🌋 NEW ARRIVALS: Tricot, Bouju + France’s Forgotten Volcanic Terroir

Ancient soils, meticulous farming, and benchmark Auvergnat wines

Hi, friends.

Welcome to the Auvergne, France’s forgotten volcanic terroir, and arguably one of the most under-the-radar havens for natural winemaking in the world (for now).

Once you start pulling at the thread, it becomes difficult to imagine a world in which the Auvergne isn’t the center of it all—the region’s 300-some-odd (!!!) dormant volcanoes yield ancient soils of granite, limestone, and basalt, a technicolor dream coat of terroir rarely found in one region anywhere in the world. Coupled with cool nights, pre-phylloxera vines and high-altitude vineyards, Auvergnat wines possess an inherent tension complicated (in the best way) by the regional proclivity for zero-zero winemaking. It’s the nexus of natural wine nerd-dom, in so many ways.

Despite all that, this landlocked enclave was rarely considered in the wine world until fairly recently, owing largely to the vagaries of development, railroads, and factory jobs (French wineries have more in common with New England textile mills than you might think). Things started to change around 20 years ago, when a few passionate young producers saw the once-known potential and staked their claim. Because of their vision, the Auvergne went from a post-industrial “wine region that was” to the playground for natural wine fanatics in the span of just 15ish years.

I’m happy to be offering an allocation of wines from two of those standard-bearing estates today; the couples behind Marie et Vincent Tricot and Domaine la Bohème are icons in their own right, and having such an incredible lineup of their work in the shop right now has me beside myself—truly. They might have started out as underdogs, but they’re now undeniably the vanguard, spinning out some of the most sought-after bottles in the natural wine scene the world over. We’re lucky to know them.

The Rundown

The Tricots are perhaps the most authentic voices in the region, making estate-grown wines in minuscule quantities that are fiercely hunted by natural wine lovers and collectors alike. Bouju (and his now partner, Isabel Loiseau) is more beautiful genius, eschewing convention in the interest of a single-minded pursuit of terroir. In both cases, the results are IYKYK-level wines that remain on heavy rotation in my own cellar. We receive teeny-tiny quantities of these wines once a year, so please scoop them up if you’re so inclined.

Enjoy the deep dive.

XOXO,

Lauren

MARIE ET VINCENT TRICOT
There are wines that taste like the place they’re from—and then there are wines that are the place they’re from.

Tricot is the latter.

Marie and Vincent Tricot have been quietly making some of the most captivating natural wines in France since 2002, when they settled in Orcet, in the heart of the Auvergne. After years of living/training/working in Anjou and Beaujolais (where they fell in with the likes of Patrick Coton and Marcel Lapierre), Marie and Vincent settled with their family in the far-flung wilds of “the other Loire”—immediately working with the high-altitude, cool mountain climate to transform the native Gamay d’Auvergne (a uniquely peppery and extremely rare variant of Gamay not unlike Pineau d’Aunis) into something uniquely Auvergnat. The couple’s approach combines deep respect for letting the terroir find its way with a minimalist cellar philosophy, yielding wines of rare precision and vitality.

The couple farms about 9 hectares of vines—a patchwork of basalt, granite, and limestone, remnants of the region’s ancient volcanic activity. This terroir gives the wines a distinct lift—vibrant acidity, a powerful mineral backbone, and phenolic complexity that seems to carry both earth and sky.

In the cellar, it’s all about gentle, hands-off winemaking: native yeast fermentations, very minimal SO2 additions, and bottling without fining or filtration. The result? Wines that hum with energy—fresh, alive, and brimming with personality.

Why we care:
Marie & Vincent’s wines have become cult favorites in the natural wine world because they deliver that rare balance of drinkability and complexity. They’re as at home on a picnic blanket as they are in a serious cellar collection. Small production and devoted followers mean allocations disappear fast.

These aren’t the bottles flooding Instagram feeds or flooding natural wine memes. They’re quieter, subtler, and—in many ways—more important. To those who’ve been drinking natural wine for decades, Tricot is essential: soulful, consistent, and deeply tied to the land. Among serious collectors and longtime natural wine lovers, having Tricot in the cellar is a sign you’re in it for a long time, not a good time (ok ok, a good time, too, but for a long time, you know?).

CURRENT OFFERING:

2024 Marie & Vincent Tricot “Désiré”

This plot of Chardonnay was planted in 1973 and has been farmed without chemicals ever since. Aged in old barrel, the resulting wine is pure and textural, reminiscent of a Mâcon—dare I say even of the Valette wines? Flinty but ripe, pithy but lush, it’s a mind-bender in a bottle. Aptly named, for sure.

2022 Marie & Vincent Tricot “Rasséréné”

“Rasséréné” translates to calm—and this is a serene, composed Sauvignon blanc from clay and limestone soils. With lemon peel, white peach, and a saline, stony finish, it’s a quietly powerful Auvergne white for collectors and contemplative drinkers alike.

2024 Marie & Vincent Tricot “Les Milans”

Based in Pint Noir, this is a gritty, wild one that’s affable now but will do extraordinarily well with a few years of age. Ferrous and peppery with the stickiness of a big brambly blackberry. It’s as transparent an expression of the region as you’ll find. Pinot from a volcano, you know?

2024 Marie & Vincent Tricot “MC Rouge”

I won’t say this is one of my favorite bottles from Tricot in recent memory, but… I won’t NOT say that it’s one of my favorite bottles from Tricot in recent memory. Pepper! Forest fruits! Wet rocks! Are you kidding!

2024 Marie & Vincent Tricot “Les Petits Fleurs”

As the name suggests, this wine is pure charm—floral, fresh, and delicate, a pure expression of Gamay d’Auvergne that truly showcases high-altitude finesse. Notes of rose petal, raspberry, and crushed stone. Serve with a chill and watch it vanish.

PATRICK BOUJU & JUSTINE LOISEAU//DOMAINE LA BOHÈME

Widely regarded as legends in the French natural wine scene, Patrick Bouju and partner Justine Louiseau are part of a quiet revolution. Their vines grow on ancient basalt and granite soils—craggy, high-altitude parcels that don’t care much for the rules. Neither do they.

The vines are ancient, pre-phylloxera parcels, and the couple tend to 9 hectares here, with different plots spread across several communes and a range of grape varieties. Another 1.6 hectares of vines in South Beaujolais complete the domaine.

As well as their own wines, Patrick and Justine make a négoce line, created in 2014 after a run of poor harvests. Erratic weather resulting from climate change along with intense damage from Suzuki fly led to huge losses in the vineyard, and Patrick and Justine had to look to other winegrowers for substitute grapes. Travels across France and as far as Greece came with the silver lining of fascinating characters and grape varieties different to those in Auvergne, and the winery became an exciting laboratory with plenty of room for creativity.

Bouju makes wines the way your favorite band writes albums—unpredictable, low-intervention, full of feeling. His vineyard sites sit on volcanic soils in the heart of France, and he lets each one sing without autotune (read: no additives, ever).

Old vines, wild ferments, no additives, no SO₂. These wines are raw, clean, expressive, and precise—red berries dusted with spice, an undercurrent of wild herbs, and that unmistakable pierre à fusil (flinty) minerality from the volcanic basalt and granite soils. Farming is organic, fermentations are native yeast, and everything is bottled without fining, filtration, or any additions beyond a whisper of SO₂ at bottling (if that).

Bouju is one of the most authentic voices of the region—get in on the mixtape.

THE NÉGOCE WINES

2022 Domaine la Bohème “CC” – Auvergne, France

This white wine is made with negoce Loire Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc grapes, with a splash of Sauvignon Blanc. I LOVE THIS WINE. It's super vibrant and hyper-focused on splashes of citrus and grassy herbs. Ideal for this particular moment in time.

2023 Domaine la Bohème “Picapol”

A rare single-variety Picpoul picked up by the seaside near Sète in Languedoc. Quaffable and mineral-driven, expect citrus blossom, lime zest, and a whisper of wet stone. Electric and mouthwatering—a seafood dream.

2023 Domaine la Bohème “P”

Bouju’s minimalist Pinot Noir with a splash of Gamay! Whole-cluster fermentation, old-vine fruit, and volcanic minerality. The 2023 vintage shows rose petal, red berries and a fine-boned structure that invites a chill. Elegant yet playful, stripped down to its purest form.

2022 Domaine de la Bohème “Super B”

Bouju’s playful nod to Beaujolais, “Super B” is made from old-vine grapes grown on granite soil in Beaujolais. This Super B Gamay is flat-out delicious and remains one of his most sought-after négoce cuvées. A gorgeous core of deep fruit with a flash of earth and a stony mineral finish. A must for Beaujolais lovers looking to cut off the beaten path.

2021 Domaine la Bohème “Mo”

Based in négoce fruit from the unique, powerful, über-rare Savoyard variety, Mondeuse—a favorite of mine and of natural wine freaks who like a little masochism with their wine. Vinified in amphora and barrel, the intense acidity that’s the variety’s hallmark is bolstered by textbook notes of forest floor, moss and black berry fruits. Inky, dark minerality that’s like graphite but… more mean? Would work great with duck or game dishes, and definitely one to age if you’re so inclined.

THE ESTATE WINES

2022 Domaine la Bohème “Lulu”

Named for a friend, “Lulu” is a burly, moody expression of 80 year-old Gamay d’Auvergne vines. Semi-carbonic maceration keeps the fruit bright, while the volcanic soils add a grounding minerality. Macerated in amphora and aged in oak barrel. Raspberry, cranberry, and a flicker of white pepper. Serve slightly chilled for maximum joy.

2021 Domaine la Bohème “Mol”

Vinified in Auvergne with Merlot, Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Muscat and Gamay grapes, some of which are sourced elsewhere. While this is a 2021 vintage, it’s technically a solera tank. The addition of Muscat lifts the Syrah and Grenache into extreme drinkability without losing headiness. Red fruits, sandalwood spice, dark floral notes and a granitic finish. Punches well above its weight class.

2022 Domaine la Bohème “Cailloux”

“Cailloux” means “pebbles,” a nod to the stony volcanic and limestone soils that shape this wine. From 120 year-old vines, this is one of Bouju’s most iconic cuvées, based in Pinot Noir and a splash of Chardonnay. Aged in amphora and barrique, this is serious shit, and it drinks like it. The crown jewel of the estate; if you’re only going to get one, this is the one to get.

These wines are all available for purchase in-store or directly via our web shop.