Come and get 'em…I have less than a case and no more than 2 on every wine listed below! Dutraive lost 90%, NINETY, of his fruit to hail in BOTH 2016 and 2017! Support a new retailer and get in early before these don’t ever appear again in places like this by me. ALSO support your producer, there may be no kinder soul in the top echelon of Beaujolais producers!
Masterful Beaujolais Cru
Jean-Lous Dutraive
2016 & 2017 Offers
A Top 5 Producer and the Scarcity that goes with it.
also…Justin Dutraive, Jean-Louis’s son, makes wine with his father’s touch!
Great scores & Pricing from the beautiful 2016 Vintage. Don’t miss these beauties from an epic vintage. If you know who Yann Bertrand is, well, Justin and he are best friends and share a lot of the same philosophy on making wine in Fleurie and the greater Beaujolais!
I am lucky I am even writing this offer up, so please send me your orders ASAP to secure these wines.
We are working with SUPER SLIM amounts to select from, some as lows as 1 case, nothing more than 2! Restaurant Somms will snag a lot of it today so act fast! They already cherry-picked one out of my grasp!
The wines of Jean-Louis Dutraive are some of the most aromatically and texturally unique in all of Beaujolais. One whiff and the wines display an almost exotic floral and spicy aroma overlayed over lush minerally Gamay fruit, sort of like a top Morey St. Denis 1er or Grand Cru nose combined with earthy, Volnay-like fruit. There is also a textural lushness and exuberance backed up by ample structure and acid, these are substantial Beaujolais. They also have the requisite material to develop and evolve over the medium term, i.e. 10-12 years easily. Jean-Louis and his Domaine de la Grand’Cour wines have more than earned their place in the top ranks of today’s Beaujolais domaines.
2017 Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie ‘La Grand’Cour - Les Deduits’
Fleurie, Beaujolais, France
IF you normally buy the Les Clos de la Grand’Cour, this is THE ONLY wine made from that site and it is a blend of Dutraive’s monopole Clos de la Grand’Cour and neighboring vineyard Chapelle des Bois.
Vineyard: A blend of Dutraive’s monopole Clos de la Grand’Cour and neighboring vineyard Chapelle des Bois. Vine age ranges from 30-70 years old in a south, southeast-facing pink granite shingles soils.
Tech Stuff: No herbicides or pesticides, organically farmed, certified since 2009 vintage. Traditional vinification in concrete tank with natural yeast at very low temperatures; no sulfur, semi-carbonic maceration, and no fining or filtering. Matured 100% in 1-5 year old french oak barrels for six months.
Wine Advocate 93+
The vintage’s heavy hail obliged Dutraive to blend his monopole Clos de la Grand’Cour with grapes from a neighboring plot of Chapelle des Bois. The ensuing 2017 Fleurie La Grand’Cour - Les Déduits is lovely, wafting from the glass with notes of candied peel, raspberries, wood smoke and dried oak leaves. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and concentrated, with firmer structuring tannins than is the norm chez Dutraive and a juicy line of acidity. It will reward a couple years of bottle age with additional suppleness and expressiveness.
$42, net extremely limited
ORDER: Dutraive Beaujolais 2017s (and some 16s) - Getting a LOT Harder to Find
2017 Domaine de la Grand’CourFleurie ‘La Pied de la Rue’
Fleurie, Beaujolais, France
Having lost over 90% of their yield to a hailstorm, Jean-Louis contacted the Chanudet family and purchased fruit from their hillside climat La Madone in Fleurie. The vines lie close to the church at the top of the hill. Vines face south at a 40-degree slope.
Vineyard: Due to severe losses from hail damage in his estate vineyards, Dutraive purchased fruit from the steeply sloping parcel of Le Pied de la Rue on the eastern edge of the Fleurie appellation. Vine age ranges from 40-70 years in this southeast-facing, 350-400m in altitude with very little topsoil before hitting granite. Gobelet-trained gamay vines are farmed organically.
Tech Stuff: 60% of the fruit was de-stemmed and vinified using traditional “beaujolaise” vinification in concrete tank with indigenous yeast, semi-carbonic maceration, and no sulfur in the vinification. Aged in a combination of stainless steel tanks, foudre, and futs de chene (barrel).
$39, net extremely limited
ORDER: Dutraive Beaujolais 2017s (and some 16s) - Getting a LOT Harder to Find
2017 Domaine de la Grand’Cour Brouilly Vielles Vignes
Fleurie, Beaujolais, France[/b]
From a clay-limestone terroir with deep soils on East part of the appellation. 1.7 hectare, 60 years old vines. The vines have due Southern exposure and the highest are at 230m altitude. Vinification in concrete tanks and ageing 60% in stainless steel tanks and 40% in oak barrels for 6 months.
90 pts Wine Advocate
A burly, rustic wine that’s pushing 14.5% alcohol, the 2017 Brouilly Cuvée Vieilles Vignes exhibits aromas of ripe plums, cherry and kirsch. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, rich and chewy, with an ample core of concentrated fruit and firm structuring tannins. It will mellow with bottle age, but I suspect it will always remain a rather chunky vintage of Dutraive’s Brouilly.
$38, net extremely limited
ORDER: Dutraive Beaujolais 2017s (and some 16s) - Getting a LOT Harder to Find
2016 Fleurie
Fleurie, Beaujolais, France
This village wine Fleurie is a blend of 3 sites, 2 of which are also single vineyard cuvees: Carolon, Le Pied de la Rue, and La Tonne. Aging barrel and a gentle use of used oak. The grapes come from vineyards on very steep slopes located between 400 and 450 m above sea level on the heights of the village of Fleurie.
92 pts Vinous
Vivid magenta. Highly perfumed dark berry and floral scents are complemented by suggestions of Indian spices and incense. Sweet and penetrating on the palate, offering blackberry liqueur and floral pastille flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. In a seamless and energetic style, displaying an interplay of power and finesse and finishing sappy, sweet and long, with no rough edges and a lingering floral note.
$30, net extremely limited
ORDER: Dutraive Beaujolais 2017s (and some 16s) - Getting a LOT Harder to Find
The 2016 Wines of Justin Dutraive
Fleurie ‘Chapelle des Bois’
Fleurie, Beaujolais, France
From a gently sloping east, south-east facing .4 hectare parcel on decomposed granite soils. The vineyard lies right behind the Dutraive’s home and domaine. The parcel is farmed using organic and biodynamic methods. Semi-carbonic maceration fermentation takes place during fermentation. The grapes are macerated on their skins for 15-30 days and are fermented naturally with indigenous yeast. Used Burgundy demi-muids are used during élevage.
93 pts Vinous
Lurid ruby. Assertive red berry, spice cake and floral pastille aromas are complemented by a deeper suggestion of licorice. Smooth and nicely concentrated, offering intense, mineral-tinged bitter cherry and black raspberry preserve flavors that flesh out and turn sweeter with air. Silky, even tannins frame the finish, which hangs on with outstanding, mineral-tinged persistence.
**$35, extremely limited
ORDER:**Dutraive Beaujolais 2017s (and some 16s) - Getting a LOT Harder to Find
Beaujolais-Villages Les Tour
Beaujolais, France
.4 hectares from a single parcel located in the south of Cotes de Brouilly with 40 years old vines planted. Farming organically. Vinification with Carbonic maceration and then cold fermentation for 2-4 weeks.
91 pts Vinous
Brilliant violet. Vibrant red and dark berry aromas show excellent clarity and take on hints of candied lavender and smoky minerals with air. Taut and sharply delineated, offering juicy black raspberry, boysenberry and spice cake flavors that deepen slowly with air. In an animated, mineral-driven style, finishing with strong, spicy thrust and red-fruit-dominated persistence.
$29, extremely limited
ORDER: Dutraive Beaujolais 2017s (and some 16s) - Getting a LOT Harder to Find
Beaujolais ‘Les Bulands’
Fleurie, Beaujolais, France
.8 hectares from a single parcel with 40 years old vines planted on granite soils, Les Bullands is an organically farmed site located below the village of Fleurie. Justin vinified his wine in a sphere-shaped fiberglass tank that you turn on its axis as opposed to using a pump-over method. This is done most frequently in the final days of maceration, encouraging textural richness in the wine. All natural yeast fermentation and little or no sulfur additions. Aged in a combination of one 10hl stainless steel tank and seven demi-muids for 6 months.
90 pts Vinous
Lurid magenta. Lively aromas of ripe red berries, lavender and allspice are complemented by subtle mineral and earth nuances. Silky, gently sweet and focused, offering nervy red currant and raspberry flavors braced by a spine of zesty acidity and sharpened by a peppery note. Shows good depth but comes off lithe, finishing with very good clarity and barely detectable tannins.
**$26, extremely limited
ORDER:**Dutraive Beaujolais 2017s (and some 16s) - Getting a LOT Harder to Find
Leading Beaujolais Cru Producer
Jean-Louis & Justin Dutraive
Founded in 1969 by fourth generation vigneron Jean Dutraive, Domaine de la Grand’Cour lies about 300 meters outside the town center of Fleurie. The domaine consists of 8 hectares in Fleurie comprised of two lieu-dits (Chapelle des Bois and Champagne) with another 2 hectares in the cru Brouilly.
In the Vineyards
In 1977, Jean was joined by his son Jean-Louis who officially took over the domain in 1989. Eventually transitioning their farming practice to organic, Jean-Louis found himself spending the majority of his time in his vineyards gaining an understanding of the significance of organic viticulture. The domaine became certified organic in 2009.
The Cellar
Vinification practices at the domaine are consistent with slight adjustments depending on the millesime and cuvée. Semi-carbonic maceration takes place, the grapes are macerated on their skins for 15-30 days and are fermented naturally with indigenous yeast. A combination of used Burgundy barrels, foudre, and stainless steel tanks are used during élevage. The old vine cuvée lieu-dit Champagne also sees some new French oak. Minimal sulfur is used throughout the winemaking process. The wines are unfined and unfiltered.
The wines of Domaine de la Grand’Cour are filled with expressive aromatics, texture, depth and flavor. These are wines that are as vibrant and complex as anywhere in Burgundy. These are wines that are addictive. These are wines that should not be missed.
Jean-Louis, The Man
At almost 60 years old, Jean-Louis Dutraive has gained the respect of the town and an iconic reputation across all of Beaujolais while his eldest son Justin and his 26-year-old neighbor, Yann Bertrand, pave the way for Beaujolais’ future; quickly being viewed as the new wave. No matter their age, these vignerons are only a few examples of why we plan on spending more time in Fleurie over the coming years.
On more than one occasion, Jean-Louis Dutraive has been fondly referred by his peers as “the heart of Beaujolais”. The Dutraive family home and the Domaine de la Grand’Cour are one in the same, and there is a constant flow of visiting vignerons from every generation for lunches, dinners, casse-croûte (“breaking of bread”), walks in the vines, and tastings in the cellar. Jean-Louis’ door is always open, as are his bottles. He makes himself regularly available to young people in the region who are interested in farming naturally, and he is among the first to lend a hand, a tractor, or words of advice.
-Tom
ORDER: Dutraive Beaujolais 2017s (and some 16s) - Getting a LOT Harder to Find
