We are thrilled to present our new partner from Anjou (Loire Valley) called FIEF NOIR.
One of the most dynamic and talented winemaking teams we’ve come across in some time, FIEF NOIR is making a splash with a certified-organic portfolio of vibrant, mineral-driven Chenin Blanc wines and rare, single-varietal Loire reds, including a gorgeous Grolleau and delicious Pineau d’Aunis.
The world’s best Chenin comes from Anjou “noir,” a broad vein of black, schist/slate soils, made famous by the grand wines of Savennieres such as Coulee de Serrant, among others. All FIEF NOIR’s vines grow on these exact same soils, terroir riches that give their wines both a flavorful power and a luminous finesse.
Winemakers Dominique Sirot and Alexis Soulas are enologists by training, having worked in Corsica for years before making the move north in 2014 to Anjou, where they found a neglected estate for sale with extraordinary soils – and knew they’d struck terroir gold.
They’ve honed their skills with the best of the best, including the late Denis Dubourdieu (enology) and Marco Simonit (vine management). They have also made a point of educating their vineyard teams extensively and continuously, so that quality from field to bottle is guaranteed.
Only neutral vessels such as clay jars and amphora and older oak cask for aging, so the fruit and the soils are expressed as honestly and fully as possible.
The portfolio here is engaging and unique. Single-vineyard Chenin Blanc, planted on ancient soils cultivated in the Middle Ages. A skin-contact “orange” Chenin, spicy and refined. Pure Chenin extra brut “pet-nat” with spectacular aromatics. Juicy Cabernet Franc/Grolleau blend, ripe and punchy. Single-varietal Grolleau & Pineau d’Aunis, delicious and expressive and refreshingly low-alcohol! AND NOW IN STOCK!
A huge thank you to all our growers who made us feel warm and happy even though temperatures were below freezing! Great wines coming, 2022 and 2023 vintages will be fantastic. #northberkeleyimports #france #neige❄️ #burgundy
We are so thankful for everything that 2023 brought us. We wish you all a very happy New Year and cheers to 2024! 🍾🥂
#northberkeleyimports #happynewyear2024 #wineimporter
We recently caught up with Jean-Michel Turgy in Les Mesnil where it’s always a pleasure to taste special bottles - he brings out unmarked bottles and asks you to guess the vintage by taste. Our team nailed it - it was 1998!
For more than 130 years, the Turgy family has crafted true grower Champagne in Les Mesnil. Grand Cru Estate Chardonnay vines grow on chalky hillsides and are tended to organically.
The holiday season is in full swing and time to stock up on these spectacular Blanc de Blancs! The Non-Vintage is dynamite and a North Berkeley exclusive, this blend contains 30% reserve wine, and the 2015 is sumptuous with zero dosage to boot. Both are IN STOCK NOW!
#northberkeleyimports #michelturgy #lesmesnilsuroger #blancdeblancs #growerchampagne #grandcruchampagne #drinkchampagne #holidays2023 #vintagechampagne
For the fourth time in the past five years, North Berkeley Imports has been named Importer of the Year by Wine & Spirits Magazine. This accolade is a testament to both the quality of wines from our growers and the dedicated efforts, day in and day out, of the North Berkeley team. A huge thank you to Wine & Spirits as well as to all our clients and grower partners!
#northberkeleyimports #wineandspiritsmagazine #importeroftheyear #ioty
North Berkeley Imports is honored to have five grower partners named to the magazine’s Top 100 Winery list in 2023.
Our congratulations to Maison Frédéric Magien (Morey-Saint-Denis), Domaine Jean Vesselle (Bouzy), Fratelli Alessandria (Verduno), Rocca di Montegrossi (Gaiole in Chianti), and Domaine du Couvent (Gevrey-Chambertin) for this well-deserved recognition of their hard work.
This is a huge achievement for our partners - and fantastic that 5% of THE Top 100 list belongs to North Berkeley Imports. Crucially, it is our growers who consistently rise to the top in what are certainly some of the most competitive categories in the world: Burgundy, Champagne, Piedmont, and Tuscany.
2023 marks the eighth time Rocca di Montegrossi has been named to the list, and the fifth time for Fratelli Alessandria. Domaine Jean Vesselle is now on their fourth run in the Top 100; Frédéric Magnien is celebrating two wins in two years. And Domaine du Couvent - having released its first-ever wines with the 2020 vintage - is already a Top 100 Winery! It further proves what a prize these Burgundy wines are.
Friends and partners, we are so proud to be your importer in the United States!
#northberkeleyimports #wineandspiritstop100 #growerchampagne #burgundywine #chianticlassico #verduno #piedmontwine #moreystdenis #gevreychambertin #bouzy
We love fresh, vibrant, and pure Italian whites and the 2022 Pigato from Azienda Agricola Durin is here!
Pigato is considered the “prince” of Ligurian white wines, a coastal grape that is the natural pair with Mediterranean cuisine, fresh seafood, and especially a Ligurian favorite, Pesto Genovese.
Winemaker Antonio Basso represents the 3rd generation of farmers who carefully tends to his small plots of vineyards, some being just a handful of rows, around Ortovero. The altitude here ranges from 150 feet to as high as 2,100 feet! This is the inspired madness of vine growing in mountainous Liguria—so much so that there are only a few dozen, full-time producers in the region. Yet for those stubborn, inspired few, what Liguria can give is nothing less than extraordinary.
The 2022 Pigato oozes with white peaches, citrus, honey, and fresh almonds that beg for a second glass it is IN STOCK NOW!
Southern France is calling, and she’s wearing her rose-colored glasses at the beach with bottles of chilled wine waiting for you! We are all in on the 2022 crop of rosé wines from our favorite organic and sustainable producers. Domaine du Dragon does high-altitude Provencal pink, with energy and spice galore; Domaine du Figuerasse takes you to the Camargue with a plate of shucked oysters and flamingos flaunting their fiery in this famous estuary. And Le Clos du Caillou’s rosé is nothing less than perfection — break out the tapenade and crusty bread, a picnic blanket, and let the season begin! All wines are now IN STOCK.
#northberkeleyimports #domainedudragon #domainedufiguerasse #rose2022 #drinkpink #roséallday #frenchrosé
Our friends at Domaine Arlaud in Morey-Saint-Denis are busy preparing the vineyards for the growing season! For more than 20 years we have partnered with this Domaine and today the family stands side-by-side with Burgundy’s most respected names, especially distinguishing itself with its dedication to organic viticulture.
📹: @domainearlaud #northberkeleyimports #domainearlaud #moreysaintdenis #biodynamicwine #drinkfrench
Who doesn’t love vintage Champagne?! We sure do and were captivated when we first tasted the 2015 from Domaine Michel Turgy. Jean-Michel Turgy is true Grower-Champagne and quietly sits in the shadows of the larger houses of the Côte de Blancs. He sets himself apart with wines that do more than just reflect the Mesnil style—sumptuous, sensual, and richly flavored—but faithfully capture the true character of the region’s unparalleled terroir, a personality often muted by mass-producing Champagne houses.
The 2015 is produced from a selection of older vines in estate vineyards where soils are pure chalk, rated 100% Grand Cru, in and around the town of Le Mesnil sur Oger. Aged a minimum of five years in the bottle and zero dosage to boot, it is tremendously pleasurable to drink now and one that will benefit in the cellar. 2015 is NOW IN STOCK!
#northberkeleyimports #growerchampagne #cotedeblancs #lemesnilsuroger #vintagechampagne #grandcruchampagne #2015champagne #drinkfrench #domainemichelturgy
While so much of Bordeaux is dominated by grand estates that demand equally grand prices, we cherish small estates that build on the traditions of the region, artisans who strive for wines that reflect the best of Bordeaux: rich ripe fruit, silky tannins, soulful spice. Château Leroy-Beuval hits the mark for us. The estate organically farms 6 acres of vines in the village of Saint-Sulpice-et-Cameyrac, a region that dates back to the 17th century.
Jeb Dunnuck says, “The 2019 Château Leroy-Beauval is straight-up terrific, offering beautiful cassis and jammy black cherry fruit as well as spicy wood, tobacco, and spicy nuances. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it brings loads of fruit, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s a pleasure-bent, beautifully made Bordeaux to drink over the coming decade.”
The 2019 Château Leroy-Beauval is IN STOCK NOW!
#northberkeleyimports #chateauleroybeauval #jebdunnuck #bdx #bordeauxwine #rightbankbordeaux #merlotwine #drinkbordeaux #drinkfrench
Harvest isn’t the only time for all hands on deck. At Domaine Philippe Gavignet, Éden and Timéa, Philippe’s adorable grandkids are quite the helpers on the bottling line! These two busy bees were helping Grandpop to get ready to bottle his 2021 Nuits-st-Georges reds. Bravo to the future generation!
@domainephilippegavignet #northberkeleyimports #2021burgundy #nuitsaintgeorges #drinkburgundy #redburgundy
What a great year we had and so thankful for all of our growers, staff, and partners! We wouldn't be anything without you all! Have a very happy and safe NYE and we’ll see you next year 🥂!
#northberkeleyimports #newyearseve2023 #goodbye2022 #growerchampagne #wineimporter
Romagna is the new heart of Sangiovese in central Italy, and Chiara Condello is the region’s new star. Admittedly, both Romagna and Chiara can claim deep roots in winemaking—but it’s their lively new take on the potential of Sangiovese here that has the wine world’s heads a-turning!
The special fossil-rich soils of Predappio and the cooler climate here allow Sangiovese a slow, perfect growing season—for wines of incredible depth and freshness. Great Sangiovese has so many tricks up its sleeve! And Chiara Condello is a vinous magician — these are wines you need to try now. Her lovely 2019 Predappio Sangiovese is now IN STOCK!
“This is silky in texture, yet juicy and spry with zesty, red berry fruits ... The 2019 has energy to burn, tapering off long and slightly grippy, creating a classically dry impression while also holding your attention firm with its lingering hints of licorice and candied almonds. There is so much balanced pleasure to be had from this Predappio Sangiovese.” — Vinous
#northberkeleyimports #chiaracondello #romagnawine #sangiovese #sangiovesediromagna #sangiovesewine #sangioveselovers #predappio #drinkorganic #drinkitalianwine
If you crave the spark of great Chablis, then you need to know about Olivier Morin in Chitry. A medieval hamlet literally 15 minutes from Chablis’ grand cru row, Chitry is France’s best-kept secret for serious Burgundian Chardonnay with spark and soul (for a very reasonable price).
His 2019 ‘Olympe’ is a special selection of older-vine Chardonnay and tasted blind you’d swear you were sampling a fine grand cru Chablis. ‘Olympe’ is truly Olympian in its aromas and texture, with impressive length and intensity too. We have the 2019 now IN STOCK and is it ever a value for its peerless quality!
#northberkeleyimports #oliviermorin #chitry #frenchchardonnay #sommelier
Raised biodynamically, with yields often lower than that of Chateau d’Yquem, Grande Maison for us is a peerless expression of Monbazillac botrytized wines.
Estate vineyards surround the “grande maison,” a fortified manor house originally built in the 13th century. Delicately honeyed and endlessly seductive, these sweet wines are a treasure and especially tasty during the holiday season. Now in stock!
#northberkeleyimports #lagrandemaison #monbazillac #stickywine #biodynamicwine #drinkorganic #holidaywine
High-altitude vineyards with volcanic soils are always a thrilling source of great white wines! Our friends at Dama del Rovere prove this with ‘Biancodama,’ a unique blend of Trebbiano and Riesling grown from one of the highest plots just outside of the Soave Classico appellation.
Chock full of white flowers, stone fruits, and tons of acidity, this wine begs for thirsty friends and a serious platter of salumi and pecorino cheese. The 2021 Biancodama is now IN STOCK!
@damadelroverewine #northberkeleyimports #damadelrovere #soaveclassico #drinkitalian
Olivier Morin is the top name in Burgundian Chardonnay in the village of Chitry, just a hop-skip from Chablis’ grand cru row and the source of exemplary wines with intensity and depth.
Here Olivier is pruning his older-vine Chardonnay, more than 50 years old -- older than most vines you’d find in Chablis, on average.
“Chipie,” his faithful Golden, helps out -- he explains that replacing older vines is foolish, as they help him craft a quality wine. And it’s true -- Morin Bourgogne Chitry will dazzle you with its concentration and poise. A great discovery for those who crave the mineral edge and pep of Chablis, for a stellar value price.
@olivier_morin_chitry #northberkeleyimports #oliviermorin #chitry #drinkfrench #chardonnaylover
Does it get any cuter than Sofia Fantinel from Azienda Agricola Zuccolo teaching her friends how Pinot Grigio is made? Bravo! Future winemaker hard at work 😎.
#northberkeleyimports #aziendaagricolazuccolo #friuli #spilimbergo #drinkitalian
