Tasted with Rémi Dufaitre in Saint-Étienne-des-Oullières, 15 February 2022.
Domaine du Botheland – Laurence & Rémi Dufaitre
150 Route de Botheland
69460 Saint-Étienne-des-Oullières
Tel: +33 6 33 58 86 31
More reports with Rémi Dufaitre
Rémi previously had wines dotted around multiple cuvées but has now established a single new cuverie since a recent fire. In the centre of Saint-Étienne-des-Oullières he also has an Epicerie where, rather than just buy vegetables, you can also drink good coffee and eat a canelé!
Rémi on 2021:
“2021 was actually not bad. We weren’t touched by the frost and not much by the hail. A little from the maladies but the volume was okay. We can start with a couple of whites that have already been bottled a week or two…”
The wines…
I tasted mainly 2021s – but bottled – Remi has a super range.
2021 Laurence & Remi Dufaitre, Beaujolais Villages Le Blanc
All chardonnay. Vines all around the house on sand – not a large yield
This has lots of airy width. Nice freshness and life – tasty too, vibrant – that’s really lovely wine.
2021 Cuvée 1000-F
The Second vintage for this – a co-fermentation of gamay and chardonnay.
A strong rosé colour. The nose tighter. Attractive, juicy, flavourful wine. ‘Unpretentious’ says Rémi. I’m enjoying this – I think a more successful wine than the first vintage.
Les Reds:
2021 Beaujolais Villages Prémises
A nose of cushioned red fruit and the small roundness of more natural wines. Energy again – that’s the key to these 21s but they are also so juicy – wide and delicious finishing again.
2020 Côte de Brouilly
A much deeper nose, natural, even a little reductive – more power too. Mouth-filling, cool fruit freshness but the palate is more concentrated and fuller – because of that the wine is a little more contemplative – but only a little! Another wine of delicious freshness despite an obvious extra depth and concentration.
2021 Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Freshness again but not a large nose in this case. Broad with lots of freshness – “The 21s took their time to find their place – more than the 20s but now with the fruit and freshness I think they are good.” The texture is lovely here, slowly almost juicily mouth-watering too. Simply delicious again.