Domaine de Fa Fleurie 2018 (Beaujolais)
As a Gamay lover, I always keep at least one bottle in my cellar. Yet, ironically, despite Beaujolais being one of the heartlands of the natural wine movement, I find it challenging to discover bottles that suit my palate—which leans away from overtly natural styles. Still, I can’t resist picking up a new bottle whenever I come across one, because I love Gamay’s freshness, vibrancy, and raw energy. And recently, I found a wine that truly impressed me: Domaine de Fa Fleurie 2018.
Domaine de Fa is a relatively new project by the legendary Graillot family, best known for their work in the northern Rhône. The family made its name crafting precise, elegant Syrah under the Domaine Alain Graillot label, founded in Crozes-Hermitage in the 1980s. In 2011, brothers Maxime and Antoine Graillot decided to expand their winemaking horizons. Two years later, in 2013, they acquired 3 hectares of organic vineyards in Fleurie and another 5 hectares in Saint-Amour. Interestingly, the winery itself is based in Tournon-sur-Rhône, geographically nestled between Burgundy and the Rhône.
The Fleurie Roche Guillon vineyard, where this wine is produced, is one of the highest-altitude sites in Fleurie, sitting at 360 meters above sea level. Certified organic and farmed using biodynamic practices, it is planted with over 30-year-old Gamay vines.
The wine is made with 100% whole cluster fermentation using wild yeasts and a semi-carbonic maceration approach. It is then aged for 14 months in old foudres (used for 1 to 3 years), followed by an additional 8 months of bottle aging in the cellar before release.
The result? A wine that is beautifully clear, with a medium-plus aromatic intensity. Now in its 2018 vintage, it shows just a touch of bottle age and is drinking beautifully. The nose reveals layered aromas of cherry, strawberry, cola, clove, nutmeg, leather, compost, and mushroom. The acidity is medium-plus, the body is also medium-plus. While there is a hint of Brett, the wine’s overall complexity makes it a welcome component rather than a flaw. Sometimes juicy Gamay can come across as too light and playful—but this wine brings just the right amount of weight, with an elegance reminiscent of Pinot Noir.
