The Natural Selection — Six Wines Made the Right Way
There's a moment in every wine lover's journey when you start asking not just what's in the glass, but how it got there. Who grew the grapes? What did they put on the soil? Did they add anything in the winery, or did they simply let nature do its thing? That's the spirit behind June's Curious Case.
The Natural Selection is exactly what it sounds like — six wines chosen because of how they're made as much as what they taste like.
Biodynamic, organic, low-sulphur, minimal intervention. Producers who farm with conviction and bottle with restraint. And here's the thing: wine made this way doesn't just tick an ethical box. It tends to taste better. More alive, more individual, more genuinely itself.
What's particularly pleasing about this selection is the variety of styles it covers. We open with bubbles — a biodynamic Crémant from Alsace made with zero added sulphur, as pure and characterful as sparkling wine gets. Then a Spanish orange wine fermented on skins in clay amphorae, and a biodynamic Sicilian white from one of the island's most beloved indigenous grapes. A bright, organic Languedoc rosé follows, before two reds close things out — a vivid, fruit-forward biodynamic Tempranillo, and a generous southern Rhône blend farmed along biodynamic lines since the Castillon family took the estate in hand.
Six bottles, six producers doing things their own way. Here's what's in the case.
The biodynamic Crémant. Clement Klur is a long-time advocate of organic and biodynamic practices in the picturesque Alsatian village of Katzenthal, and this Crémant is made with no added sulphur at any stage — during vinification or disgorgement. Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, traditionally made, properly expressive. Ripe apple and a touch of brioche on the nose, lemon and lime on the palate, soft easygoing bubbles and a refreshingly long finish. Elegant, but without taking itself too seriously.
The orange wine from high-altitude Spain. Rosalia Molina farms biodynamically at 1,100 metres above sea level in DO Manchuela, where extreme day-night temperature swings preserve natural acidity and concentrate flavour. The Enblanco is a 50-50 blend of Grenache Blanc and Gris, fermented on its skins in clay amphorae — giving it a delicate pinkish hue, light tannins and wonderful depth. Stone fruit, apricot, citrus and a subtle aniseed note on the nose; rounded and lively on the palate with a refreshing, savoury edge and a mineral finish. Biodynamic, very low sulphur and full of character.
The biodynamic Sicilian white. Luna Gaia is the Cantina Orsogna co-operative's foray into Sicilian biodynamic winemaking, working with BioGaia farmers tending old bush vines in volcanic soils. The Maganza Zibibbo — Zibibbo being Sicily's name for the Muscat of Alexandria grape — is awash with fresh floral notes of white blossom and honeysuckle, with ripe peaches, orange peel and a hint of mango on the palate. A savoury saline touch and bright acidity keep everything in balance, leaving a clean, refreshing finish. Aromatic, joyful and completely irresistible.
The organic Puglian rosato. A Mano was founded by Californian Mark Shannon and his partner Elvezia Sbalchiero, who fell in love with the Primitivo grape found in the sun-drenched Puglian heel of Italy in the late 1990s — and have since helped make it one of Italy's most talked-about varieties. This organic rosato is made from Primitivo grapes grown on the Salento peninsula, crushed and pressed immediately on arrival at the winery to keep skin contact to just a few seconds — preserving all the fresh fruit flavour while giving the wine its attractive pale pink colour. Bright and lively on the nose with ripe strawberries and a touch of fresh mint, surprisingly full-bodied on the palate with good structure and a zesty, lightly spiced finish. A rosé with real character.
The biodynamic Tempranillo. Gonzalo Grijalba is the independently minded winemaker behind Gran Cerdo — the pig's head on the label being his pointed response to the bankers who refused him a loan when he was starting out. This fresh, unoaked Tempranillo is quite a contrast to the structured, tannic versions of the upper Ebro valley — vivid and unvarnished, bursting with cherry, plum and a hint of spice, supple and bright and full of personality. Serve it slightly cool. A genuinely delicious natural red at a genuinely friendly price.
The biodynamic southern Rhône blend. Vines have been grown around Château L'Ermite d'Auzan in Saint-Gilles, just outside the Camargue, since the twelfth century — when the estate produced wine for pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela. Today, Jérôme Castillon and his son Tanguy farm 80 hectares of sunny, south-facing sandstone vineyards along biodynamic lines. The 2023 is a classic Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre blend from Costières de Nîmes — blackberry and plum layered with garrigue herbs, spice and a touch of liquorice, with all the ripeness you'd expect from the south but shaped by freshness and poise.