European Arrivals to the Fesq Portfolio | Autumn 2018

Fesq & Company first started importing wines of Europe to Australia in the mid-nineteenth century. Whilst this side of our business became smaller in the last two decades, we have always felt an affinity with the great and special wines of Europe. Two years ago, we embarked on a plan to rebuild an offering of unique, fine wines from France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Today, we announce the first of these wines that will join the Fesq & Company family. 

Having worked in Burgundy and explored the wine regions of Europe in the past 2 years, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel through France and Germany and explore wineries that inspired me. I'm proud to have selected the wines below for our portfolio and excited to be able to share this tasteful experience with you!

- Julia Weirich, European Wines Manager.

Leiwen on a typical harvest morning. Photo: Nik Weis, St. Urbans-Hof

 

France

France, a wine country so diverse in all its beauty that one could struggle to take a pick by the sheer offering of great producers and wines. We are taking this burden away, having carefully selected a handful of extraordinary wineries from Sancerre and Beaujolais, two regions so special in regards to terroir and wine styles we wouldn't have picked our initial offering any other way!

Guy Breton, Beaujolais. Also known as "Petit Max" by his friends, Guy Breton is certainly a name in everyone's ear ever since Kermit Lynch dubbed him, together with Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Paul Thévenet and Jean Foillard, as Beaujolais' famous "Gang of Four" in the '80s. Cultivating the 4 ha of his family's farm organically, Breton lets natural ferments work their magic and help the terroir express itself through minimal intervention.


Domaine Château de Grand Pré, Beaujolais. Romain took over the winemaking at his parent’s Domaine in Fleurie in 2012 and ever since has been carefully looking after the 8 ha estate vineyards in the Grand Crus of Fleurie, Morgon and Brouilly. Being a great advocate of Jules Chauvet, the 'godfather' of natural winemaking, Romain applies organic and biodynamic principals throughout the process and keeps the amount of sulphur to a bare minimum.

 

Jean-Paul Thévenet, Beaujolais.  Jean-Paul Thévenet is another name in Beaujolais' famous "Gang of Four" not to be missed. Nestled in the small village of Villié-Morgon in the wine producing region of Beaujolais, Jean-Paul Thévenet is leading his family's winery in the third generation. His son Charly joined him in 2008 and they've been converting the 5 ha Domaine - all in the Morgon Grand Cru- according to organic and biodynamic principles ever since.

Claude Riffault, Sancerre. Stéphane Riffault from Domaine Claude Riffault is a winemaker to keep a close eye on: shy in nature but his wines oh-so-expressive!  Ever since taking over his father's Domaine in the late '00s, he has been putting highest care and attention into his vines to get a better feeling for each and every plot and terroir. As a result the winery is certified organic since 2016 and producing the most beautiful and purest expression of different terroirs across six locations in Sancerre. 

Domaine La Clef du Récit, Sancerre. Domaine La Clef du Récit is the exciting brand behind young and ambitious winemaker Anthony Girard. The name La Clef du Récit ('The key of the story') roots back to the moment when he was given a large key as a symbolic gesture for the new ownership, when he took on the Estate in 2012. Ever since this moment Anthony reigns winery and vineyards with a charm, enthusiasm and authenticity that are wonderfully displayed in his wines.

 

Germany

 

One of the oldest wine producing countries yet one of the scariest when it comes to pronunciation - and one of the most dividing ones when we speak about wine styles, i.e. German Rieslings, is by far Germany. We made it our mission to end the debate about 'dry or not dry' (or 'trocken' if we want to elaborate further on the tongue-breaking nature of this beautiful language) and sourced three outstanding producers from the Mosel and Rheinhessen, to prove that German Rieslings have the ability to be more multifaceted than a butterfly's wing! 


Maximin Grünhaus, Mosel. As one of Germany's oldest wineries, the history of this iconic estate dates back to 966, when wines were mainly made for the nearby Monastery. Fast forward to now, Carl von Schubert and his son Maximin are leading the estate in the fifth and sixth generation today, carefully managing three of the most highly regarded Grand Cru vineyards in the region: Abtsberg, Bruderberg and Herrenberg.  

St.Urbans-Hof, Nik Weis, Mosel. 'con natura – no invicem', with nature and not against it, is the motto of winemaker and proprietor Nik Weis from St. Urbans-Hof, when he speaks about his wines and his philosophy. His mission is to recultivate some of the oldest vineyards in the region, trying to restore these beautiful ‘frescos’ and bringing them back to their former glory to let the special terroir of each side shine through.   

Weingut Juwel, Rheinhessen. Juliane Eller released her first wines in 2013 and basically sold old right away. The now 28-year old took over her parents winery right after finishing her oenology degree with the renowned university in Geisenheim, and turned the entire winery upside down - in the best possible way. Her linear, clean and modern style is as sharp and beautiful as the diamonds on her labels -  an ambiguity of her own name as well as the evolution of a raw diamond (grapes) to a jewel (wine). 

View of the "Piesporter Goldtröpfchen". Photo: Nik Weis, St. Urbans-Hof