{"title":"La Cave des Nomades","description":"\u003cp\u003eJosé Carvalho Moreira -- known everywhere simply as Zé -- arrived in Banyuls-sur-Mer in 2010 to play guitar for a harvest party and never really left. Four years later he was making some of the most sought-after natural wines in the south of France.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOriginally from a small town near Porto, Zé studied cinema and plastic arts before spending three years working on organic and biodynamic farms across Europe. His first encounter with natural wine came through Manuel Di Vecchi Staraz, an Italian winemaker established in Banyuls. Zé converted from skeptic to convert in a single tasting and, after an apprenticeship with Manuel as well as Bruno Duchene and Alain Castex, produced his first vintage in 2014 under the name La Cave des Nomades.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore on how they farm and work in the cellar in our \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/natural-wine-producers-primal-wine\/la-cave-des-nomades\"\u003eLa Cave des Nomades producer profile\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"brutal-vindanger-la-cave-des-nomades-natural-wine","title":"La Cave des Nomades Brutal!!! Vindanger 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003eBrutal!!! Vindanger is a 100% Grenache Noir rosé from José Carvalho Moreira, who farms a 3-hectare estate in Banyuls-sur-Mer on the steep schist terraces of southern Roussillon, just north of the Spanish border. The wine sees 14 hours of skin contact before pressing, producing a pale, lightly structured rosé with the mineral edge characteristic of Banyuls schist soils. No sulfites are added at any stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZé Tafé, as he is known, practices biodynamic farming across 12 parcels planted primarily to low-yielding old vines of Grenache Noir, Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Syrah. All vineyard work is done by hand. In the cellar, fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts, and wines are bottled without fining or filtration. Each micro-production runs between 300 and 1,200 bottles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrutal!!! is classified as Vin de France, allowing Zé maximum freedom in the vineyard and cellar without the constraints of AOC rules. The wine is part of a fictional narrative universe that Zé built around each cuvée, with labels printed on cork — a nod to his Portuguese roots — each individually designed by artist Katja Stroph.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe well-chilled. Drink young and drink soon after opening.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Cave des Nomades","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34608849485976,"sku":"NOMABRUTNVC","price":43.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/la-cave-des-nomades-brutal-vindanger-natural-wine.jpg?v=1780187139"},{"product_id":"arlequin-errant-la-cave-de-nomades-natural-wine","title":"La Cave des Nomades L'Arlequin Errant 2017","description":"\u003cp\u003eL'Arlequin Errant is a dry rosé from José Carvalho Moreira, known as Zé Tafé, who farms a 3-hectare estate on the schist terraces of Banyuls-sur-Mer in southern Roussillon. The vineyards sit near the Pyrenees foothills where they meet the Mediterranean coast, on steep terraced slopes that require entirely manual viticulture. His parcels include old vines of Grenache Noir, Grenache Gris, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, farmed without pesticides or herbicides under biodynamic principles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWinemaking at La Cave des Nomades is non-interventionist: native yeast fermentation only, no fining, no filtration, and no added sulfites. Vessels change instinctively each vintage across stainless steel, old barrels, and amphorae of various sizes. Each cuvée is a micro-production, typically between 300 and 1,200 bottles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe wine is labeled Vin de France, as Zé intentionally declassifies his dry table wines from the Banyuls AOC, which is formally reserved for naturally sweet vins doux naturels. The name references a wandering court jester, part of the fictional universe Zé builds across his entire lineup, with labels printed on cork by artist Katja Stroph.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the palate, this rosé is slender and fresh, with aromas of small red fruits, wild rose, and pomegranate. It is an agile, mineral-driven wine rather than a fruit-forward one, reflecting the lean schist soils and coastal Mediterranean climate of Banyuls.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Cave des Nomades","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34608969056408,"sku":"NOMAARLE17C","price":43.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/la-cave-des-nomades-l_arlequin-errant-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1780187137"},{"product_id":"la-petite-magicienne-la-cave-des-nomades-natural-wine","title":"La Cave des Nomades La Petite Magicienne 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003eLa Petite Magicienne is a dry white Vin de France from José Carvalho Moreira, who works roughly 3 hectares of schist-soiled terraces in Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Côte Vermeille, just north of the Spanish border. The blend is equal parts Muscat à Petit Grain and Chardonnay, vinified separately and united after aging. Production is a micro-run of between 300 and 1,200 bottles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe two halves of this blend are handled differently in the cellar. The Muscat is direct-pressed and fermented in stainless steel before aging in amphora, preserving its aromatic intensity without oxidation. The Chardonnay receives a skin maceration before stainless steel fermentation and the same amphora aging, adding texture and a faint amber tint. No sulfites are added at any stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result is a wine with bright, high acidity and a lean, mineral-driven frame rooted in the schist soils of Banyuls. The Muscat contributes its signature floral-citrus aromatic lift while the macerated Chardonnay brings grip and weight. CellarTracker reviewers note tart green apple, grapefruit, stony minerality, and a touch of hay on the finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe label, like all Cave des Nomades bottles, is printed on cork by the sole remaining producer of cork labels in Europe. Each cuvée corresponds to a character or story in Zé's ongoing fictional universe, with artwork by Polish artist Katja Stroph.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Cave des Nomades","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34612071170200,"sku":"NOMAMAGI18C","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/la-cave-des-nomades-petite-magicienne-natural-wine.jpg?v=1780187134"},{"product_id":"intoku-la-cave-des-nomades-france-natural-wine","title":"La Cave des Nomades Intoku 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003eIntoku is a pétillant naturel rosé from La Cave des Nomades, the Banyuls-based project of Portuguese musician and winemaker José Carvalho Moreira, known as Zé Tafé. The blend is equal parts Syrah and Merlot, sourced from parcels on the schist-dominated terraced hillsides and clay-limestone foothills of the Albères range near Banyuls-sur-Mer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe wine is made by méthode ancestrale: grapes undergo four days of carbonic maceration, are then pressed to tank, and are bottled before fermentation finishes — capturing the remaining CO2 as natural bubble. Nothing is added. No fining, no filtration, zero added sulphur.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result is a lightly sparkling, pale rosé with red fruit and a gentle yeasty texture — the kind of wine that drinks like a cross between a Provence rosé and a natural sparkling pét-nat from the Loire. Each cuvée is a micro-production of 300 to 1,200 bottles, and the distinctive cork label carries original artwork by artist Katja Stroph.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZé's last vintage at the Banyuls estate was 2020, making the 2018 Intoku a wine from a project that no longer exists in this form. Bottled under Vin de France designation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Cave des Nomades","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34612229111960,"sku":"NOMAINTO18C","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/la-cave-des-nomades-intoku-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1780187132"},{"product_id":"la-source-du-nahual-la-cave-des-nomades-france-natural-wine","title":"La Cave des Nomades La Source Du Nahual 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003eLa Source du Nahual is a dry red from José Carvalho Moreira, a Portuguese-born winemaker who set up his 3-hectare micro-estate in Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Côte Vermeille, the final stretch of the Pyrenees before they meet the Mediterranean. His vines grow on steep schist slopes above the village, the same dramatic terrain responsible for Banyuls' fortified wines, though Zé makes his wines dry and unfortified, bottled as Vin de France. Each cuvée is a micro-production of between 300 and 1,200 bottles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe estate holds 12 parcels planted predominantly with low-yielding old vines of Grenache Noir, Carignan Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Merlot, among other varieties. Farming is biodynamic with no pesticides or herbicides. In the cellar, Zé adds no sulfites and does not fine or filter his wines. Vessels are chosen intuitively each vintage from stainless steel, old barrels, and amphorae of various sizes, with each parcel vinified separately before blending decisions are made.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe label, like all Cave des Nomades bottles, is printed on cork — a nod to Zé's upbringing in Portugal — and features artwork by artist Katja Stroph. The wine names are drawn from an imaginary universe of nomadic stories that Zé has been building since his first vintage in 2014.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Cave des Nomades","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34612467007640,"sku":"NOMANAHU18C","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/la-cave-des-nomades-la-source-du-nahual-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1780187130"},{"product_id":"le-hibou-coyote-la-cave-des-nomades-france-natural-wine","title":"La Cave des Nomades Le Hibou Coyote 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003eLe Hibou Coyote is a dry red blend from José Carvalho Moreira's three-hectare estate in Banyuls, on the Mediterranean coast of Roussillon just north of the Spanish border. The 2018 is a blend of roughly equal parts Grenache and Merlot with approximately 20% Mourvèdre, sourced from low-yielding old vines planted in the brown schist soils characteristic of the Banyuls hillsides. It is labeled Vin de France rather than a Banyuls or Collioure AOC, as Zé's winemaking approach and grape selection fell outside appellation rules.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the cellar, a portion of the blend underwent partial carbonic maceration before aging in a combination of older barrique and stainless steel. No sulfites were added at any stage, and the wine was made with native yeasts without fining or filtration. At 14.4% ABV, it is a full-throated southern red that retains freshness and grip rather than weight.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe nose is complex and mineral — dark subterranean stone, strawberry, and a spice cupboard of ginger and almond. On the palate, acidity is vibrant and the tannins are fine and thread-like, framing notes of prune, kirsch, and marzipan. The wine earned a 96.3 community score on CellarTracker and was considered a Wine of the Year by at least one reviewer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLa Cave des Nomades closed after the 2020 vintage when Zé returned to Portugal, making these remaining bottles from the estate's short run increasingly scarce collector items.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Cave des Nomades","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34621594140824,"sku":"NOMAHIBO18C","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/la-cave-des-nomades-le-hibou-coyote-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1780187127"},{"product_id":"la-decouverte-inattendu-la-cave-des-nomades-natural-wine","title":"La Cave des Nomades La Decouverte Inattendu 2017","description":"\u003cp\u003eLa Decouverte Inattendue is a 100% Muscat Petit Grain white wine from La Cave des Nomades, made by José Carvalho Moreira (known as Zé Tafé) in Banyuls-sur-Mer, at the southern tip of Roussillon near the Spanish border. It is labeled Vin de France. The 2017 vintage comes in at 12.5% ABV.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe wine is made by direct press and then fermented and aged in barrique. Muscat Petit Grain — the finest member of the Muscat family — delivers intensely aromatic wines even when vinified dry, with characteristic orange blossom, citrus and lychee notes balanced by the spice and texture that barrel aging contributes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe vines sit on Cambrian grey schist terraces above Banyuls-sur-Mer, a demanding site where low yields are the norm. Each cuvée from Cave des Nomades is a micro-production, typically between 300 and 1,200 bottles. Production of this wine has now ceased, as 2020 was Zé's final vintage in Banyuls.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Cave des Nomades","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34621619568792,"sku":"NOMAINA17C","price":48.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/la-cave-des-nomades-la-decouverte-inattendu-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1630817990"},{"product_id":"de-paris-a-paris-par-mer-la-cave-des-nomades-natural-wine","title":"La Cave des Nomades De Paris A Paris Par Mer 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003eDe Paris A Paris Par Mer is a Vin de France red from José Carvalho Moreira, a.k.a. Zé Tafé, produced at Les 9 Caves in Banyuls-sur-Mer, on the Côte Vermeille where the Pyrenean foothills meet the Mediterranean. The 2018 is a multi-grape blend: Syrah and Merlot partially vinified by carbonic maceration, combined with juice from Carignan, Grenache Noir, Grenache Gris, and Grenache Blanc. No additives, no added sulfites.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe vineyards in Banyuls sit on steep, terraced slopes of ancient schist — some of the oldest bedrock in France — worked entirely by hand. The Mediterranean climate delivers over 320 days of sunshine annually, with the Tramontane wind providing natural ventilation and disease control. Each parcel is vinified separately before blending, using a rotating mix of vessels including stainless steel, old barrels, and amphorae.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis cuvée is a micro-production, typical of La Cave des Nomades, where individual bottlings range from 300 to 1,200 bottles. The label artwork is by artist Katja Stroph and is printed on cork labels — a nod to a tradition Zé remembers from his childhood in Portugal. The wine is labeled Vin de France, allowing Zé the freedom to blend across varieties and vinification methods outside the constraints of the local AOC rules.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Cave des Nomades","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34728461861016,"sku":"NOMAPARIS18C","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/la-cave-des-nomades-de-paris-a-paris-par-mer-natural-wine.jpg?v=1630818073"}],"url":"https:\/\/primalwine.com\/collections\/la-cave-des-nomades.oembed","provider":"Primal Wine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}