New from Petite Nature
We write with no shortage of excitement to let you know we have just released a couple of new Petite Nature wines - the first of the 2023 vintage. Find them here.
We felt very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time (Les Anonymes, 2023) when we ran into Pauline Maziou after around two years of failed attempts to spirit a bit of natural wine out of her cellar and into to ours.
Since then we've been so happy to see the love they've received and, after catching up with Paulette at the Loire Salons just a few days ago (C'era una Volta this time, picture above) the growing buzz around her table was undeniable as people queued up to taste.
Originally from the Ardèche, Paulette returned to follow the path of natural winemaking after leaving a media job in the city in pursuit of a lifestyle more in touch with, and in respect of nature.
She trained formally before a stretch learning on the job with Jean Delobre of La Ferme des Sept Lunes and Daniel Sage of Force Boisson; two names one might associate with some of the most expressive natural wines of the Northern Rhône. Both of whom can be seen to have made an impression on her style and approach.
The project is split between wines from her tiny 2.5-hectare domaine and those she makes buying fruit from Pascal Lambert's certified organic domaine in the Gard, further south. Today's releases are part of that latter négociant range.
In the cramped cellar beneath her home the approach is strictly zero-zero; spontaneous fermentations, racking the wine by gravity, no filtration and nothing added at any stage.
Once you have tasted it's easy to see what the fuss is about Perfume and elegance, with a plush concentration of fruit and a fluid, gradient texture that make them so distinctive.
Chalouper 2023 and Soricieres 2023 are now available in extremely limited quantities.
A second release will follow in the spring.
