Nicolas Vauthier has been a big fan of natural wines, and on the forefront of promoting the wines he loves, for many years. He created a wonderful natural wine bar/store/restaurant in the city of Troyes and ran it for ten years (Troyes is not far from the Lassaigne vineyards in Champagne, so we have had many dinners at his Crieurs de Vin!). But Nicolas wanted to make wine after selling it for years, and he created a sort of garage “negoce” house in Avallon, in the northern part of Burgundy near Chablis.
Bourgogne Chitry – Back to the top
Print Bourgogne Chitry tech sheet
Varietals: Pinot Noir
Soil: Kimmeridgian chalky limestone (same as Chablis)
Vinification Method: Nicolas selects and buys grapes that are still on the vines and harvests them with his own team of harvesters. All grapes are hand-picked. The wine is fermented in large wooden tanks. The fermentation starts protected by CO2 with a light stomping (yes, with his feet!). He doesn’t use any sulfites until bottling. Aged 8 to 12 months in barrels.
Aligoté – Back to the top
Tasting Note: After opening the bottle, the naked person on the cork invites sipping this natural wine. Rich, honey nose and slightly cloudy aspect. Slight refreshing bubbles on the mouth. A ripe and balanced Aligoté.
Pairing: Great by itself or with shellfish or a simple fish dinner. Also salads and medium-hard goat cheese.
Irancy – Back to the top
François’ family house is near Irancy, and in years of tasting we were sad to hardly find a kindred spirit there in terms of natural winemaking. When Nicolas Vauthier found a plot of vines where he could buy the grapes and influence the growing, we were excited. The 2009 Irancy he produced lives up to our expectations.
Varietals: Pinot Noir
Vinification Method: Fermented in different sized oak barrels.
Tasting Notes: Fruit and pepper on the mouth. Well balanced. No SO2.
