Le Quai à Raisins
2020
Umami
Muscat, Grenache
Languedoc, France

Imogen Berry and Robin Althoff met when they both studied viticulture in Montpellier. Robin came from a winemaker family, and Imogen got interested in the craft because she traveled in South America. Together they worked and traveled in more wine regions like California and South Africa. Initially, they started by buying grapes from various vintners from the Beaujolais to the Roussillon. In 2019 they managed to buy their first plot and have since acquired roughly 7 hectares around Aubais, which are slowly transformed to bio-dynamic farming. The Languedoc enables them to have enough freedom with their quest for being environmentally friendly while producing pure and qualitative wines.

Relatively young Grenache and older Muscat grapes merge into this absolutely clean Petillant Naturel. They source négoce grapes from Robert Pouderoux in Roussilon, which means they buy the grapes and vinify them in their cellar. As we’re are pretty south, they picked already in early August and pressed the juice directly. The fermentation started in open vats until the sugar level was good enough to continue in the bottle, where it spend 9 months on the lees (dead yeast). Before being ready, it was disgorged to get rid of most of the yeast. The result is a beautiful and clear Fizz which can almost be mistaken for a traditional sparkling wine. The name is teasing it already, but this is a complete show of many flavors: peach, pear, apple, citrus, melon, salt, with a slightly creamy texture. Pairs amazingly well with Japanese foods with a sweet and salty component.

This wine is part of
 
Volume 36: The Power Edition