Do you know the wines of Domaine Yoyo? They're from Roussillon, though they bear little resemblance to other Roussillon wines. They're natural, yet don't taste quite like any other "natural wines" we've come across.

Clearly,... Read More

Do you know the wines of Domaine Yoyo? They're from Roussillon, though they bear little resemblance to other Roussillon wines. They're natural, yet don't taste quite like any other "natural wines" we've come across.

Clearly, winemaker/vigneronne Laurence Manya-Krief (aka "Yoyo") is doing her own thing, and it's working out well – the wines have exploded in popularity since first appearing in the natural wine bars of nearby Barcelona.

The magic here is how the wines juxtapose certain elements of Roussillon terroir which are seemingly at odds. Layers of concentrated, exotic fruit evoke the perennial sunshine, but seem rippled with currents of shivery, salty freshness – as if some sea breeze got trapped under cork. Sweet floral and bitter herbal aromas suggest a lush, pastoral landscape, while notes of crushed stone remind you the vines bask at the harsh, rugged feet of the Pyrenees Mountains.

Such delightfully complex and satisfying wines are hard to pull off, and indeed Yoyo goes to remarkable lengths to craft hers. She farms her very old vines plots biodynamically, employing a horse and plow to work the soils (or sometimes manually with a pick!) on steep, rocky slopes. This is incredibly arduous work for such meager yields.

Yoyo only ferments the wine with native yeast, and never adds anything, including sulfur. Somehow the wines are not only stable, they are absolutely, vividly beautiful and delicious. These are rare and miraculous wines worthy of their cult status.