Afterglow: La Cave Noire Blog

La Cave Noir: Quick Pour - Laura Lardy Beaujolais Villages Rouge (France) From the hills of Fleurie comes something quietly confident. Laura Lardy’s Beaujolais Villages Rouge feels familiar the moment it hits the glass. The nose carries a soft mix of leather, smoke and oak, grounded and calm, with a hint of something deeper waiting underneath. Made from 100 percent Gamay grown on granite soil and picked by hand, it is a wine that holds onto its roots. On the palate, dark fruit and spice take the lead, with blackcurrant, pepper, tobacco and that same leathery thread from the nose. It feels more classic than wild, shaped by the land and the touch of someone who knows when to let the fruit speak. The finish is dry with a whisper of cranberry and light tannins that fade cleanly. It is simple, honest and beautifully made, the kind of bottle that reminds you why Beaujolais never needs to shout to be heard. Picture it with roast chicken fresh from the oven, the skin just crisp enough to ...

La Cave Noire: Quick Pour - Guy Breton ‘Marylou’ 2023 (France) We have a soft spot for natural Gamay. There is something about the balance of brightness and ease, the way it always feels a little bit alive. We first drank this wine one evening at De Saison , a small bottle shop and bar tucked away in Paris. The city was winding down, the windows open to the street, and the conversation slow and warm. It was one of those nights that stays with you, unhurried, a little hazy, quietly perfect. So when we finally got our hands on another bottle, we could not wait to see if it still had that same magic. On the nose, Marylou gives blackberry and cherry with a soft leathery edge, a mix of freshness and something a little wild. On the tongue it is juicy and bright, light on tannin, and full of energy. There is a gentle lift of spice that fades into something clean and mineral. It is the kind of chilled red that feels effortless and playful, a wine that carries the ev...

La Cave Noire: Quick Pour - Domaine Marcel Lapierre Raisins Gaulois — 2023 (France) We’ve been wanting to open this one for a while. A smooth, dry Gamay from Beaujolais that hits every note just right. On the nose you get leather, vanilla spice, blackberry and raspberry. There’s a lift of brightness too, that kind of fresh energy you only get from young fruit. On the tongue it’s dry, light and easy. Low in tannins, fruit forward, with strawberry and cranberry leading the way. A touch tart, clean, the sort of wine you reach for without thinking twice. The late Marcel Lapierre was one of the true pioneers of natural wine in France. Since his passing in 2010, his son Mathieu has carried that same spirit forward, making wines that are pure, expressive and built for pleasure. Raisins Gaulois 2023 comes from younger vines grown on granite soils in Beaujolais. It is made naturally, using organic farming and native yeasts, with only a short fermentation to keep things bright and fresh. It is t...

La Cave Noire: Quick Pour - Foradori Lezer Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT 2023 (Italy) That colour. Every time I see a wine this vibrant, I have to stop and take notice. Light-bodied and effortlessly drinkable, it’s juicy, low in tannins, and devilishly morish. On the nose, it keeps things subtle with hints of cherry cola, pepper, and a touch of leather. The palate is bright and refreshing, offering light berry fruits and a whisper of cranberry, finishing dry and clean in a way that makes you want another sip. From a casual evening to a proper dinner, it pairs beautifully with pasta in red sauce or grilled red meats. A wine designed to help you unwind, savour the moment, and stay a little longer at the table after a long day. The Lezer vineyard sits high in the Dolomites, and you can really taste that mountain energy here. Foradori works with the land, not against, it’s native yeasts, careful hands, zero fuss. It’s the kind of wine that shows you what a place tastes like without shouting a...

La Cave Noire: Quick Pour - Serragghia Bianco Zibibbo Vino Secco — 2023 (Italy) This one feels a little special. Not to take away from the others in the series, every bottle we feature earns its place, but this is the kind of wine we would open for a moment. A touch higher in price, yes, but worth it for the occasion. These bottles rarely stay on the shelf for long. If you see one, it is probably the last. That silver arrow label stops you in your tracks, the small 1/600 near the neck. We were curious from the start. Made by Gabrio Bini at Azienda Agricola Serragghia on the volcanic island of Pantelleria, just southwest of Sicily. 100 percent Zibibbo, fermented with native yeasts and macerated on skins for months in buried terracotta amphorae. No filtration, no additives, no shortcuts, a raw and expressive orange wine that mirrors the island’s rugged landscape. Notes of orange blossom, dried apricot, wild herbs, and sea spray. Textured, saline, and endlessly fresh. This is a wine that ...

The Taste of Elsewhere: Pamplemousse Jus, B.C. Canada When most people think of wine tasting, they picture an urban wine bar on a busy high street. Rows of bottles, a few too many adjectives, and an air of pretentiousness that never quite lifts. Wine tasting in British Columbia couldn’t be further from that. At Pamplemousse Jus, the tasting room isn’t a sleek city space or a polished wooden hut. It’s a small building tucked just to the side of the main house and barn quietly resting between the vines. There’s a deck outside with a few tables and mismatched chairs, where visitors gather under the soft hum of summer air. It feels like you’ve stumbled onto someone’s secret, the kind of place that doesn’t need a sign to let you know you’ve arrived. The morning mist drifts across the vineyard, slow and deliberate. Sunlight stretches across the rows, each leaf catching a little glow as the day opens up. Walking through the vines, the air shifts between cool and warm, full of that groun...

La Cave Noire: Quick Pour – Coince ta Bulle Blanc Pet Nat (France) Coince ta Bulle blanc Pet Nat – light gold with lively fizz, grapefruit, apricot & green apple. Picked by Tio, the Coince ta Bulle blanc Pet Nat is approachable, lively, and full of personality. The bottle immediately catches your eye, with a delicate label and light gold glow hinting at the bright, playful wine inside. On the nose, it’s funky enough to spark curiosity without being overpowering. No over the-top sock aromas here, just a hint of intrigue that draws you in. The first sip delights: lively fizz from natural fermentation, bright citrus notes, grapefruit, apricot, and green apple dance on the palate. It’s refreshing and playful, yet balanced, making you want another glass straight away. This is a wine that does not try too hard. It can stand alone on a quiet evening, accompany a casual meal, or spark conversation among friends. The natural bubbles, j...

La Cave Noire: Quick Pour – Brio Brial Marcelan (France) Brio Brial Marcelan – a chilled French red with pure autumn charm. Today’s Quick Pour comes from Brio Brial, a French producer with a knack for crafting wines that feel effortlessly cool. This one’s made from 100% Marcelan, a lesser known French grape that deserves far more attention than it gets. I can’t get enough of these juicy, easygoing reds they’re vibrant, refreshing, and seem to have this laid back attitude baked right in. There’s something about Marcelan that feels young at heart: it doesn’t demand ceremony or jargon. Just chill it slightly, pour a glass, and let it speak for itself. In the glass, it’s light and ruby bright, and from the first swirl you get that fresh berry, blackcurrant and cherry leading the way, with a touch of cranberry tagging along for brightness. On the palate, it’s dry and lively with low tannins, the kind of texture that keeps you coming...

No Place Like Home: From Paris to Brighton There’s a strange clarity that travel gives you. When you find yourself in new places, the unfamiliar streets start to reveal something you already knew. Paris hums under soft rain. New York glows under streetlights. And somewhere between those two cities, home begins to take shape in your memory before you ever return. For us, that home is Brighton and Hove - Sea air, guitars on the promenade, posters curling on lamp posts. But before you arrive, you walk, you listen, you taste. Paris | Les Marchés des Enfants Rouges It’s a slow morning near the Marais. The cobbles are slick with rain. We wander through Les Marchés des Enfants Rouges, the city’s oldest covered market. Butchers call across their counters while the Boucher de Paris lifts a cut to the light. There’s Clovis, always there, laughing with friends over small glasses of wine. Someone smokes, someone debates philosophy, someone hums along to the street accordion outside. ...

It’s midweek. We’ve made it to hump day. The weather’s still holding on, stubbornly clinging to whatever warmth it can muster and honestly, that’s as good a reason as any to pour a glass of something a little golden, a little alive! Orange wine. There’s something about these wines that slows everything down. They’re not loud or showy, just quietly confident. The kind of bottle you open when the week feels like it’s running away from you, when emails and notifications are piling up, and you need to take it back  even for an hour. What Is Orange Wine? If you’re new to this world, here’s the scoop, orange wine isn’t made from oranges. (No, it won’t taste like a fruit punch.) It’s white wine fermented with the skins still on, which gives it its amber glow, a little texture, and those funky, layered flavours that make every sip feel like a small adventure. Think dried apricot, a touch of honey, faint herbs, sometimes a whisper of tea or spice. It’s approachable, but it asks you to slow ...

It’s Friday. Finally. The week’s been heavy, busy, full-on for me, for you, for just about everyone in Brighton & Hove. But here’s the good news: it’s done. The weekend is here, and that’s something worth raising a glass to. This is the moment to slow down and actually breathe. To call a friend you haven’t seen all week, to sit at the table with people you love, or to just wander the city and feel the energy buzzing again. We work hard, we rush around, but Fridays remind us why we do it all, for connection, for laughter, for those little flashes of joy that carry us through. And what better way to kick things off than with a few bottles of natural wine? Each one is different, alive, full of character. Sometimes it’s wild, sometimes it’s subtle, but it’s always a surprise. Natural wine isn’t about perfection; it’s about letting things be real, just like friendships, just like family. Pair it with bold flavours, pass the food around the table, take chances on combinations you’ve n...