This is the story of Frédéric Bennetot, a Drôme native who grew up in a small village in the Rhône Valley alongside the children of local winemakers… and who ended up, many years later, bringing his passion for wine to Bordeaux! With his partner Thomas Lepareux (a former winemaker), this longtime vinophile set his sights on a former upholsterer’s workshop, where he now deals out bottles of wine to lovers of Saint-Joseph, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Crozes-Hermitage wines. The day we went, we got our hands on a grenache vieilles vignes from La Réserve Saint Dominique (€10), a rasteau produced by Élodie Balme (€16), and a syrah from Jean-Michel Stéphan (€27). And to go with all that, a striking collection of cornas wines, including a Ludovic Courbis (cuvée 2020 for €33) and a Jacques Lemenicier (cuvée 2019 for €35). FYI: Fred, who also works as an agent for winemakers (for Matthieu Barret, most notably), is happy to let you try a few wines… // Kelly Slatée

THE BULLET-PROOF BOTTLE: Rien 2021, a single-plot cuvée of carignan vieilles vignes (95 years old!), vinified with low-intervention techniques by the Domaine Lionnet (€25).