First of all — a huge thank you to everyone who joined us at the portfolio tasting and the dinners that followed! It was an big celebration, and both the winemakers and us had a fantastic time. With this newsletter, we’d like to relive a few of the highlights together — and, as always, take a fresh look ahead.

Alongside the beautiful wines and new arrivals from the attending winemakers, we’re also introducing a few exciting newcomers for November: Belgian wines from West-Vlaanderen’s Wijngaard Lijsternest, fresh releases from Domaine Cotzé made from his own high-altitude vineyards, and of course, the upcoming Beaujolais Nouveau by Romuald Valot and a Loire Nouveau by Clos du Tue-Boeuf, a Zuiver-novelty…

Furthermore, we are also hosting a cozy evening together with Clamato in Nijmegen on the 24th of November, where Agnes and Katarina from Slobodné will be pouring their own Slovak wines.

Last but not least, we are offering discount on all the wines on the portfolio tasting list until the end of the week. Scroll down below the photo for the recap of the 2025 portfolio tasting, the tasting list and discount code, as well as the latest wine news!

FIREWORKS AT GUT OGGAU AND MARTO WINES

We’re starting with a bang: both Eduard Tscheppe of Gut Oggau and Martin Wörner of Marto Wines delivered truly outstanding quality during the tasting. Stylistically, Martin’s wines clearly show the influence of his time apprenticing with Gut Oggau, yet he’s now confidently forging his own distinct identity.

Eduard’s calm presence brought a welcome serenity to the bustle upstairs, and with the help of our friend Marcel de Cocq, the more-than-biodynamic wines from Burgenland were beautifully introduced and explained, giving everyone the chance to taste each wine with proper attention. As expected, the lineup was impressive — from the soft-aromatic Theodora 2023 and the light yet complex Winifred 2023 rosé, to the mineral and perfumed (but never heavy-handed) Gewürztraminer named Emmeram 2022.

Among the reds, alongside the ever-juicy Atanasius 2023, the highlights were the bigger cuvées — Josephine 2021 (made of Blaufränkisch and the teinturier grape Roesler from old vines) and the refined Joschuari 2020(100% Blaufränkisch). Joschuari subtly reminded us of cru Burgundy — minus the unnecessary filtration, sulphur, and chaptalisation. We may have accidentally swallowed a few sips…

Lastly, Eduard brought two sample bottles of their new non-alcoholic drink made of honey and a bunch of different herbs from the vineyards, aptly named Gut Vibrations. The bottles were unlabeled for now, but we hope to be able to offer them from early Spring onwards. We can’t wait!

At Marto’s tasting table, that same pure, natural energy we associate with Gut Oggau was unmistakably present, and the wines easily stood shoulder to shoulder with theirs. For his ‘all-rounders’ Weiss 2023 and Manna 2022, both the light-orange and -red are made using similar maceration and aging techniques used at Gut Oggau. The wines are made using part whole-bunch fermentation, blended with direct-press juice, then matured in foudres and demi-muids. The wines were brimming with energy, and showed just how digestibility and healthy farming go hand in hand.

Also, it was a treat to taste all three sparkling wines by Alanna and Martin of Marto Wines side by side. Whilst Crazy Crazy 2024 is the bubbly sibling of Weiss, the new Frauen Power Fusion 2024 is unlike anything they made before, as it’s dark bubbly rosé as opposed to purplish foamy red, because they blended red and white grapes together due to a smaller harvest. We don’t blame them! Lastly, the Blanc de Noirs Sekt 2021 made of 100% Pinot Noir has the minerals, freshness and slight toastiness you want from great grower Champagne, without having to break the bank for it.

Another crowd favorite was Côte de Flon 2023, a full-bodied, almost Burgundian-style white with Rheinhessen minerality and verve. The two ‘big’ mono-cépage wines — Riesling 2023 and Pinot Noir 2022 — were also very well received, showing a more Alsatian character, echoing the wines of the great Bruno Schueller, as opposed to the light and chalky style resembling the Oggau’s from Burgenland.

VIBRANCY AND ENERGY AT VINOS AMBIZ AND VIGNA FLOR

Lovers of intense orange wines and deeply aromatic, heady flavors were in the right place this year at Fabio Bartolomei of Vinos Ambiz and Francesca & Davide of Vigna Flor. Fabio works with low-yielding, old vineyards high in the hills of the Sierra de Gredos, while Francesca and Davide tend small volcanic plots around Padua — though their landscapes differ, the wines from both domaines radiate the the same vibrancy, tension and uncut individuality.

For many tasters, the biggest surprises came from Vigna Flor. Working from the Colli Euganei near Padua (Veneto), Francesca and Davide focus on macerating and blending their local grape varieties grown over volcanic soils, and their wines bursted from the glass with volcanic vitality. During the tasting, the blends involving the aromatic Moscato grape were crowd favorites: the amber-hued, intense La Mano Nel Fuoco 2023 (100% Moscato Giallo), the softer, peachy La Via Della Foresta 2023 (Moscato Giallo, Glera), and the ever-changing Mamma Tonda 2022 (Moscato Bianco, Pinella, Tocai, Marzemina) were all big hits. Aromas of dried fruit, jasmine, ripe plum, apricot, and black tea flowed seamlessly together.

Vigna Flor-wise, we ourselves were especially charmed by the Panevino-esque dark rosé A Flor De Piel 2023 — a blend of Merlot, Chardonnay, and Glera with ripe plum fruit, a small hint of volatility, and a savory, tomato-like depth — as well as the rugged red Soul Rebel 2023 (Merlot, Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera). On paper, that blend might sound old-fashioned and outdated, but in the style of the Flors it was anything but…

As expected, during the tasting, the wines of Fabio’s Vinos Ambiz stretched the conception of what Spanish wine can be, in the best sense of the word. His lively bubbles, the Pet Nat Booster 2021 (Tempranillo & Moscatel) and Pet Nat Chelva 2024 (100% indigenous Chelva), made for joyful openers — the lift of volatility combined with the deep resonance of old vines had tasters grinning from ear to ear. 1–0 for Supernatural Spain!

The new vintage of Fabio’s Airene — 100% Airén, aged in amphora — was a clear favorite in the orange category, sending many tasters straight into orbit. Full-on quince and mandarin juice, packed with texture and earthy depth, just how we like it. Also, the freaky, bright Carboniferous (100% Tempranillo), with its cassis, rhubarb and shoyu tones, shook up many palates too…

Lastly, Fabio also showed two of his oxidative rancio-style wines, one dry and one sweet — both absolutely magnificent. For future reference, we’ll make sure to keep some aged cheese close by for perfect pairing…

THE WILD JURA — CATHERINE’S DOMAINE DE LA LOUE

Speaking of oxidative wines — many wine lovers queued up at Catherine Hannoun’s tasting table of Domaine de la Loue to taste her Vin Jaune 2015. Catherine used to tend about 2 hectares on her own in the northern Jura, bordering the Doubs region, and because her wines are produced in such small quantities, these bottles were a rare and much-appreciated tasting premiere for many visitors.

In addition to the magnificent Vin Jaune, Catherine crafts pét-nats (including a crazy nice one from Trousseau!), unofficial crémants, as well as both whitesand reds in the valley of the Loue river — all carrying a wild edge that’s increasingly rare to find in the Jura today. Many Jura wines have become over-polished and are aged too long in new oak barrels, masking the fruit’s true character, but Catherine’s whites and reds burst with untamed fruit energy. Besides the Vin Jaune, highlights included her red Trousseau Le Rouge 2023 — brimming with foresty, savory earthiness, cherry and wild strawberry fruit, and a touch of black pepper — and her long-aged Savagnin 2022, full of delicious deep Comté-cheesiness that’s exemplary for great Savagnin.

It was a true pleasure to taste through Catherine’s lineup and to see this almost 'lost’ rustic Jura style back in the spotlight, and Catherine’s kindness and wittiness made the tastings even more enjoyable. Strictly good vibes!

THE FRENCH PRICE-QUALITY POWERHOUSES — DOMAINE DE MAJAS & LÉO DIRRINGER

Also from France, we welcomed two producers whose quality-to-price ratio is hard to beat. Alain Carrère of Domaine de Majas presented his consistently reliable, versatile, and — for the Roussillon — strikingly refreshing white and red cuvées, both from 20L KeyKegs and bottles. Meanwhile, Léo Dirringerimpressed with his excellent and honest wines from the northern part of Alsace.

Alain once again proved that well-made, naturally fermented wines from healthy vineyards don’t have to be expensive, odd, ‘difficult’, or unstable. Although we like wines that sometimes can be ‘difficult’, it’s also nice to be able to work with Majas’ no-frills workhorses, and tasting them side by side was a valuable confirmation that these wines shine in their approachable simplicity, and are amongst the nicest in their category.

Since converting his vineyards to organics between 2007 and 2010 and with help from Matassa’s Tom Lubbe banning all chemical and high-tech interventions in the cellar, Alain has crafted a broad range of low-alcohol, terroir-driven table wines at very fair prices. During the tasting, they showed their worth as ideal wines for pouring by the glass in cafés and bars. He poured his mineral-driven, inox-aged Chenin Blanc 2023 and soft, gently ripe Chardonnay 2023 straight from the KeyKegs, tasting precise and elegant. We’re happy to have both in stock plentily. Also, we with many others loved the cranberry-toned Cortado 2023 and the lightly orange Sauvignon Blanc Orange 2024, both excellent, versatile weekday wines offering bang for buck. The highlight for us, though, was his Rouge 2023 (Carignan and Grenache), where Tom Lubbe’s influence shines through the most, as it’s a southern red with vivid fruit, bright acidity, and an energizing mineral freshness — a baby Matassa Rouge, if you will.

Last but certainly not least, Alison and Léo Dirringer of Domaine Ruhlmann-Dirringer joined us — baby Lucile included! Léo’s Alsatian wines, always zéro-zéro, are known for ripe fruit, precision, and ringing purity. He typically lets his wines age on old Alsatian foudres, giving them time to settle; the gentle oxygen contact adds a sense of calm and maturity, making them ready to pour upon release. The drive and focus of his Pur Jus 2024 (Sylvaner, Riesling, Auxerrois) was as remarkable as ever; again, a wine that is amongst the best in it’s category and delivers lots of pleasure for a good price. As the supply of his Pur Jus is limited, we were also happy to taste Léo’s 100% Riesling named Grain de Sable 2023, which would be his second most affordable white wine. Grain de Sable aged a full 14 months (!) in foudres and was released only this autumn. Léo makes his Grain de Sable to be a wine which would be great for everyday drinking, but the more-than-a-year of aging makes it a wine which easily would be at home in fine dining pairings: petrol, orchard fruits and a crystalline, salty mineral tinge keeps one coming back to it.

New to Léo’s ‘toolbox’ is the application of solera-style winemaking. Since a few years, Léo blends multiple vintages of his ‘biggest’, most gastronomic wines together to create wines that have both the character and depth from the ‘older’ part of the blend, but also have lively youthfulness from the addition of fresh wine. Granit’iK, his solera-wine blending vintages 2019 through 2023, made from old-vine Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc was a big hit: creamy yet saline, with clear white flower aromas and salty, mountainous minerals. Also, Léo’s pièce de résistance is a product of solera-ifying: Grand Cru Frankstein is made by blending Riesling and Pinot Gris from his special Frankstein-vineyard from vintages 2021 through 2023. The combination of these two powerhouse grapes, granite soils, and southern exposure creates a monumental wine with an endlessly long, fruit-driven, persistent finish. Beautiful stuff all around… Merci à Léo!

BENELUX BLISS FROM OTEGEM, WEST-VLAANDEREN —WIJNGAARD LIJSTERNEST

To the keen observer, we also opened a number of bottles from a new producer in the Zuiver portfolio last weekend, namely Servaas Blockeel of Wijngaard Lijsternest. We’ve been enjoying Servaas’s wines for years whenever we get the chance, but we’re now proud to announce that the wines from his (more or less) fungal resistant hybrid grape plantings will be available directly through Zuiver as of this month!

Servaas cultivates around 4 hectares of vines in Otegem, West-Vlaanderen, where he has been working since 2015 with a range of hybrid grape varieties. While many in the (classical) wine world still turn up their noses at disease-resistant hybrids, we think Servaas is making some of the most energetic and vibrant wines in the Benelux, hybrid or not. The wines all are field blends, from three different plots grown on clay and limestone rich soils. Limestone makes the wines punchy and fruit-forward, where the clay gives warmth in a generally cold and wet corner of Europe. Also, Servaas’s agro-ecology focussed approach to tending vines, increasing biodiversity, soil health and creating resilience has long impressed us, and we’re thrilled to share it more widely. Since the start, Servaas has never (!) sprayed, and does not plow whatsoever, whilst still maintaining okay-ish yields. Very impressive!

During the tasting last weekend, we poured three wines: the floral, peppery and elderflower-like orange Oker 2023 (Solaris, Bronner, Sauvignac, Rinot, Riesel), the electric, elderberry-toned light red Mag Da 2023 (Solaris, Rondo, Bronner, Muscat Bleu), and the lively and raspberry leaf-like perfumed Fatima 2023 (Solaris, Rondo, Bronner, Muscat Bleu, Cabaret Noir, Sauvignon Soyhières, Rinot, Riesel). Mag Da comes from a part of land which is limestone dominant, making for a zippier, leaner wine, whilst Fatima comes from soils which are more rich in clay, giving more perfume to the wine. Picking a favorite was no easy task — though according to some vox popamong the crowd, the dark-fruited Fatima narrowly took the top spot. All three, however, showed beautifully.

A small note: since Servaas produces only a few thousand bottles a year, we have just a handful of cases of each cuvée available. Please get in touch if you’re interested, so we can make sure everyone will be able to enjoy the Belgian bliss!

DOMAINE COTZÉ’S MOUNTAIN WINES

From Wilfried Garcia of Domaine Cotzé in Cerdagne — perched at 1,300 meters altitude in the Pyrenees — we’ve just received his first-ever estate-grown wine, from vines he planted himself. After a few challenging years, his vineyard finally bore fruit in 2024, resulting in the debut cuvée LLOP 2024.

Given the high altitude and cool mountain microclimate, Wilfried planted classic Alpine and mountain varieties back in 2020 — Chasselas, Sylvaner, Altesse, and Savagnin, amongst others. The early years brought their share of hardship, with the tough growing conditions one might expect at this elevation, combined with an extended period of drought from 2021 all the way through 2023. Luckily, 2024 was a wetter, colder year, and the special vineyard finally gave enough fruit to make a wine. All grapes harvested in 2024 were fermented together using a four-day semi-carbonic maceration, followed by eight months of aging in oak barrels, and the result is a hors catégorie mountain wine — as pure as a true mountain wine can be.

Alongside this new estate cuvée, we also received a few other wines from Wilfried, all fermented and aged at 1,300 meters altitude — including the crowd-favorite Transhumància Blanc 2024 (Muscat à Petits Grains) and Riptide 2024, from our beloved Muscat d’Alexandrie with Carignan, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Thanks to a short three-day whole-cluster maceration, Riptide comes out light and digestible, low in alcohol, clear and pure, with subtle notes of cherry and raspberry, and a pleasantly mineral, textured finish.

All wines, including LLOP 2024, are available from this month onward.

SPECIAL MENTIONS

There were a few other wines that truly stood out during the portfolio tasting, and we’re happy to give them a little extra spotlight here. Domaine Otter’s new Pet Nat 2022 was in top form — spice-laden and deep, yet light and joyfully drinkable. We’ll never say no to an aged pét-nat at a great price… The other wines from Domaine Otter, whose labels were designed in collaboration with Frank van der Sman, have also been lowered in price. This includes the three serious maceration wines, among them Elsbourg 2021, currently poured by the glass at Glouglou. Big orange wines made of ripe Alsatian grape varieties, without additives — reminiscent of the greatest of Slovenian macerations…

The new releases from Muster also deserve a mention. Both Opok Weiss 2022 and Graf Morillon 2022 stole the show. The 2022s are a touch wilder than we’re used to from Muster, but after tasting them earlier this year at Karakterre, we immediately knew this is a vintage that deserves some attention. Opok Weiss shows beautiful waxiness and mineral depth, with the familiar Opok reduction and a faint volatile lift, while Graf Morillon — 100% Chardonnay — could easily be mistaken for Jura in a blind tasting, minus the heavy-handed oak. The new Musters are all available from this month, and we’ll soon start allocating the newly arrived wines from Weingut Werlitsch. More on that soon.

Among the Georgian wines, Marina’s blend of Chinuri and Tavkveri 2022reaffirmed why Marina and Iago are among the best in their craft — qvevri-aging on Chinuri combined with short-macerated Tavkveri are things that makes our hearts beat faster, especially this time of year. Also, Pheasant’s Tears’s Saperavi 2023 is the most sapid and lively vintage in recent times: cassis and tobacco framed by a vibrant, drinkable structure, perfect for autumn days without even a hint of heaviness.

Speaking of autumn wines — Vinyes Tortuga’s Juicy 2022, after a long recovery from some early stability issues, has finally found its footing, and it’s a beauty. 100% Grenache, with autumnal savouriness, a rose-and-berry perfume, and just the right lift for a November aperitif before the Nouveau wines arrive.

As for red wines fit for colder days, Pur Breton 2022 came out brilliantly — Olivier Cousin once again showing just how delicious Cabernet Franc can be in the right hands. Full-bodied yet not heavy, with cocoa and coffee notes, but light enough to enjoy as rustic aperitif on a windy day or with a autumnal stew. Can’t go wrong!

And speaking of soulful wines — Gianfranco Manca of Panevino in Sardinia makes bottles that hit just as deep, and firmly hold their place on our desert-island list. During the tasting, his Feramenti, made of a big blend from very old vines shone brightly, with a lightly oxidative touch, high intensity, stunning acidity, and a smoked-apricot aroma. A delicious red wine from the outer reaches — the kind that can lift an entire evening. And after a glass of from Panevino, well… there’s simply no going back. Time to book that ticket to Sardinia!

WEBSHOP DISCOUNT ON ALL PORTFOLIO TASTING WINES UNTIL 9 NOVEMBER!

After this long list of highlights above and the excitement during the weekend, we’ve decided to extend a special webshop discount this week on all wines featured on the tasting list.

The discount is valid from today through Sunday, 9 November, and can be redeemed by entering the code DOE-HET-CHELVA at checkout on our website.

All webshop orders will be prepared for pickup or shipment as quickly as possible this week. If you have any questions about your order in the meantime, feel free to reach us at webshop@zuiverwijnen.nl.

Click here for the tasting list

Click here for Zuiver Wijnen website

NOUVEAU FROM BEAUJOLAIS AND LOIRE

Even though we’re still riding the the portfolio tasting wave, we’re also busy with the allocations of the incoming Nouveau! So, if all goes according to plan, we’ll most likely have Beaujolais Nouveau from permaculture legend Romuald Valot available on the third Thursday of November. After the dramatic 2024 harvest, Romuald thankfully managed to bring in enough Gamay to produce a new Nouveau for 2025, and we expect this Gamay named Chrysalide 2025 — grown on old vines high in the hills above Beaujeu, with very low yields — to be among the purest of its kind. Vinifying natural Nouveau without sulphur has sadly become more the exception than the rule, so we’re eagerly anticipating this unsulfited release. Also, there’s another cuvée by Cosima & Romuald in the works, which they named Intrusion 2025, made en clairé — which may also be available starting the third Thursday of November…

To expand this year’s Nouveau offering a bit further, we’ve also managed to secure a small pallet of Vin Nouveau 2025 from Clos du Tue-Boeuf, made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. This is the first Sauvignon released after the harvest by Zoé and Louise of Tue-Boeuf — fresher than fresh — and with these two at the helm, we are not worried about the quality a single bit.

For all these 2025 Nouveaux, please let us know in time if you’re interested — we’ll do our best to allocate them as fairly as possible.

SLOBODNÉ IN THE NETHERLANDS — NWFA IN AMSTERDAM & CLAMATO IN NIJMEGEN (23 & 24 NOVEMBER)

On Sunday, 23 November, the Natural Wine Festival Amsterdam (NWFA) will take place at De Hallen, featuring a wide range of importers and natural winemakers from all over Europe. For the occasion, we’ve invited Katarina and her sister Agnes from Slobodné Vinarstvo in Slovakia to join us — and we can’t wait to pour alongside them. Professional customers can e-mail us for tickets, and we’ll be happy to send them over. Private customers can purchase theirs directly via the NWFA website.

The next day, on Monday, 24 November, we’ll be pouring Slobodné’s expressive Slovak wines together with Katarina and Agnes at our friends of Clamato in Nijmegen. The Clamato team will be cooking a Mexican-inspired menu, firing up their traditional comal, so we’re excited to enjoy high-octane cuisine with high-octane wines… Reservations can be made via Clamato’s website.

Click here for the tasting list

Click here for Zuiver Wijnen website