Domaine De La Grand'Cour - Fleurie Champagne - 2018
Name: Fleurie Lieu-Dit Champagne Cuvée Vieilles Vignes AFC
Winery: Domaine De La Grand'Cour
Producer: Jean-Louis Dutraive
Area: Fleurie - Beaujolais - Rhone
Grapes: Gamay
Type: Red wine
Alcohol: 13%
Size: 75 cl
FLEURIE LIEU DIT CHAMPAGNE
Fleurie Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Lieu-Dit “Champagne”(yes, spelled like that) is one of those wines that makes natural wine lovers smile before it’s even open.
It comes from a 1.5-hectare plot in the southern part of Fleurie, planted with 70-year-old vines alongside slightly younger ones. Sandy, shallow soils over weathered granite, southeast exposure, 260 meters altitude, and tiny yields (11 hl/ha in 2021). Translation: serious stuff.
The grapes are hand-harvested, gently handled, and vinified the Dutraive way: cold whole-cluster vatting, carbonic maceration, native yeasts, no sulfur during fermentation or aging, no fining, no filtration. The wine ferments in concrete and then rests 7 months in oak to find its balance.
Farming is certified organic, with zero chemicals or herbicides — because this is all about letting the terroir do the talking.
In the glass? Pure Fleurie energy: juicy red fruit, florals, granite freshness, silky texture, and that light-but-deep vibe that makes Gamay so addictive.
Family-owned, naturally made, and effortlessly alive.
Open, pour, smile.
