Les Cailloux du Paradis is an iconic estate in the Sologne viticole, located near Soings en Sologne in the Loir et Cher. The domaine was founded in the late 1970s by Claude Courtois, a pioneer of natural winemaking in France whose work predates the modern natural wine movement. Today the estate is run by his son, Étienne Courtois, who continues the family’s uncompromising approach to low intervention viticulture across roughly ten hectares of mixed sand, flint, clay, and silex soils. The vineyards are farmed organically with biodynamic influences, worked entirely by hand, and surrounded by forest which encourages biodiversity. Fermentations are spontaneous with indigenous yeasts, ageing is slow and oxidative in old barrels, and no sulphur is added at any stage, producing wines of deep character and unmistakable identity.
One of Claude Courtois’ most iconic cuvées, Racines is a remarkable field blend built around Cabernet Franc, Côt, Gamay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon alongside numerous rare local varieties, all grown on the domaine’s organically farmed flint and clay soils in Sologne. Fermented spontaneously and aged for around 30 months in old barrels, the 2016 has now developed beautifully in bottle.
Dark cherry and plum meet dried flowers, spice, forest floor and subtle earthy notes. The palate is deep and complex yet surprisingly fluid, with silky tannins, lively acidity and a persistent mineral character. A rare mature bottle from one of the pioneers of French natural wine, showing both the wild character and remarkable ageworthiness of Courtois’ wines.
Origin Soings en Sologne, Loir et Cher, France
Grapes Gamay de Bouze, Gamay Chaudenay
Vintage 2016
Alcohol 12.7%
Style Beautiful Aromatic Vibrant Red
Bottle size 75cl
Winemaking Organic farming, full bunch maceration, spontaneous fermentation, aged in old barrels, no fining, no filtration, zero sulphur
Notes Zero sulphur, biodynamic influence, low intervention, forest edge biodiversity, terroir expressive
UNITED KINGDOM
All UK orders are shipped with DPD. Estimated delivery is 1–3 working days from the time of processing.
Orders placed Mon–Fri before 12pm are processed the same day subject to stock availability. Please note that we hold a wide selection of wines and stock levels can vary by bottle; as a result, an additional day may occasionally be required to restock before dispatch.
On delivery day, you’ll receive a text message from our courier with a 1-hour delivery window.
England, Wales & Scotland (delivery Mon–Sat):
· £7.95 for orders under £80
· FREE for orders over £80
Northern Ireland, Scottish Highlands & Islands* (delivery Mon–Fri):
· £8.95 for orders under £120
· FREE for orders over £120
*Applies to postcodes: AB31–AB38, AB40–AB56, IV1–IV63, HS, KW1–KW17, PA20–PA38, PA41–PA49, PA60–PA78, PH4–PH44, PH49–PH50, BT, ZE, IM (Isle of Man), Channel Islands.
EUROPE
We currently ship to: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia.
· All European orders ship via UPS Express Delivery
· Estimated delivery: 3–8 working days
· Flat fee: £18.99 per order (any size/weight)
· Free shipping is not available for these destinations
⚠️ Note for international customers: We do not charge UK VAT. However, you may need to pay local customs and handling fees (typically ~20%) depending on your country’s regulations.
Spain & France: At the moment, we cannot ship directly due to excessive customs charges. If you’re based there, please contact us via email or webchat and we’ll be happy to explore options with you.
We are unable to ship to Sweden or Finland due to internal regulations.
USA, CANADA, ASIA, AUSTRALIA
We regularly ship to these destinations, but due to fluctuating courier rates, we cannot offer fixed prices.
Please contact us for a personalised shipping quote.
If your country isn’t listed above, get in touch, we’ll be happy to check feasibility and provide a quote if possible.
Packaging
We only use sustainable, recycled and recyclable packaging designed to protect your bottles.
Whenever possible, we reuse sturdy packaging, reducing environmental impact and keeping unnecessary costs down, so the wines remain the focus.
Large deliveries
In some cases, large deliveries will be sent out with a wine courier and delivery time might vary. Please get in touch for more info.
