You Can Change Your Life

Laurent Saillard co-founded ICI, which was one of the first Brooklyn restaurants to focus on natural wines and was part of the wave of restaurants that opened about a decade ago that were referred to as New Brooklyn Cuisine. We used to love going there and spending time with him. He was always eager to share new and interesting wines. He left Brooklyn a few years ago and moved to the Loire to learn how to make the natural wines he'd enjoyed drinking and selling. He began by focusing on working in the vineyard. 

Now Laurent has made his first wine, a very small amount of fresh unsulphured Gamay made using carbonic maceration. Because of our relationship, and because we are one of the few shops that support independent winemakers who make wine fermented naturally without the use of additives, Laurent wanted us to be among the first to taste it. When we did, we were really impressed by its pureness and clarity.

The grapes for La Pause 2012 come from a plot of Gamay planted in 1978 that Laurent rents from Catherine Roussel (Clos Roche Blanche). Noëlla Morantin rented it from 2008 to 2011 but Laurent took it over in November 2011. It's organic since 1991 and they have been doing some biodynamic preparations since 2008. 

Gamay gets a bad rap but it arguably yields the most generous, pleasure-giving wines. Many of you, we know, are fans of Beaujolais from the likes of Lapierre, Foillard, Breton, Thevenet, etc., as well as Gamays from the Loire and California. There may be no other grape that gives more and gets less love. Wines made from Gamay grown right, in the right soils and naturally fermented, yield wines that you can enjoy by themselves but that also belong on the table.

Take a break and enjoy Laurent's La Pause! Put it in your ice chest and bring it along for a picnic, to your barbecue or the beach, or just chill it and enjoy it on your stoop.

Laurent Saillard La Pause 2012 is $20/bottle. For a limited time, order a sixpack and get 10% off ($18/bottle).

Don't get fooled by bigger is better! It's all about the texture and the finish.

WE DELIVER.

To order click here or call 718-596-7643. To view our full selection come see us at the store.