2020 Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie Clos de la Grand Cour
WINEMAKER: Jean-Louis Dutraive
REGION: Beaujolais, FR
VARIETAL: Gamay
VITICULTURE: Certified Organic
Le Clos de la Grand'Cour is located south of the Fleurie appellation on a plateau at an altitude of around 300 m. The 6.4 hectare plot, a monopoly of the Dutraive family, rests on more or less deep soils on granite bedrock. This Fleurie cuvée comes from the youngest vines in the Clos, 45 years old on average. These cover a little less than 5 hectares of the plot. The yield obtained for the 2018 vintage is 28 hl/ha. The grapes were vinified in concrete vats then the wines were aged 50% in oak barrels and 50% in oak barrels for 7 months.
Domaine de la Grand’Cour is one of the oldest domaines in Fleurie and carries a tradition for producing some of the most renowned wines of this cru. Back in 1969 Jean Dutraive purchased the commune-like buildings and surrounding vineyards of the domaine. He was then joined by his son Jean-Louis Dutraive, a fifth generation Beaujolais winemaker in 1977. Today the wines are quintessential Fleurie and among the finest of all Beaujolais. The domaine now comprises 9.1 hectares in Fleurie - the lieux-dits of Grand’Cour, the 8-hectare walled Clos surrounding the house and cellar, Chapelle des Bois and Champagne; plus 1.6 hectares in Brouilly. Jean-Louis began farming organically in 2002 when he moved to live at the house inside the Clos and was certified organic in 2009.
Only natural inputs are used. All work is carried out manually and harvesting is exclusively by hand to ensure on the best quality, whole bunches arrive in the winery. The soils across the vineyards are variations on the classic coarse granite sand and gravel, with some clay-limestone plots. The natural Carbonic fermentation is carried out in cement vats with sulphur eschewed until a micro-dose pre-bottling, and some bottlings are available sans soufre (although rarely exported). The Grand’Cour Cru Beaujolais range are a beautiful blend of classicist and natural philosophies; producing finely structured Gamay of great mineral purity and freshness, with a natural vitality only present in the best Beaujolais. These wines are recognised by peers and global Beaujolais followers as being among the top few producers in Beaujolais today.