Vivanterre - The Phenomenon Returns
September 4th, 2021
'Do you have this wine?', says the person who just walked in, holding up a picture on their phone of a bottle with a simple, but very distinctive, artistic label on it.
The wine they were asking for (usually the 'orange' version) was from a producer called Vivanterre, and MCF was one of the first handful of retailers to sell it last year.
It was the first run of a project between natural winemakers Patrick Bouju and Justine Loiseau and their partners, fashion designers Rosie and Max Assoulin.
Now, those of you who know me may be a little surprised at seeing me selling something associated with the word 'fashion', but another person associated with the project has been a customer of mine for a long time, and when she asked me to taste the wines, I was very impressed.
We took on their SGS Skin Contact White and their Gamay MVB, and we sold through drop after drop, until they were all gone.
So, for the last 8 months or so, the above question has happened almost daily.
Well, the wines are finally back, and with two new additions, as well.
The new vintage of the SGS Skin Contact is every bit as juicily delicious as was the last one. It's a blend of Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner and Sauvignon, and its fragrant, citric/tropical fruits are accentuated by some nice, quirky savory/earthy nuance. It's about as orange as orange wine gets, and I mean that in the best of ways.
Then we have the two new additions, the MSM White and the Pet Nat PRS.
The MSM is made entirely of Melon de Bourgogne, sourced from the Loire valley, and it's basically an amazingly textured version of a Muscadet. It's dry, rich and firmly mineral, as any good Melon should be, but with the casually genuine character that you get from wines made in this style.
Finally we have the Pet Nat PRS, which I think may come to challenge the SGS for top honors in terms of popularity when it's all said and done. It's a blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner and Riesling, a combo that I know may frighten sweet-o-phobes out there, but, I assure you, it's totally dry. Yes, it has some amazingly flowery fruitiness to it, but it finishes bone dry, and that beautiful, almost Gose-like zip and yeastiness lingers long after the dry finish.
Like all good Pet Nats, it's not about precision or profundity, it's about enjoyment...casual, simple, delicious enjoyment.
Isn't that something we all need a little more of?
You may order by emailing info@mcf-rarewine.com or calling 212.255.8870.
Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870
WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.