Place: Ardche + Alsace, France

Grape: Pinot Blanc + Gewrztraminer

Vibe: Natural + Oxy

These oxidative bottles are where I really think Anders and Anne make their claim as two of the most unique vignerons of their generation. No one is really working with Alsatian varieties exposed to the elements quite like this. It all sounds a bit mad, doesnt it. Then you taste one and it suddenly makes perfect sense.

The grapes are directly pressed and left out over winter, then spend a further two years in barrels without being topped up. Those high-toned varieties reveal themselves in a completely different light, one you do not often see. The varietal character is still there, but toned down, with minerality and spice moving to the centre instead of the often exuberant, sometimes over-the-top Alsatian fruit. A masterpiece. And again, just a two-bottle allocation. ABV: 12.75%