Alcohol: 13%
Grape(s): Gamay
Localization: Beaujolais, France
Tasting Notes: This is named after Jules Chauvet's first ever natural wine and is made with zero sulfur. From organically farmed 60+ year old vines on granitic shale. Notes of juicy cherries, wet earth, and white pepper dominate the wine’s complex yet easy-drinking palate.
The Domain: Yann Bertrand learned to make wine from Yvon Metras, more-or-less the Obi-Wan Kenobi of the region. Growing up in Fleurie, Yann Bertrand never thought he would become a winemaker. He briefly enrolled in commerce at a local university, then traveled around the French Alps for a few years. When applying for local jobs, he noted that he was the son of a vigneron and soon found himself working at wine bars and wine shops, surrounded by passionate wine geeks and artisan winemakers who often came to deliver wine themselves. Tasting wines in a new way, he began to ask himself some questions and eventually decided that the metier of a winemaker would be interesting to him if he pursued it with the same passion as the role models he encountered.
Returning to the Beaujolais, Yann began to learn from the incredible circle of producers that he never knew before, including well-known people like Jean Foillard and Yvon Metras, as well as the behind-the-scenes guru Jacques Neauport (who was the quiet right-hand to the legendary Jules Chauvet).
All of the vines are farmed organically and located in a single 7.5-hectare block known as Grand Pré. The vineyards are 30-110 years old, planted on extremely fine sandy granite soils, and all winemaking is done using cold carbonic whole cluster fermentations that were developed in the Beaujolais, as well as no added SO2. Yann's parents had been slowly moving in the direction of organic viticulture since they took over the family Domaine in 1992, and in 2013, the entire vineyard was certified organic. Additionally, Yann took on 1.5 hectares to farm on his own using biodynamic principles. Thanks to incredible farming and a knack for Gamay, Yann Bertrand has justifiably become one of the most sought-after producers in the region.
Following two unusually small harvests, Yann created a line of négociant wines in 2016 following strict criteria that all vineyards must be plowed and farmed without any chemical pesticides or fertilizers. The grapes are always purchased “sur pied” and harvested by Yann and his team, and vinification is done with native yeasts. Elevage and bottling take place at the Domaine, just as with every other wine produced at the estate.
Buy 6 bottles of regularly priced (not on sale) wines and receive 5% off.
Buy 12 and receive 10% off.
Email sale wines do not combine nor count towards the above discount.
We would consider all wine to be "Natural". The term "Natural Wine" has the connotation of lacking a touch with nature. The winegrowers we champion are those who are farmers first. They seek to capture the uniqueness of the site (terroir) in the purest way possible. The product is as pure as possible and without wine-making flaws (brettanomyces, mercaptans, volatile acidity, etc.
Raw, in this case, we define as realistic and not manipulated. The winemakers use the least amount of intervention as possible. Wine should be made in the vineyard, not the cellar. The winemaker's job is to get the wine into the bottle in the purest form possible. There are additives that go into making wine, some are essential and some are not. Wines in this category do not have extra additives. They are free of added sulfur, or have the most minimal amounts possible in order to provide shelf stability for the consumer to experience the wine as the winemaker intended it to be.
