Tasted with Anne-Sophie Dubois on a cold day in Fleurie, 07 February 2019.

Domaine Anne-Sophie Dubois
Les Labourons
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 4 74 69 84 45
anne-sophiedubois.blogspot

Anne-Sophie on 2018:
“2018 was a vintage that, despite a lovely year and great grapes – and it’s a long time since I’ve seen 45 hl/ha – required a lot of vigilance in terms of fermentations. There were lots of micro-organisms on the grapes that also grew well in 2018. I decided on not quite so long for my cuvaisons and I think that was a good idea. I’m very happy with the freshness – I did 100% whole clusters. It’s a good vintage.”

Anne-Sophie on 2017:
“In 2017 I had much less yield – 19 hl/ha – for a long time I didn’t know exactly how low – I didn’t want to know! But I had to do the declaration for the customs, and it was 19! We had the hail of-course but on this side of the hill from Fleurie it was much less. I did some destemming but still quite a lot of whole clusters. And they weren’t really easier fermentations than in 2018 – hot vintages are rarely easy! I bought a microscope and I’m much more re-active now! 2017 was a dry year Here at 300-400 m we still have reasonable acidity to go with the maturities.”

The domaine is starting their second year of certification for organic viticulture.

The wines…

Beautifully classic, mineral wines – if not quite backward, then with a serious side. Be patient, but here is excellence.

Some of Anne-Sophie’s vines were in the Fleurie co-operative – a chunk returned in 2018, more will come in 2019.

2017 Fleurie Cuvée Cocottes
6 months of elevage. First made in 2015 – for an easier entry wine – a more fruity wine.
Aromatically pretty red fruit, round, faintly, smokily, reductive. Round in the mouth, a little saline, quite mineral, silky, less fruity than the description. Lovely wine, but one that defies the ‘entry wine’ description. We carafe – 15 minutes later more depth of texture, more fruit – still a little tight but going in the right direction – certainly a redder fruit than the wines that follow.

2017 Fleurie l’Alchimiste
Bottled at the end of October – longer elevage – 10 months in barrel then assembled for 2-3 months before the bottling.
A little deeper colour. A fuller nose, spiced, mineral and fruity. Rounder, lots of silky volume, open, supple, lovely fruit again. More open than the last. A delicious line of flavour in the finish of this – I find it completely excellent!

2017 Fleurie Les Labourons
‘More of an infusion this vintage,’ despite that, really some depth of colour. A much tighter nose but with a graphite style of minerality – opening more with aeration. Ooh – even silkier – sweeping lines of mineral flavour – mouth-watering, juicy flavour. Darker fruit eventually showing itself. It’s a width of fresh finishing flavour. Another excellent wine, but to wait a little time for.