The year is drawing to a close, and the end-of-year hecticness has officially begun! After a busy November — with our collection tasting, the release of the Nouveaus, visits to several Italian producers, and the arrival of Agnes & Katarina from Slobodné in the Netherlands — we’re now happily drifting into December.
We’re kicking off the festive season with the release of the wines from this years’ second allocation of Matassa. Also, to increase the festiveness, we’re expecting a big Jura transport with new wines from Domaine de la Borde(Julien Marechal), Domaine de la Loue (Catherine Hannoun) and Domaine de L’Octavin (Alice Bouvot). Furthermore, serious Christmas dinner-work from Fabio Gea in Piemonte is on its way…
Alongside all the incoming wines, we’ve also re-stocked our selections from Marto and Andi Mann, meaning we can once again deliver plenty of fresh and energetic wines from Rheinhessen.
We also have some nice news from closer to home: as of 1 December we’re welcoming our newest team member, Tom Paquay! Tom previously worked as manager at Bar Centraal, and before that as sommelier at 4850 and natural wine institution Glouglou. As a loyal and enthusiastic customer he already knew our wines inside out — and now he’s officially joining the Zuiver team. Over the coming weeks Tom will no doubt be stopping by to say hello to many of you. Anyone who’d like to raise a glass with him is warmly invited to swing by De Ruyterkade from Tuesday 2 December onwards. Welcome, Tom!
Finally, you’ll find an overview of our adjusted opening hours and delivery timesfor the holiday season in this newsletter. Read on below the picture of new team member Tom for the Matassa release, the latest wine news and all festive season-info.
Welcome Tom!
RELEASE: MATASSA’S 2024 + AGED 2023s
A few cuvées from the newest release! Rollaball 2024, Rufo 2024, Blossom 2024, Brutal Orange 2024, El Carner 2023 and Tattouine Rouge 2023…
After tasting (and approving!) all the wines yesterday at Cornerstore, we’re officially releasing the long-awaited second part of this years’ Matassaallocation today! The first batch of the 2024s by Roussillon’s Tom Lubbearrived in spring and proved that 2024 is a fantastic vintage for anyone who loves high-tension, aromatic wines, and we’re happy that the ‘bigger’ wines are ready for release now too.
In recent years, the conditions in Roussillon were far from easy, but after several years of drought, 2024 was finally a more moderate year. While much of Europe saw too much rain, the cooler weather and rainfall in Roussillon were very welcome. These vintage conditions, combined with Tom’s focus on biodiversity and soil health, kept the vines healthy and productive, resulting in wonderfully clear and vibrant wines. True to style, most of the wines come in under 11% alcohol — something we’re always happy to see.
For this release, we have split up the new wines into two 3-packs, both containing two wines from the 2024 vintage, as well as a wine from the 2023 vintage we aged ourselves for an extra year.
1x Rollaball 2024 (Mourvèdre & Carignan — bright rosé): made before by ‘accident’, now made on purpose, a true party starter; fruity and alive
1x Blossom 2024 (100% Muscat à Petits Grains — orange): the elderflower- and jasmin-powered evergreen, full of citrus acidity and texture, only 9% alcohol this vintage
1x El Carner 2023 (Grenache Gris & Noir, Macabeu — light red): a distinctive wine in aroma, color and flavor, somewhere between dark rosé, orange wine and Poulsard — textured and mineral
1x Alexandria 2024 (100% Muscat d’Alexandrie — orange): aromatic, highly floral orange wine packed with stone fruit and minerality
1x Brutal Orange 2024 (100% Macabeu — orange): peppery orange with notes of warm spice, mandarin, kiwi fruit and the unmistakable Matassa freshness
1x Tattouine Rouge 2023 (large blend — light red): a very serious wine, despite its low alcohol and very light color — deep, savory, yet also aromatic and lifted; drink now or cellar longer
Besides these 3-packs, the new vintage of cuvée Rufo 2024 is available too — serious direct-pressed white Macabeu, made from his vines higher in the hills. This is wine perfectly suited for aging, although drinking now won’t disappoint either.
Lastly, Tom send us a few cases of his new cuvée River 2024, made of 100% Syrah. This is Syrah from a new parcel with old vines higher in the foothills of the Pyrénees, full of dark Syrah fruits and umami but at only 11% alcohol, this is one of our favorite wines of the 2024s. As the quantities are so minute, we only have a handful available offline in the store.
As always, there’s also a bunch of cuvées available on magnum, but the quantities are even smaller than with regular sized bottles. If you’re interested, hop by the shop or shoot us a message. 1.5 liters of orange Muscat or pink Cinsault are what dreams are made of…
JURA 1/3 — ELEGANT ARBOIS-PUPILLIN FROM DOMAINE DE LA BORDE
More great French news! Next week, we’re receiving new wines from no fewer than three Jura domaines, including the refined work of Julien Mareschal of Domaine de la Borde. From his vineyards in the hills of Pupillin, just south of the well-known Jura village of Arbois, Julien makes modern natural wines with a beautifully clean, precise focus.
In the cellar, Julien works with sandstone amphorae alongside traditional barrels and large foudres, reducing the impression of oak in the wines while still giving the wines the space and time they need to breathe. He’s also quite ‘clear-cut’ and pragmatic in his approach to vinification: most wines are vinified by grape variety, and he decides per variety whether the wines should be vinified by soil type (for example, Chardonnay from blue marl or from limestone) or by style (for instance Savagnin as Vin Jaune, in ouillé-style, or as Macvin). This combination of pragmatic amphora use and clearly defined separations between cuvées makes Julien’s range incredibly interesting for true Jura or terroir fanatics — and for us, his wines remain benchmarks for natural Jura.
Julien in his cellar, 2024
Among the white wines, we’re receiving two Chardonnays: one from blue marl (Terre du Lias 2024) and one from the limestone-rich Bajocien soils (Côte de Caillot 2024), plus no fewer than four Savagnins. We expect the classic all-rounder Foudre à Canon 2022 (aged 36 months in foudre and amphora — also available on magnum), the well-known oxidative Les Écrins 2019 (24 months ouillé, followed by 42 months non-ouillé), his serious Vin Jaune 2016 (seven years non-ouillé), and a new cuvée called Gelées de Novembre 2020. The Savagnin for this cuvée was harvested unusually late, in November 2020, then pressed directly and aged for 60 months ouillé in amphorae. Because of the late harvest and presence of botrytis, the wine did not ferment dry entirely — yet it’s also not as high in alcohol as Julien’s incoming Macvin, for example. A special lightly sweet wine for Holidays, to go with cheese, shellfish, dessert, or simply a good laugh!
On the red side we’re receiving more of Julien’s juicy, red-fruited Plous’saperlipopette 2023, made from Poulsard (Ploussard in Pupillin…) grown on marl, next to the special Pinot Noir–Trousseau blend Ad Infernum 2024 from Pupillin, as well as Julien’s newest cuvée Les Chamoz 2023, which is a bit of an odd one out stylistically, but no less drinkable. Les Chamoz comes from a vineyard further north of Arbois–Pupillin, almost on the border with the Doubs region (where Catherine of Domaine de la Loueand Étienne Thiebaud of Domaine des Cavarodes farm their vines). The soil here contains less clay and more limestone, giving the wine a fresher, brisker profile than Julien’s other reds. This limestone — where various native varieties such as Enfariné, Petit Béclan, Poulsard and Trousseau are co-planted — is the same Kimmeridgian limestone found widely in Champagne, full of fossils, and creates a crystalline wine with less of the clay-weight but more limestone-lift.
As many of you know, the wines of Domaine de la Borde are highly sought after — so as always, we recommend getting in touch if you’re interested. As the wines are still en route, they are not available on the webshop or in the shop yet, but as soon as they go live online, we’ll make sure to announce it via our Instagram.
JURA 2/3 — LIVELY NORTHERN JURA FROM DOMAINE DE LA LOUE
Catherine with her Orange Givrée 2024, Savagnin 2022, Pét Nat Trousseau 2023, La Brute 2022 and Le Rouge 2023, November 2025
Catherine Hannoun of Domaine de la Loue makes wild, expressive Jura wines in the northern part of the region, right on the border with the Doubs, as mentioned briefly above. This past November, Catherine poured a number of her wines at our collection tasting in Amsterdam, including the energetic and freaky (freakily delicious?) Pét Nat Trousseau 2023, her white, Comté-toned, long-aged Savagnin 2022, the red La Brute, and her breathtaking Vin Jaune. Alongside these wines, Catherine also brought a few sample bottles of her new cuvée Orange Givrée 2024, made from Savagnin with two weeks of skin contact. The wine was a big hit with many, and we’re happy to say we expect to be able to have the Orange Givrée as well as a bunch of other wines and re-stocks available soon (again).
In addition to the orange Savagnin, we’re also receiving a good supply of Catherine’s Savagnin Cuvée Raphaëlle 2022. We’ve had Cuvée Raphaëlle in stock before, but it sold out relatively quickly because of the sharp price and the approachability of this slightly “simpler,” shorter-aged Savagnin. It’s still classic Savagnin through and through and unmistakably white Jura, with a pleasant creaminess, a rich, generous aroma, and mineral-driven savouriness — but at a friendlier price point, and broadly suitable as a full-bodied, versatile white.
On the red side we’re receiving the new lively, fruit-forward mono-cépage Trousseau 2024, and the peppery, slightly wilder cuvée named Buffard 2023, also made from 100% Trousseau but sourced from a single small parcel on heavier soils. All in all, there’s a lot to explore, and Domaine de la Loue remains one of our favorite domaines for pure, characterful Jura wines with great value for money. Also, Catherine’s wines never fail to put a large La Loue-grin on our faces…
As with De la Borde, the wines are still en route for now, but we’ll announce their arrival on our Instagram as soon as they’re available to order.
JURA 3/3 — SUPERNATURAL WINES BY DOMAINE DE L’OCTAVIN
Since the release of Alice Bouvot’s transnational cuvées from Domaine de L’Octavin back in October, our stock has evaporated quick, whilst our desire to drink more L’Octavin has only grown. Therefore, it’s great that this new shipment — bringing several of Alice’s special gnome wines, both domaine and négoce — couldn’t have come at a better time.
Alongside restocks of wines such as Muscattt 2022, Cigogne Verte 2022, Hip Hip J… Poulsard 2023, and the orange domaine wine Arces Macéré 2020 from old Chardonnay vines in Arbois, we’re also receiving a wide selection of limited cuvées that are new to Zuiver.
As far as white grapes go, we’re receiving three wines that excite us a lot: we’re expecting small quantities of the lightly oxidative Tamino 2021 — a blend of Chardonnay, Savagnin and Poulsard from the vineyard La Mailloche aged for a year sous voile —, as well as P’tit Poussot 2024, Alice’s beaming, salted-citrus-like Chardonnay from her own vines. Quantities of both Tamino and P’tit Poussot are tiny — just a few cases each — but we’re also lucky to receive some Hip Hip J… Chardonnay Maceré 2023, which means we’ll have plenty of L’Octavin from white grapes until the end of this year…
P’tit Poussot, 100% Chardonnay from domaine vines
As far as reds go, we’re expecting a small top-up of Corvées de Trousseau 2022/2023, plus four (!) red domaine wines — just a few cases of each.
Zerlina 2021 is made from equal parts Trousseau and Pinot Noir from the vineyard En Curon, overflowing with fresh, forresty fruit. Elle Aime 2022, a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the vineyard En Arces in Arbois, is Alice’s most sprightly domaine wine, bursting with rhubarb and raspberry flavors and aromas. Dorabella 2023, made of 100% Poulsard from En Curon, is as pale as good Poulsard should be, with a lightly orange, rosehip-like hue and aroma.
The fourth ‘red’ (rosé? orange?) domaine wine is one of our favorites: Potion Magique 2023. Made from equal parts Poulsard, Chardonnay and Savagnin — just like Tamino from La Mailloche — it’s kept on the skins for six weeks and then aged in tank until the following spring. Because of the extended skin contact, Potion Magique always hints at quince, cinnamon and blood orange, but it also has a gorgeous floral perfume that keeps shifting. The kind of wine you can happily lose your mind over for an entire evening…
On the négoce side we’re also receiving the refreshing white bubbles Betty Bulles 2024, made with Vermentino, Roussanne, Marsanne and Muscat — rosemary, thyme and pineapple-toned bubbles for festive moments. With the same set of grapes, Alice also makes the cuvée Ivre de Vivre 2023, by direct-pressing Vermentino and macerating the other grapes in whole bunches in the direct-press juice. Light, bright orange at 10% alcohol with grapes from Vaucluse. Life could be worse…
Furthermore, we’re receiving Grenabar 2023 (fresh, lively Grenache) and Tour de France 2024 (a red-white blend, partly made with Muscat and Pinot Noir, pur jus) are on their way too. Lastly, there’s also a négoce-Pinot Noir from Arbois — grown by a friend of Alice — on its way, which is bottled as Hip Hip J… Pinot Noir 2023.
It’s quite the list, but given the tiny quantities it will shrink quickly. With the wines of Alice, drinkability won’t be the problem… These wines are perfect bottles for forgetting about the in-laws over the coming weeks, and keeping the spirits high.
As with the other Jura arrivals, we’ll announce it via our Instagram as soon as the wines are available online, but because it’s such a wide range, maybe not all wines will be available online at the same time. If you want to be sure of drinking a specific cuvée, feel free to write us a message, and we’ll make sure to hold back a bottle or two.
BARBARESCO, EGG-AGED NEBBIOLO AND MUCH MORE FROM THE DINOSAUR-WHISPERER, FABIO GEA
News from Northern Italy! The long-awaited autumn shipment from whirlwind winemaker Fabio Gea is (finally!) on its way — just in time for this month’s festivities. Fabio makes brilliant wines from red varieties in the hills around Neive, Barbaresco — both within the stately Piedmontese appellations as well as outside them. For fermenting and aging his wines, he uses not only classical wooden foudres, barrels, 500L demi-muids, and steel tanks, but also porcelain eggs of his own design, glass globes, dame-jeannes, and large sandstone eggs — each adding its own dimension to Fabio’s deep, vibrant wines.
Fabio with egg, spring 2024
We expect new vintages of his low- or unsulfured more ‘classic’ cuvées such as his Babaresco (in various vintages and also available as Riserva’s), the deep and electrifying Green Palma (Barbera d’Alba), the porcelain-aged Langhe Nebbiolo (declassified Barbaresco because of eschewing barrel aging), the juicy Pinotto (Dolcetto d’Alba) and its big brother Pino (Dolcetto d’Alba Superiore).
We’re also receiving a wide range of his incomparable, unsulfured Vino Rosso’s, including the sandstone-fermented Grignolino Back Grin, the sandstone-raised Nebbiolo Cul Otte, and the enchanting DNAss 2024. DNAss is made by fermenting whole-cluster Nebbiolo inside a sandstone egg inside a swimming pool, giving the wine an even more rose-driven aromatic profile than its siblings that ferment and age on dry land. The 2024 vintage of DNAss is notably lighter than usual, at just 12.5% alcohol, so we suspect it may be the perfect Christmas aperitif.
Speaking of aperitifs: this year we can once again offer Nebiòsca 2022 — for a long time we only had his sparkling Grignósca, but these dame-jeanne-fermented Nebbiolo bubbles are at least as delicious; slightly riper, with a touch of residual sugar, and full of fruit and depth.
New vintages of Mushroom Panda and Onde Gravitazionali are also on the way for anyone who enjoys the wilder, more rustic side of Piemonte rather than the stately classics. Both wines are only aged in sandstone eggs, so the grapes and terroir do the talking. Naked Barbera, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto are good for the soul, we were told…
If you want to know more about the how’s and the why’s of Fabio’s interesting cuvées, we’re always willing to speak more about Fabio’s wicked ways, just get in touch!
Last month, we received a shipment from our friends Andi Mann and Alanna& Martin (Marto Wines) from Rheinhessen, which means their German price-quality powerhouses are available again in great quantities!
Martin Wörner during the portfolio tasting, November 2025
After our portfolio tasting where Martin of Marto Wines poured his new releases, the passionfruit-like bubbles Crazy Crazy 2024, their elegant Blanc de Noir Sekt 2021, and the full-bodied Côte de Flon 2023 temporarily sold out. Fortunately, all of these wines are available again, which might help in compiling the Christmas Dinner wine pairing. If you need help with your menu and accompanying wines, we’re always willing to help out, of course. In addition, for anyone looking for a pink wine-themed gift: there’s a limited run of Frauen Power caps available. Power to the Frauen!
