2022 | Conservatoire De Vignes Anciennes | Art Naïf

Serious orange wine from the inimitable Conservatoire des Vignes Anciennes in Marchampt. Sourced from ultra-low-yielding Chardonnay Giboudot and Villard Blanc, the grapes are macerated through fermentation. The vines grow in Cyril and Karine Alonso’s ampelographic conservatory — over 140 cultivated varieties alongside wild vines — set in the woodlands west of Beaujolais. Fruit quality on the estate is superb and the winemaking exacting.

This is a powerful, savory wine: spiced persimmon notes, poised but relaxed acidity, and pronounced phenolics. It excels at the dinner table, especially with rich, fatty salami. Farming here approaches permaculture, and the property is ringed by some 400 hectares of forest. Karine and Cyril, who made wine for years under their négociant label PUR, purchased the estate in 2016 and released their first bottlings from the 2019 vintage.

Across the board, their wines are exceptionally well made and are a must try.