Founded by legendary winemaker Hirotake Ooka, the property is now jointly managed by Thierry Allemand and former sommelier-turned-winemaker Jonathan Jacquart. Embracing and continuing the work of Ooka in the vineyards, Jacquart has pushed further even, embracing biodynamics in the vineyard and favoring a transparent style with great finesse and clarity.

Domaine de la Grande Colline

Hiotake Ooka produced his first vintage of Grande Colline in 2001, following stints with both Grippat and Allemand where he learned the power of the vines' own natural growth cycles. While so many producers champion the idea of "low intervention", Hirotake actually eschewed all treatments, even organic or biodynamic ones. His wines were fascinating - whole-cluster fermentations, some carbonic maceration, and lots of ancient barrels.

Under Jonathan Jacquart's guidance since Ooka returned to Japan, the estate has not fully transformed as Jacquart followed much in the same vein, only opting to introduce more biodiversity and some vine treatments, and more closely following the wines' development through elevage to avoid any variation in the finished wines. True to the region of Cornas, the wines are gorgeously deep, with the trademark black pepper and smoked meat tones, in the most delightful fashion.

Moritz Kissinger is the herald of “New Rheinhessen”. Believe the hype. With incredible energy, curiosity, passion, and openness, Moritz is crafting some of the most exciting wines in the Rheinhessen, Germany, and maybe the world. These are not your grandiose, crystalline rieslings that have reached global fame (Keller comes to mind). The wines of Moritz Kissinger are singular in a way that they channel the character of the wines produced in more famous regions (Burgundy, Sancerre, Jura) through the soils of the Rheinhessen and are made with care by someone who is deeply connected to the area. Viva la Rhein!

Moritz Kissinger

Moritz Kissinger along his father, Jürgen farm 13 hectares in the Rhine Valley. Moritz focuses on producing fresh, mineral wines. Though Moritz is 4th generation, he is only the second generation to bottle his wine, his father preceding him in 1986.

The vineyards are spread out, with some parcels around Uelversheim and the rest unfolding south from Oppenheim towards Guntersblum along the river's west bank. Chardonnay, Spätburgunder, Pinot Blanc, and Riesling are the main varieties grown here, all handpicked and fermented in oak barrels.

They are driven by the motto: 'diversity is resilient' and are constantly pushing to increase the biodiversity of their vineyards, thus strengthening the ecosystem and the soil, which, in turn, fuels healthy grapes.

Few vineyards have a history as storied as Chateau de Fosse-Seche. The area was planted by the Benedictine monks back in the 1200s. The modern incarnation of this Chateau is currently farmed by brothers Adrien and Guillaume Pire. The brothers are dedicated to maintaining their vineyard's ecosystem and biodynamic viticulture. The wines of Château de Fosse-Sèche shine with a focused minerality and typicity, and they are widely recognized as one of the finest producers in the new Loire Valley.

Chateau de Fosse-Seche

Situated near the tiny village of Brossay, the vineyards of Fosse Seche have a storied history going back to the 1200s. The vineyards were initially planted by the order of Benedictine Monks, who selected it as an ideal terroir for grape growing.

Fast forward to 1998, when the Pire Family revived the modern iteration of this historic property. Two brothers, Adrien and Guillaume Pire, have managed the 45-hectare lot since 2012. Their focus is to maintain the ecosystem and biodiversity of the vineyards. Of the 45 ha, only 15 are planted to vine, with the rest dedicated to other agricultural practices: alfalfa, goats, bees, and even birds. Fosse-Seche has a nationally recognized bird sanctuary on their property.

Another unique feature of Fosse-Seche is their soils. While most regions of Samur and Samur-Champigny sit on tuffeau, a porous limestone, the 17 ha of Fosse-Seche’s biodynamic certified vines sit atop Jurassic-era flint plateau, coupled with gravel and clay. The unique soils and the curved aspect of the vineyards allow for the fresh breeze to cool the vines rooted in the flint soils that absorb heat. The climate there favors slow, progressive, and balanced ripening.

The vineyards have received certifications from both EcoCert and Biodyvin. In 2016, Guillaume and Adrien invested in concrete eggs for fermentation, moving away from oak barrels.