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London Wine Fair : Organic, Biodynamic & Sustainable Stories
12 May 2017Stand B22
Environmental and ethical working practices are at the heart of our portfolio of wines and cognacs. We only work with producers who take these concerns seriously and place them at the centre of their daily working practices. The following is a small selection of wines from our portfolio made following sustainable, organic and biodynamic philosophies.
Simonnet-Febvre Esprit de Lyre
Esprit de Lyre comes from Simonnet-Febvre’s newest project in a little known Burgundian region of Auxois. In 1840 there were almost 4500 hectares planted to vine here however following phylloxera, vine growing died out in favour of other types of agriculture. In the 1970s a few experimental vines were replanted trained on the Lyre system to capture maximum sunlight which started the process of the region gaining its IGP Coteaux de l’Auxois in 1996. Despite this until recently little wine was made in this area but today Simonnet-Febvre are one of a very small handful of growers working to revive the potential of this region.
Simonnet-Febvre has 15 hectares of hillside vineyards in the Auxois which are the original plantings from the 1970s. Each year they are gradually planting more vines on this site. They work vineyards sustainably, adopting many organic principals and using additions only when necessary. There are four varieties in Simonnet-Febvre’s vineyards; Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Esprit de Lyre is 100% Auxerrois, produced in stainless steel and aged on lees, it is a wine that combines delicate fruit flavours and freshness.
Michel Redde Pouilly-Fumé La Moynerie
The Redde family have been vignerons for 13 generations. Their 40 hectare domaine is one of the largest in the appellation and sits on a diverse range of soils and aspects including Kimmeridgian Marl, Portlandian Limestone, Creteaceous Silex and Oxfordian Limestone. Their newest vineyard Les Champs des Froids is on the site of an old quarry. Jamie Goode recently wrote “I have seen a lot of vineyards in my relatively short career, but this one was one of the most remarkable. Flint on flint.”
La Moynerie is the Redde’s principal wine and takes its name from the domaine. It comes from vineyards located on all four soil types from vines aged between 20 and 25 years old. It is a balanced and expressive example of the wines produced by the family. The Redde’s work sustainably with minimal additions in the vineyard and winery.
McHenry Hohnen's wines are the result of more than 30 years of biological farming, winegrowing and winemaking in Margaret River. Their vineyards are all farmed following biodynamic principals and winemaking follows simple, traditional principles with minimum additives to make the genuine characters of the wine sing.
Amigos white is a blend of Marsanne Chardonnay and Roussanne. It undergoes a wild fermentation, 50% in barrels and 50% in stone fermenters. The resulting wine is textural and many layered. Marsanne brings weight and subtle aromatics, Chardonnay adds viscosity and richness. Roussanne is leaner and brings mineral character along with racy acidity.
Seresin Estate Pinot Gris 2015
Seresin Estate was founded 25 years ago by Michael Seresin. From the beginning he wanted to produce expressive wines as naturally as possible, taking inspiration from some of the producers he had visited in Europe. Today Seresin are certified Biodynamic by Demeter and Organic by Bio Gro. Their winemaker Clive Dougall takes a low intervention approach, using no additives with the exception of low levels of Sulphur.
The Pinot Gris is the newest addition to our range and we are happy to introduce it to the UK. The wine comes from the clay hillsides of the Raupo Creek Vineyard and alluvial shingles of the Noa Vineyard. It underwent a natural fermented in old oak barrels.
Louis Latour Aloxe-Corton Les Chaillots
Maison Latour have actively worked to decrease their environmental foot print since the 1990s when they adopted sustainable working practices. Sustainable working practices are the accumulation of many elements including protection of the ecosystem, respect for terroir, canopy and soil management, adoption of organic practices and a deep understanding of climate and geology. Louis Latour have ISO 14001 accreditation and are members of FARRE.
Aloxe-Corton Les Chaillots is a four hectare plot surrounding Chateau Corton Grancey. Its relative isolation means that there is less impact from surrounding vineyards and so Louis Latour have chosen to manage this plot organically. The wine is made in Aloxe-Corton following time honoured and artisanal methods before ageing in barrels from Louis Latour's own cooperage in the cellars deep beneath the Corton hillside.
Viu Manent Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
Viu Manent's sustainability policy is all encompassing going far beyond the vineyard and has seen them address working practices throughout their business. It has led to initiatives such as carbon neutral delivery and recycling schemes for liquid and solid waste. They have received accreditation from Wines of Chile, CEMARS and The Carbon Neutral Company.
Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon comes from San Carlos vineyard near Cunaco in Central Colchagua. The vineyard was established more than 100 years ago with vines imported from France first planted here more than 100 years ago. Today the vines still grow on their own roots in deep sandy clay soils of alluvial origin. Extensive studies have given Viu Manent an in-depth knowledge of not only their soils but how plants behave in individual sectors which allows their vines to grow in balance and has an impact on the character of the resulting wines.
Wakefield Promised Land Shiraz Cabernet
In common with many family owned companies the Taylors of Wakefield Wines place environmental responsibility and stewardship at the heart of their business in order to protect the legacy that they leave for future generations. They have a comprehensive environmental policy in place that includes energy efficiency, land and biodiversity management, water conservation and waste management and are leaders in this field. They have hold ISO 14001 accreditation and launched 80 Acres the world's first cradle to grave carbon neutral wine in 2007.
Promised Land wines are crafted by Wakefield to be instantly approachable. The fruit for these wines comes from the family's own Clare Valley vineyards and other premium South Australian regions such as Padthaway, Coonaware and Barossa. They are designed to be fun, fruit-driven and offer tremendous value. Promised Land wines are bottles in light weight glass bottles.
On tasting
Tuesday 9.30am – 12.00pm | Wednesday 9.30am – 12.00pm
Don’t forget to join us in the last half an hour of the day for a Frapin cocktail and a demonstration of how using dry or hot chais during maturation can impact cognac.