Domaine de Colette, France

Run by the humble Jacky Gauthier, it was founded by his father René. Gauthier studied enology at the tender age of 17 and immediately started working with his father in the vineyards. Their steep pink granite vineyards are home to vines of about 45 years old, but one plot, called Colette, reaching over 80 years. The grapes undergo carbonic maceration followed by a gentle pressing. A pleasant ruby-red colour, the wine presents fresh red fruit flavours in its youth, but over time evolve into delightful complex ripe fruit flavours.

Viticulture

The vineyards are cultivated using Haute Valeur Environnementale, a stricter practice than Lutte Raisonnée and very minimal intervention as Jacky’s approach is ecological. Only organic manure is used as well as grassing over and shallow ploughing. The soil is granitic and the bush trained vines average 40 years old. The harvest is all carried out by hand with yields never exceeding 45 hl per ha.

Winemaking

After an exclusively manual harvest that ensures that each bunch is kept whole, they systematically sort the grapes on a sorting table before vatting. They vinify with the classical Beaujolais technique using whole bunches of grapes (no crushing or de-stalking), this allows them to obtain the aromas and flavors that are typical of the region. Depending on the appellation vatting times vary from 7 to 15 days, and fermentation temperatures are carefully controlled. After careful pressing (using a pneumatic press), the wines finish alcoholic fermentation in the vats they will spend the winter in to stabilise naturally.