Julien Zaffrila and Iris Dubusse
France
Say hello to our new Corsican stars, courtesy of a French legend
-
When Naked legend and Winemaker of the Year Ben Darnault decided to give up his grand prize to champion a new winemaker instead, we knew they’d be seriously talented. We were right.
-
He hand-picked Julien and Iris as Naked’s next generation. It was a perfect pick, as we’d been hunting for a splash of sun-drenched Mediterranean magic and Julien and Iris’ Corsican kit (and collective ethos) fit the bill perfectly.
-
They’re part of a brilliant cooperative, helping small island growers get their amazing grapes out into the world. And they can’t wait to transport you straight to the Mediterranean coast in a glass.
Julien Zaffrila and Iris Dubusse's Story
We don’t make wine, we reveal it
We’ve always been fascinated by wine because it tells a story – the story of a place, a climate, and the people behind it. Becoming winemakers allowed us to combine our passion for nature with the sheer pleasure of creating something that truly reflects where it comes from.
There was a distinct moment when everything clicked for us. It was the moment we realised that our job isn't actually to make the wine, it’s to reveal what nature and the terroir already have to say. Since then, every vintage has been a new story. For us, wine should always be authentic, true to its roots, and above all, enjoyable to drink without being overly complicated.
Sunshine, sea breeze and our Vermentinu
Corsica is a completely unique island, and you can taste that wild beauty in our wines. We work with Mediterranean grape varieties that are perfectly suited to our sun-drenched climate. With our Vermentinu, our main goal is to preserve its incredible freshness, its vibrant aromas, and that subtle, salty touch that reminds you just how close our vines are to the sea.
We love following the grapes from those very first tastings in the vineyard right through to the cellar. Our absolute favourite moment is tasting the fermenting juice. We get to see how it changes day by day, slowly discovering the personality of the wine it's going to become. It's always a special moment to see a whole year's worth of hard work finally come to life in the glass.
It takes a village (or an island)
Our wines are the result of a massive team effort. They simply wouldn't exist without our cooperative growers, the winery team, the winemakers, and every single person involved from the vineyard to the bottling line. Authenticity, freshness, balance, and respect for the Corsican terroir are at the heart of what we all do.
Honesty, respect, and trust are values that are hugely important to us, both in our personal lives and in the cellar. We're incredibly proud to be a team our growers can rely on.
Sharing our world with you
We really love the idea of connecting directly with the people who actually drink our wines. Naked Wines gives us this amazing chance to share our life's work with wine lovers in other countries, to tell the story behind every single bottle, and to create a real, genuine connection. It's a beautiful way to talk about our wines and share a piece of Corsica with you.
Our goal is to just keep growing, setting new challenges, and building a career we can be proud of. Oh, and when we're not in the vineyard? We're usually hunting down rare €2 commemorative coins from different European countries. We love discovering the hidden stories behind them – we suppose it's not too different from discovering a great bottle of wine!
We simply hope that every bottle we share takes you on a journey to our beautiful island. Cheers!
