Lucas Dutraive

I always look forward to my tasting at Domaine de la Grand’Cour/Famille Dutraive, one of the leading exponents of low-intervention winemaking in Beaujolais. Spoiler alert: this domaine produced one of the highlights of my Beaujolais tastings. “The fruit is whole-bunch, and we keep it at five or six degrees,” Lucas Dutraive explains. “There is no pumping-over…we just used a bucket. There is no crushing of the grapes. We just keep an eye on the juice. Maceration lasts between one and three weeks, depending on the vintage and cuvée. The vinification is finished in concrete tanks for five or six months and then racked into tank, with just 10 mg/L of sulfur added just before bottling.” The 2023 Fleurie Le Clos Vieilles Vignes is an absolute diamond. Boasting brilliant delineation and complexity, this wine compelled me to pause and mentally reassess the heights Fleurie can reach. The rest of the range is fine, though I found the wood just a little too “vocal” in the cheekily named Fleurie Champ*gne Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. If that assimilates over the next few years, it will merit a higher score.