Nicolas Vauthier has had a long career working with natural wine. However, before embarking on his passion project, he commenced his foray into wine by attending enology school and working at wineries in Washington State as well as France, learning how to make very industrial wines. Upon completing his studies, he worked in retail wine shops in France, where he soon discovered the wines that would become his real passion, natural wine. It was with natural wine in mind that he helped open Aux Crieurs de Vins, one of the best known and beloved natural wine bars in France, located Troyes, in Champagne’s south. Aux Crieurs was one of the first natural wine bars in France, and its status is still legendary today. After several years there, Nicolas sold his interest in the wine bar and after a time working with Philippe Pacalet in Burgundy, he used his many years of experience to start his own micro-negociant winery in 2009, in the spirit of other small Burgundian winemakers such as Pacalet himself.

Today Nicolas works exclusively with the lesser known appellations of Northern Burgundy, including Chitry, Irancy and Epineuil. He vinifies Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Aligoté. The reds are made entirely with whole bunches and carbonic maceration followed by brief elevage times in barrique to soften the wines, a technique he learned while working with Pacalet. The resultant wines are joyful and highly delicious. While not intended to compete with the more ‘illustrious’ wines of the region, Nicolas’ wines nonetheless possess beautiful concentration. They offer the perfect balance between upfront enjoyment and underlying texture and finesse. Moreover, they are quite a bargain.