5 hectares to organic farming. The vines are grown on the higher altitude eastern side of the appellation on a series of verdant, amphitheater-shaped, south-oriented terraces on limestone and limestone conglomerate bedrock (known as Poudingue de Jurançon) covered in shallow, rocky clay topsoil. The influence of both Atlantic and Pyrenean winds is felt in his blends of sweet and dry Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Petit Courbu. In the cellar, Jean-Marc combines tradition and innovation using old barriques, large Stockinger foudres, Tava amphoras, and amphora eggs.

The wine we have here is The Jurançon Sec “Part Davant” which comes from a southeast-facing plot planted to 50% Gros Manseng, 30% Petit Manseng, 20% Petit Courbu in 1950/2010 on a steep hill of “Poudingue de Jurançon” bedrock with a shallow clay topsoil. Its natural fermentation lasts for about 60 days in oak foudre.

The wine is rich yet utterly contemplative, and super food friendly. The tractional wines of Jurançon are sweet and rather boring, yet Jean-Marc has bucked the trend and made dry wines with a true sense of place.

Pairing: Bharazi

Fun fact: He was an alternate for the French Rugby team in the World Cup.

Gruhier

Pinot Noir

Burgundy

Dominique Gruhier has had a rough ride. Yet he is one of the warmest, most charming, welcoming, well-mannered, and smiling men we know. As his domaine and his (currently) obscure appellation attract customers, he has been able to make the investments and changes that were necessary to let his talent shine. What beautiful wines have emerged! Fine, sexy, juicy, vivacious, saline and chalky. They are some of the greatest values in our entire portfolio for Pinot Noir, but not just any Pinot Noir: Chablisien Pinot Noir.

Dominique grew up in Tonnerre, only a mile away from the winery he now owns in Epineuil. Though his maternal grandfather was a négociant in the Côte d’Or, his parents didn’t have vineyards and weren’t in the wine trade. After high school, Dominique went to Dijon to study mechanical engineering, but soon discovered that engineering was not what he wanted to do.

He wanted to be in the vineyard, and dang was that the right choice.

Dom makes wines in the village of Epineuil, located just 10 minutes northeast of Chablis. This is traditionally white-wine country, but he has staked his name on Pinot Noir. His wines are unlike the rest of reds you find in burgundy, with distinct mineral yet great freshness from being at the northernmost part of the appellation.

Pairing: Lamb Biryani

Fun fact: Dominque will be visiting Corbeau this summer!

Planeta

Frappato

Sicily

Planeta’s journey began at Sambuca di Sicilia, on the estate owned by the family since the 1600s. Here, three enthusiastic young Sicilians, Alessio, Francesca and Santi Planeta, under the guidance of Diego Planeta, began their winemaking venture in the mid-1980s. Subsequent years were spent matching the extraordinarily diverse Sicilian soils with both indigenous and international varieties.

Each vineyard site is carefully cultivated with grapes that best compliment the local terroir. Frappatto is a rare grape variety cultivated on only a few hectares, it is best expressed in the red sands of Vittoria, not far from the sea.

Notes of rose and candied violet are typical, with a elegant smokey tone. On the palate, much red fruit with balsamic tones.

Pairing: Your grandma’s spaghetti recipe, even if its from a jar.

Fun fact: The soils of Mt. Etna are the youngest of any wine growing region.