Tasted in Fleurie with Jean-Louis Dutraive, 19 February 2024.
Domaine de La Grand’Cour
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 4 74 69 81 16
domainedelagrandcour.fr
More reports with Domaine de La Grand’Cour
I missed the chance to taste with, daughter, Ophélie – but this guy was available!
Jean-Louis on 2022 & 2023:
“2022: There are more and more easy vintages these days – but we had hail, we lost 40% of the domaine wines in Fleurie. It was just as bad in 2023 with hail but we made more simply because there were more grapes on the vines – in both cases the hail arrived in July. There was a small amount of mildew in 2023 but not too bad. The wines of both vintages fermented well, maybe the 23s even a bit better.”
The wines…
A simply delicious range from JL and O in this vintage. Two are great wines that are worth a special search.
2022 Famille Dutraive, Chénas Les Perelles
This was not yet certified organic in 2022 but it will be for the 2023s.
An open, airy, pretty red fruit. Silky, supple – ooh – so deliciously juicy red fruit. Subtly structured in the finish with a lingering fine finish. Simply excellent wine – maybe with a couple of years in bottle – even better!
2022 Famille Dutraive, Chiroubles Javernand
A wider more incisive nose – acid red fruit – almost a soft redcurrant fruit aromatic. Like the nose this is more direct and incisive – the energy extra forward. Juicy finishing – drink this for the delicious energy or the previous for a little more contemplation – both are super!
Here’s a little extra colour. A subtle reduction but it doesn’t last long in the glass – red fruit of more concentration here. A subtle gas but what a width – indeed layers – of red fruit, a mm of cushion and a width of intensity. That’s going to be a great wine – but wait 2 years!
2022 Famille Dutraive, Beaujolais-Lantignie
Also the last year of conversion to organic here in 2022.
Pale colour again. Open, airy, inviting – red fruit once more. Hmm, a little acid-fruit style but how delicious is this? The finish is broad and fading slowly – which means you have to take another sip!
2022 Domaine de la Grand’Cour, VdF La Part des Grives
Haven’t made this since 2018
Another airy nose – very clean, almost mineral. Direct, juicy, mineral style – the fruit slowly catching up on you – almost a small generosity in the middle and finishing flavours which balances the acidity of these second-generation grapes. I’d drink this with pleasure today.
2022 Brouilly Cuvée Vieilles Vignes
Here argillo-calcaire in Charantay.
Deeper colour that the ‘Grives’ – a little more padding to this nose too. Light gas but what a width and fine intensity these flavours. Direct and almost chewy in the finish – I love the zing of intensity here – Super wine.
2022 Fleurie Chapelle de Bois
Vines in front of the domaine – a little deeper soil here.
A less forward, still airy nose but there’s still scale here. The gas is present like in all these domaine wines – but still there’s a little more here. Mouth-filling – open fred fruit flavours – what a delicious wine again – this time with a more perfumed, floral, accompaniment – yes!
2022 Fleurie Clos de la Grand’Cour
A little less colour. A little less width but extra depth of aroma here. Extra scale with extra intensity – that’s the magic here. Almost framed by this shimmering intensity. It’s delicious but still a little less ready than most of the others. Super finishing width – simply excellent!
A little more colour thand the first Clos cuvée. Here the width is restricted but there’s perhaps a little more aromatic complexity too. Yes – what extra depth and dimensions of flavour – in this case with some barrel accents too – for that, I’d wait 2 years. But here is a great wine. It’s this and the Champagne that have all barrel elevage – and both are great!