⛳ FRESH OFF THE BOAT/LORRY/PALLET

g'day!

Isn't it great when your previously thought of great decisions are validated in the now? I had such an experience just last week. More on that below.

First.

How are you? Are we doing it for you atm? I'm in a self reflective mood this afternoon (I am actually writing this ahead of time for once) and am after some feedback. What's good? What's shit? What could be better/amazing/life changing? We wanna grow, but grow in a relevant way, ya know? It could be trivial, or maybe you have a suggestion as to which courier is the least bad. Literally anything. We will leave no stone unturned in our mission to supply you with the best piss, in the best way.

Now, onto my validated decisions/feelings/sense of smell and taste. It's here. Finally. Several months after I left the ski slopes to head inland to the Jura we have our scintillating allocation from Domaine Ratte. I'd already been a fan of these wines from back in the day, when I first tasted them in the sunnier hemisphere. Nice to see memory served. My notes from that visit are a gushing, visceral depiction of my satisfaction. Fast forward to April and we were back again, re-tasting and locking things down/working for you. Yet again, the wines were pumping. Pallet ordered. 

Françoise and Michel-Henri used to sell their fruit to the local co-op, an indication of a time when the wines from this region weren't some of the most highly sought after in France atm. In 2015 they freed themselves from said shackles, moving to a new cellar on the outskirts of town (a modern, warehouse vibe that allows for easy cleaning {I like natty but I also like clean}) and bottling themselves for the first time. A move for which we are all about to become eternally grateful. All fruit is from Demeter certified vineyards, fully bio. In the winery everything is done to preserve the impeccable fruit. Vinification and maturation is done in stainless steel, and the wines are topped up, they aren't looking for oxidation, rather purity and nerve. Rip through the range and you'll note a consistent, pulsating acid line and wonderful texture on both white and red. These are young, and already looking great but will age and flesh out in bottle. We had a 21' Nature post trip and fark me, what good a short spell in bottle did. 

Anyway, as much as it looked like a lot of wine when it came off the truck, it's actually not that much, and judging by the reception in the bar over the weekend things won't be lasting. Might have to go over to France again sooner than expected. Such is life. Things r tough. Happy hunting, drinking, living.

Who would have thought, we're now an importer too.

xx