Corbières - A Natural Wine Hot Spot
Over recent years, the villages in the Corbières mountain range have become a hot spot for young natural winemakers. We first visited around 2019 but since then, an artisan bakery, great restaurant and other creative businesses have helped create a budding community in the region so we were excited to return in September 2024. It also gave us a glimpse of what was to come from 3 of our favourite winemakers in the area.
Jean-Benoit Vivequain and his partner Anna Rubio are the dynamic duo behind La Voluta. JB has been producing natural wines in the picturesque village of Cucugnan since 2017 and Anna creates some of the most beautiful labels we have ever seen (which she also supplies for Marius at Sense Pressa).
(JB in the cellar)
The wines are often a blend of different vintages and offer deep layers layers of complexity whilst also showcasing freshness and balance. We have a wide array of older cuvées available here but we are also really excited about the newest release, Tembo 2024 which is a lighter style than some previous cuvées. Made with Grenache and Carignan grapes all harvested in 2024, this is a clean and precise red wine with a light to medium body. The perfect bottle as we come towards the end of Summer.
(The village of Cucugnan)
Just down the road is the village of Padern, home to the aforementioned Café des Sports restaurant but also to Sense Pressa, the project of Marius Long. He grew up in Paris and was introduced to natural wine through the restaurant scene that his family was involved in. He craved a life closer to nature where he could realise his winemaking dream and this brought him to this beautiful setting.
(Marius Long in his cellar in the village of Padern)
He farms 4 hectares of red grape varieties and we have been loving every single release so far (at time of writing, still have a bottle of Rumba 2023 in stock). With a desire to produce some white cuvées, he created a negotiant side project, Joli Raisin, in order to get his hands on some white varieties. We were visiting his cellar when these were being vinified and Joanna even joined in on stomping the grapes...
These have now arrived on our shores and we can't wait to see what you think. Zibibbo 2024 is made from 100% Muscat grapes and is an ode to the style famous in Sicily, hence the name. 2 weeks of skin contact dials down the heavy aromatics and creates a sophisticated skin contact wine with some delicate herbaceous notes.
Waf 2024 drinks more like a white wine with a focus on minerals provided by the Grenache Gris and a delicate touch of floral aromatics and tropical fruit from the Muscat. Two distinctly different cuvées offering contrasting drinking experiences. We love!
Just down the road a little further is the village of Paziols where you can find Domaine de Mena. We have been fans of the wines for a while, particularly their 100% Muscat cuvée (can you see a trend here??) of which we have just received the new vintage. Super Singla 2024 is made with 2 weeks of skin contact and has been getting more refined every year. With delicate and complex notes of jasmine, apricots and white peach, this is a beautiful bottle for the warmer months.
For the very first time, winemaker Seb has tried his hands at creating a Pet Nat and he's already landed on a winner with Plein Gas 2024. Made from Marselan grapes, this is a dark pink (or light red) fizz brimming with fresh red fruit and some subtle candied notes. Extremely thirst quenching.
So, something for everyone. Take your palate on a tour of the Corbières today...
Happy drinking!
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