BARON SELECTIONS
We are extremely happy to represent a few producers that we believe have singular voices in a vast world. We are pleased to offer these for collector purchases through our D.C. operation, as well as at wholesale in New York through Greffage Imports.
Please contact us for wholesale inquiries, or any questions relating to our producers.
Terra Vita Vinum
Owners Benedicte and Luc acquired Domaine Richou, and started their winery
with the 2019 vintage. They have segmented their vineyards into a number of single vineyard parcels of Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and some Gamay, along with parcel blends to create a range of
distinct impressions.
There has been tremendous work to improve every aspect of the process, from the vineyard to the cellar, to create the highest quality wine possible.
Luc and Benedicte farm biodynamically, but consider every aspect of their farming in the context of creating a sustainable ecosystem to ensure the best quality of their fruit, and the resulting wines.
For example, they grow specific fruit trees to encourage a local bat population, which then controls insects and pests. They use a specific breed of small cow, instead of sheep for their manure and grazing, because the cow hooves are wider, and compact the soil less.
They plant crops specifically to encourage wild rabbits to live on the property. This creates a hunting ground for large birds, which then keeps away the small birds that would eat their grapes. In the winery, Luc and Benedicte are similarly considerate in their fermentations and raising of the wines, without ever sacrificing stability and aging potential.
Their good friend Richard Leroy is a close resource for the entire winemaking process, and a close relationship with Chassin, the barrel maker for DRC, means that they have the passion, talent, connections, and resources to produce these expressive wines of the highest quality.
BRYAN DELEU
Bryan Deleu is a producer based in Condrieu, making some exciting Syrah and Rhone White wines.
The wines are clean and expressive. The Saint Joseph Rouge Exorde is the calling card of the Domaine, and the Condrieu and Saint Joseph Blanc Litote are expressions of these regions that we love; they have a freshness, minerality, and acidic verve that really cuts through and balances all the rich fruit you expect and find in white wines of the region.
After going to school for Architecture, Bryan realized it was the last thing in the world that interested him. WIth a background in restaurants, he started to work in high level restaurants, where he was introduced to, and fell in love with wine.
Making the decision that he wanted to make wine, not just sell it, he began working with Yves Cuilleron, and spent 2 years working in the vineyards. He moved to New Zealand to work and learn viticulture from the cult winery Stonyridge, before moving back to the Rhone to work under Jean Pierre Villa, where he was in charge of the viticulture.
In 2018, Bryan started his own venture with a purchase of Saint Joseph land, which lay fallow. It presented him an opportunity to build his domaine from the ground up, with the viticulture regimes that he thought would produce the best wines. He has expanded the holdings, with additional plots in Saint Joseph, Condrieu, Cote Rotie, and in Vin de France areas.
