European Arrivals to the Fesq Portfolio | Summer 2018/2019
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. In the past few months we saw the arrival of our first premium shipment from Sancerre, Beaujolais and Germany. Today, we are proudly announcing new, exciting additions to 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.
France
We are constantly on a quest striving to find the best, most intriguing and outstanding vignerons and talents in this world. When we meet them we are not only blown away by their wines, but more so by their unique stories and incredible passion for their trade. It is hard to find a starting point when there are so many undiscovered treasures to reveal, yet, like much of the wine-drinking world, we’ve found that regions including Beaujolais, Chablis, Sancerre, Provence and the Rhône are producing some of the finest, unique and affordable wines in the world! Hence we have focused particularly on those regions with our latest arrivals and are immensely proud to be introducing a few new additions to our family like Charly Thévenet, Jean Collet and Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, just to name a few.
Jean Collet, Chablis Young Romain Collet represents the 4th generation of winemakers. He took over the family business in 2009, after having honed his skills across France and New Zealand. Today the Domaine covers around 40ha from Petit Chablis, village and premier cru and grand cru holdings – Romain has converted the entire cru production over to organic farming and intends to increase this ratio to 100% in the coming years.
Alex Gambal, Burgundy. The wines of Alex Gambal present great value for lovers of elegant, aromatic Burgundies with a finesse. The Domaine has earned great respect not only in Burgundy but also worldwide. A remarkable achievement for an ex-patriot that moved to the region in 1993. Alex now holds 12ha from Nuits-St-Georges to Chassagne-Montrachet, all farmed biodynamcally.
Maison Harbour, Burgundy. As one of the handful of expats in and around Beaune, Domaine Maison Harbour has already established a great reputation with their micro-négociant business. Having released their first vintage in 2013, Colleen and Nicholas Harbour are sharing the unique climates of Burgundy through their terroir-driven wines. Tiny quantities but huge drinking pleasure!
Domaine Auvigue, Mâcon. Since 1946, the Auvigue family winemaking traditions and expertise have been passed down through the generations. With their rich history, the two brothers Jean-Pierre and Michel are specialists in great Mâconnais white wines. Pioneers in parcel-by-parcel vinification, they produced different cuvées depending on the terroir. The grapes come from family estates covering 6 hectares, including 2 that have been organically farmed for over 20 years, in the Mâcon-Solutré and Pouilly-Fuissé appellation.
Charly Thévenet, Beaujolais. As the next generation of Beaujolais’ cult winemakers, Charly farms his 3ha of eighty-year old vines in Régnié biodynamically and prefers whole-bunch ferments of ripe, heavily sorted fruit, at a low temperatures, with no filtration. He produces less than 600 cases. Jean-Paul Thévenet’s savoir faire and talent have certainly been passed on to his son - Charly’s wines have already reached international acclaim since his first vintage in 2007.
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Rhône. Jean-Paul Daumen, 5th generation winemaker of Vieille Julienne, counts as one of the most intriguing and influential winemakers in France. Claiming himself an everlasting student, he’s practicing organics and biodynamics on his 80+ year old vines and applying a minimal intervention approach during vinification. There is a stonethrow distance between his Châteauneuf-du-Pape & Côtes du Rhône appellations (3 meters to be precise), so it is not a surprise to Rhône lovers that both display the power and structure the region’s best wines are known for.
Domaine Jolivet, Rhône. Located in the superb St.-Joseph commune of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, Bastien Jolivet, 3rd generation winemaker, released his first vintage in 2014. He returned to the family business after gaining extensive experience working for Stéphane Montez of Domaine du Monteillet, and multiple stints overseas. The estate today includes 8ha in St.-Joseph, with 7ha being allocated to red and 1ha to white vines, all within close proximity to the famed Hermitage vineyards. Bastian Jolivet counts as an upcoming star in St.-Joseph, considering his finely crafted, perfumed and immensely elegant wines we are not surprised!
Domaine Gallety, Rhône. With the first vintage in 1978, Alain has set the foundations for a promising future: He and his son David-Alexandre own the 15ha property that is certified organic and biodynamic, with a terroir that is based on clay and limestone. It is considered the best winery in the Côtes du Vivarais. If you’re not familiar with wines from the Ardèche, this estate will sweep you off your feet with concentrated and generous, flavoursome Grenache (Blanc) and Syrah blends.
Domaine de Cala, Provence. Founded by Joachim Splichal, chef and founder of Patina Restaurant Group, Domaine de Cala continues 60 years of rosé production on the land, now stretching across more than 600 acres with a 120-acre vineyard. Located in Brignoles, France, among the legendary Provence region, Domaine de Cala calls on world-renowned Winery Consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt and expert rosé Winemaker Bruno Tringali to express the distinct character of the winery’s terroir, climate, and vines.