Natural wine, or whatever you choose to call it, has reached its zenith with many producers having achieved a cult-like following. Most of these are European, but there are a few domestic winemakers who inspire that level of devotion.

Andrew Young of Marigny and St. Reginald Parish is one of those and the tiny amount of wine we get from him often sell out in a flash. Andrew, the son of a preacher man from New Orleans, started as a musician but later caught the wine bug. In 2007, he immersed himself in Willamette Valley’s natural winemaking scene. A couple years later he launched his first label, The Marigny (a nod to that neighborhood in the French Quarter known for its live music). St. Reginald Parish, another nod to NOLA, came a bit later to showcase the wines that Andrew holds most dear.

All fruit is sourced from friends with old, established sites – an important point, as access to top quality fruit means he doesn’t need to do much in the winery. Bootstrapping things together, he started with a press he rented from a beer store and would use his friend’s meat fridge to cold soak. Things have evolved a tiny bit from there, but Andrew intends to keep things simple and small.

The wines below show the evolution of this extremely talented craftsperson.The Marigny wines often start fresh and easy but will quickly evolve into something more complex and brooding in your glass. For old world drinkers, these would not be unfamiliar with their high acidity and restrained fruit but in a wholly unique sensory experience. These are wines that transcend the natural/conventional wine divide and are simply exceptional wines made by someone deeply dedicated to their craft. As stated above, we received a tiny amount and they will go fast.

The descriptions below are from Marigny and rather succinctly capture the taste/feel of these wines.

The Marigny Willamette Valley Pinot Gris 2022 $25.99
Basically, Andy makes this every year in an attempt to recreate a picnic that happened in a park in Texas in the spring of 1997. The wine was Pinot Grigio. It was crisp, slightly effervescent and bought by a friend that was old enough to go into the store to get it. It was also perfect in its simplicity, as we were young and full of discovery. Serve with strawberries, caesar salad, olive bread and sunshine.

The Marigny Willamette Valley Carbonic Pinot Gris 2022 $23.99
In the fall of 2016 everyone said carbo on Pinot Gris was an insane idea. By the spring of 2017, this wine was sold out with a waiting list. TBH, not much has changed since then, as this wine is arguably our biggest crowd pleaser. 7 to 14 days of carbonic maceration on Willamette Valley Pinot Gris from some of our favorite sites in both the northern and coast-leaning parts of the AVA. A perfect intro to “orange” or skin contact styles, this wine ends up somewhere between adult Tang and an Alpine day dream.

The Marigny Willamette Valley Carbonic Pinot Noir 2022 $29.99
The original Marigny wine, made in some form or fashion since 2015; And from what we can tell, it continues to get better year over year! 7 to 10 days of carbonic maceration on impeccably farmed, northern Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Blended from our two favorite tanks for a combo that’s somewhere between Beaujolais, tropical fruit punch and strawberry Kool-Aid. Best served slightly chilled. Oh yeah!

St. Reginald Parish Fais Do Do 2020 $45.99
Because of the record setting fires Fais Do-Do was the only wine that St Reginald made that year. It turned to to be their personal all time favorite. Their fruit comes form a hidden site in the Tualatin Hills AVA. 50% Sauvignon Blanc fermented in new oak (one 500LT puncheon and one 228LT Burgundy) and 50% Chardonnay fermented in 1/3 new oak and 2/3 neutral oak 228LT Burgundy barrels. Direct Press (whole cluster). No SO2 at crush. Fermentation via ambient yeasts on full lees. Racked to stainless for bottling after 11 months in barrel. Small SO2 addition added one month prior to bottling.

St. Reginald Parish Disco Nap 2021 $45.99
The Chardonnay and Pinot Gris that make up this vintage of Disco Nap come from two organic sites in the Tualatin Hills AVA. Whole cluster Pinot Gris is put into one 3000LT concrete cube and then the Chardonnay portion is directly pressed and pumped into the tanks holding the Pinot Gris, effectively submerging the Pinot Gris, creating an anaerobic fermentation similar to that of a traditional carbonic fermentation. Free run juice is drained and fruit is pressed off after 21 days in tank. Élevage was 11 months in 50% new French oak and 50% neutral French oak. Racked to stainless and bottled with a small SO2 addition. 6 months of bottle rest prior to release.