Rat de Cave 2020 Verre de Terre

Another rising star in Auvergne! From a tiny basement in the Auvergne village of Saint-Maurice-ès-Allier, Benoit Rosenberger has made a name for himself as one to watch in this exciting region.
Introduced by his good friend Frédéric Gounan (Vignoble de l'Arbre Blanc) he now grows just three hectares of Gamay from 50-80 year old vines divided into small plots on gentle hills at around 350-500 metres. The vines are tended by hand and Benoit avoids the use of chemicals, using teas and infusions such as dandelion, nettle and pine to care for the plants. The soil is predominantly basalt, which together with volcanic sand and granite, produces agile, fragrant wines that shine with minerals.
In the cellar, Benoit is uncompromising in his approach; no additions are made at any stage and the wines are bottled only after adequate élevage, which he believes is essential when producing wines in this way.

Viticulture: natural! Made as it once was!

Region: France - Auvergne

Grape variety: 100% Gamay

Alcohol: 13% vol

Volume: 0,75l

About him: from old Gamay d'Auvergne vines planted on tiny plots of volcanic basalt and quartz, Benoit felt this vintage was so different in spirit from previous vintages, that he changed the name from Loup des Vignes. The grapes were whole bunch fermented for three weeks, before being pressed and transferred to old barrels for eighteen months of aged. From a warm, dry vintage, this is darker, deeper and more brooding than previous vintages, with the kind of substance and balance that suggests it will reward drinkers for many years to come.

Purchase conditions: one bottle per order to be associated with a minimum of two other labels of your choice