Nestled in the shadow of the Sainte-Victoire massif, the Château Pigoudet vineyard is the northernmost in the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence appellation. With its 40 hectares of
vineyards, facing due south at an altitude of 400 meters, it enjoys an exceptional location that greatly contributes to the success of its harvests. For several years, Château Pigoudet has restored its focus on nature and the environment and has embarked on a sustainable viticulture approach that emphasizes the use of “organic fertilizers” and advocates for the sparing treatment of vines on a case-by-case basis.
Syrah
SOLI
The journey that is Soliste reflects the passion and commitment born of old world beliefs and traditions joined in a way that transcends individual ideas. We are particularly inspired by winemakers who have challenged the status quo to elevate their region or cépage to grand cru level. Central to our philosophy is to be bold, experimental, and take risks; not arbitrarily, but with intent, diligence, and a long term vision. The rebellious voice of the Master of St Andelain, the self-taught iconoclast Didier Dagueneau, echos in our winery, “If you want to be the best, you need the methods and techniques to get you there: Your vines must bear the best grapes; your vinification must be the most rigorous. There are no recipes. It’s all in the details of viticulture and all the details of winemaking, the assemblage of little things, 100 details and commitments which makes for the minute differences between a good wine and a great one.”
Our quest to create wines of great finesse and com-plexity requires patience, tenacity, and a singular focus on uncompromising standards. It is also a commitment to sacrifice production to trace the footsteps of the Cistercian Monks of Vougeot: to focus on a single clone from a single vineyard and age in single cooperage to craft extraordinary wine that exemplify their identity and sense of place – Terroir – our MonoClone® Pinot Noir.
[The International Wine Review gives high praise to the wines of Soliste.]
SCHINOSA
Villa Schinosa is located outside the spectacular coastal town of Trani. The aristocratic Capece Minutulo family of Naples bears a true love for farming and winemaking. Today, they produce wines from the varieties typical of Southern Italy exclusively from their own grapes. Whites are grown predominantly in tufaceous limestone-based soils, while clay-rich soils are preferred for red varietals, with an average vine age of 20-25 years old. All farming is sustainable and without chemicals. At the current time, the winery is undergoing conversion to organic farming.
Their winemaker, Cristoforo Pastore, is a second-generation enologist and native of Puglia with a captivatingly impressive command of southern Italian varieties and their origins, which he attributes to his father’s strong knowledge and love for all things ‘local’. He is an encyclopedia when it comes to his home turf, knows the grape Uva di Troia intimately and has the deepest knowledge of where it grows best. He is at home in beautiful Trani, with his office just next to the Moscato vineyard of Villa Schinosa
Jocelyne & Yves Lafoy
In the Northern Rhone wines are known for their unpretentious elegance and Lafoy does not fall short of the standard. Founded in 1993 by husband and wife, Jocelyne and Yves Lafoy, the winery has grown from a small one and a half acres in the Côte Rôtie appellation to eight acres in their first 20 years. The winery now also has properties in Condrieu, Saint Joseph and Collines Rhodaniennes. Throughout this growth, they continue to focus on freshness, minerality and finesse in complex wines.
Their son Gaëtan joined the family business in 2011. In 2012, he made his first vintage of wine, still only in his early 20s. Prior to becoming the break out young winemaker at Lafoy, Gaëtan was formally trained at a wine school in the Mâcon, worked with both a small producer in the Rhone and did some commercial work in Condrieu. With youthful energy, parents’ guiding hands and a respect for the traditions of the Northern Rhone, Lafoy is producing spectacular wines.
GRAV
As the Belle Epoch drew to a close at the dawn of the 20th century, Alphonse Pradelle planted his first vines on the desolate, undeveloped property of Domaine des Gravennes, which literally translates to “stony place” in old French. It was here that Pradelle farmed Grenache and Syrah on the extremely sought after soil composed of alluvial and sandy clay, scattered with the picturesque galets (pudding stones) that the Rhone is known for. He sold his wine locally until the 1960s, when his son Raphael, along with wife Marie-Louise, decided to breathe new life into the estate by replanting the vines and increasing production. Fifty years later, Gravennes experiences great success with a newly modernized cellar and viticulture practices that emphasize the common values of the family (now in it’s fourth generation of winemakers): sustainability, protection of the soil and environment, conviviality, and a constant search for balance and elegance.
Domaine des Gravennes has been practicing biodynamic for over ten years and is in the process of U.S. certification. With an average vine age of 30 years and a family history steeped in the classic wines of the Southern Rhone, Gravennes produces some of the finest examples of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre in the region.
Club 44
Since the turn of the 20th century, the Côte d’Azur has been the quintessential traveler’s destination. From the beach side resorts of Saint Tropez to the cobblestone streets of Nice and Cannes, the French Riviera continues to give travelers a sense of quaint nostalgia. Inspired by the dreamy imagery of travel’s “golden age,” Club 44 instantly transports you to those care-free days of summer, to those days when shoes were optional and the toughest decision was what to drink with lunch.
Club 44 Rosé was brought to life through a close collaboration between Massanois Imports and Domaine Bagrau. Situated in the heart of the Coteaux d’Aix en Provence AOP, Bagrau was the ideal partner to launch this exciting project with. Dozens of tank samples from different parcels were blended and tasted until our common goal was reached – a harmonious wine that we universally loved and were proud to share with our customers. We truly hope you enjoy Club 44 as much as we do!