Domaine Sainte Barbe Crémant de Bourgogne "Perle de Roche" (organic)

Viré-Clessé gained its independent appellation status from Mâcon-Villages in 1998 thanks to the high quality of the region's wines. The vines at Domaine Sainte Barbe are more than 60 years old on clay-limestone soil. Jean-Marie Chaland harvests the grapes manually, never chaptalizes and uses only indigenous yeasts. After great success with his still white, Jean-Marie harvested the grapes that would become his first sparkling wine, the Crémant de Bourgogne "Perle de Roche" in 2004, which, after 27 months sur latte, has emerged a rich, well-structured wine with delicate effervescence and nutty aromas. Total production of this Crémant was only 1200 bottles.

Château La Grolet Côtes de Bourg Cuvée Tradition 2004 (biodynamic)

The Cuvée Tradition 2004 from Château La Grolet in the Côtes de Bourg is composed of mostly Merlot, with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and just a smidgen of Malbec. The Huberts adhere strictly to biodynamic practices and use only indigenous yeasts. The wine is fermented in stainless steel, then aged mostly in cement vats with a small portion in older oak barrels. This wine is hugely expressive of its terroir, with great earthy spiciness and lively acidity. It is round and rich in the mouth, with supple tannins, clean fruit, and a lasting mineral finish.

Clos de l'Anhel  Corbières "Les Dimanches" 2004 (organic)

Sophie Guiraudon and Philippe Mathias have been named among France's top young vintners to watch. Their day job is at Château Pech Latt, where she is the oenologist and he the manager; the rest of their time they tend to their own 7 hectares surrounding the old sheep-fold ("anhel" is Occitan for "lamb") where the vines, on gravelly clay-limestone soils, are grown without any use whatsoever of copper, insecticides or herbicides, and the grapes are hand-harvested. The wine is mostly aged in vats, with about 25% in new oak barrels, and is unfiltered.
"Les Dimanches" ("Sundays") is an elegant, concentrated Corbières made up of 75% Carignan (from 65-year-old vines) and 25% Syrah. It's a remarkable example of this region's potential. This is an exceptionally pure, delicate, well-balanced and serious wine with intense black fruit and spices, pronounced tannins, and a long mineral finish - or, as great British wine critic Jancis Robinson puts it: "Deep and dramatic; exceedingly unlike most Corbières."

Domaine Pierre André Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2003 (biodynamic)

Pierre André was one of the first to realize the importance of organic viticulture back in 1963 and had fully converted his 18 hectares by 1980. The domaine is now run by daughter Jacqueline and has been practicing biodynamics since 1992. Their vines are very old: 70 years on average, but some parcels are more than 130 years old. The terroir is diverse and includes parcels of quartzites, clay, sand, and limestone. Grapes are harvested by hand and rigorously selected, then spend 18-20 months in cement vats and old oak casks.
The Domaine Pierre André Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds are a blend of mostly Grenache, some Syrah and Mourvèdre, and small amounts of Cinsault, Counoise, Picpoul and Muscardin, and are known to be powerful, expressive, authentic wines

Domaine Pierre Frick  Sylvaner Bergweingarten 2003 (biodynamic)

Few wines can be said to express their minerality as well as those of biodynamic vintner Jean-Pierre Frick. He is an impassioned winemaker who strives to make the most natural wine possible - and succeeds brilliantly. His wines are always a perfect balance between acidity and ripe fruit, light in alcohol and a pleasure to drink. His Sylvaner Bergweingarten, from an east-facing slope of calcareous clay sandstone soil,  turns the underappreciated Sylvaner grape into a unique medium-sweet, delicious late-harvest wine.