Le Volcan? It’s a place that resembles the wines sold there: a little opaque, underground, sometimes rather strange… but always warm and welcoming. Éric Desouches has been reigning over it since 2007, standing at the back of this dark and somewhat cramped shop, where regulars meet up at night – but the boss welcomes you in all day long to talk about living wines. On the shelves, there are no more than fifty labels at any one time, which vary depending on who’s he’s met and who he’s loving at the moment. You might find a Beaujolais-Villages from Jérôme Paris (€16 a bottle), Le Gabach, an Aude Merlot from the Domaine du Verdouble (€11), Madinina, a Roussillon red blend from the Domaine de l’Immortelle (€16)… In short, a wine cellar that’ll have you coming back for more. // A.M.
The bullet-proof bottle: Esperluette, a Gaillac white blend from the Domaine Pech del Cel (€12).
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