Wednesday, 4 November 2026: Wine evening – Domaine Leon Barral (Faugeres, France)
The wines of Domaine Leon Barral have been accompanying old man Wagner and the esteemed Mr Hartzsch for quite a long time now. Both of them are more than happy to drink their way around the wine world, but their unwavering loyalty to this particular estate seems well deserved. The reds, in particular, have an unmistakable signature: at once remarkably precise and somehow completely wild. Steve probably put it best: these are wines with warmth, with plenty of oomph, but a surprisingly cool core.
Domaine Leon Barral is based in Faugeres in the Languedoc, one of the hottest wine regions in France. Which makes what Didier Barral has been doing there since his first vintage in 1993 all the more remarkable. These are not the heavy, jammy reds you might expect from the deep south. Instead, they combine sun-soaked power with real freshness, energy, and lift.
Even more remarkably, Didier was one of the very first winemakers in the region to embrace biodynamic viticulture and to work with only the lightest possible touch in the cellar. He has consistently avoided new oak, uses sulphur only when absolutely necessary, and makes his wines in an unapologetically old-school, almost archaic way. That’s exactly what makes them so compelling. Their distinctive structure comes not from cellar tricks or winemaking pyrotechnics, but from the soils, the grape varieties, and Didier’s restrained craftsmanship. These wines don’t taste of technique, but of Faugères. And that’s precisely why Billy has had them in his cellar for the past twenty years.
For this evening, we’ll be drawing on the cellar of Sébastien Visentin. We’ll begin with a little white, before moving unapologetically into red for the rest of the night.
2020 Leon Barral Blanc
2015 Leon Barral Blanc
2020 Faugeres
2016 Faugeres
2020 Faugeres “Jadis”
2010 Faugeres “Jadis”
2020 Faugeres “Valiniere”
2015 Faugeres “Valiniere”
2010 Faugeres “Valiniere”
You can find the wines of Domaine Leon Barral through VISENTIN – Vins Français d’Exception
What:
Wine Dinner: Domaine Leon Barral (Faugeres, France)
When:
Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.
Price:
An outrageously expensive € 280.00
Includes:
A six-course dinner by Nobelhart & Schmutzig | Wines from Domaine Leon Barral | A presentation by Didier Barral in English | An evening at Nobelhart & Schmutzig
Where:
Nobelhart & Schmutzig
Friedrichstraße 218
10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg
RSVP:
Via the link.
Cancellation policy:
You may cancel free of charge until 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Should you need to cancel after that, we won’t charge you, provided we’re able to fill your seats.
Wednesday, 4 November 2026: Wine evening – Domaine Leon Barral (Faugeres, France)
The wines of Domaine Leon Barral have been accompanying old man Wagner and the esteemed Mr Hartzsch for quite a long time now. Both of them are more than happy to drink their way around the wine world, but their unwavering loyalty to this particular estate seems well deserved. The reds, in particular, have an unmistakable signature: at once remarkably precise and somehow completely wild. Steve probably put it best: these are wines with warmth, with plenty of oomph, but a surprisingly cool core.
Domaine Leon Barral is based in Faugeres in the Languedoc, one of the hottest wine regions in France. Which makes what Didier Barral has been doing there since his first vintage in 1993 all the more remarkable. These are not the heavy, jammy reds you might expect from the deep south. Instead, they combine sun-soaked power with real freshness, energy, and lift.
Even more remarkably, Didier was one of the very first winemakers in the region to embrace biodynamic viticulture and to work with only the lightest possible touch in the cellar. He has consistently avoided new oak, uses sulphur only when absolutely necessary, and makes his wines in an unapologetically old-school, almost archaic way. That’s exactly what makes them so compelling. Their distinctive structure comes not from cellar tricks or winemaking pyrotechnics, but from the soils, the grape varieties, and Didier’s restrained craftsmanship. These wines don’t taste of technique, but of Faugères. And that’s precisely why Billy has had them in his cellar for the past twenty years.
For this evening, we’ll be drawing on the cellar of Sébastien Visentin. We’ll begin with a little white, before moving unapologetically into red for the rest of the night.
2020 Leon Barral Blanc
2015 Leon Barral Blanc
2020 Faugeres
2016 Faugeres
2020 Faugeres “Jadis”
2010 Faugeres “Jadis”
2020 Faugeres “Valiniere”
2015 Faugeres “Valiniere”
2010 Faugeres “Valiniere”
You can find the wines of Domaine Leon Barral through VISENTIN – Vins Français d’Exception
What:
Wine Dinner: Domaine Leon Barral (Faugeres, France)
When:
Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.
Price:
An outrageously expensive € 280.00
Includes:
A six-course dinner by Nobelhart & Schmutzig | Wines from Domaine Leon Barral | A presentation by Didier Barral in English | An evening at Nobelhart & Schmutzig
Where:
Nobelhart & Schmutzig
Friedrichstraße 218
10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg
RSVP:
Via the link.
Cancellation policy:
You may cancel free of charge until 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Should you need to cancel after that, we won’t charge you, provided we’re able to fill your seats.