NATURAL WINE
Philosophie & domaines
NATURAL WINE
The idea of natural wine is simple. As Marcel Lapierre, one of the movement’s pioneer winemakers, used to say, “Natural wine is 100% pure grape wine, from the vineyard to the cellar.”
The advent of technology has long since extended to winemaking. The addition of lab-cultivated yeast, flavor adjustments and Sulphur dioxide (SO2) are all common techniques used to stabilise wine and enhance its flavour. Natural wines, however, contain no such additives. This is wine without make-up; the love and pursuit of authenticity are at the very heart of natural winemaking.
The natural wine movement began with organic and biodynamic vineyard practices but took things one step further in the winery: SO2 is avoided, so as not to suppress the precious indigenous yeast found on the grape skin. The grapes are allowed to ferment spontaneously with this natural yeast, which differs from year to year and from vineyard to vineyard. Native yeast is harder to control but tells the story of the terroir with personality.
When making a natural wine, the role of the winemaker is to gently accompany the whole process but not to dominate it completely. Many conventional manipulations are shunned; natural winemaking avoids pumping, fining, and filtering. The aim of the natural winemaker is to present what nature has to offer, through the grape variety and through the terroir - and the result is fantastic!
These wines are wonderfully fresh and pure. They taste alive, and they are exactly that. They come from soils with active microbial life and are gently cared for until bottling. At GrandCru.com, you will discover such wines from Domaine de la Pousse d’Or and Philippe Pacalet from Burgundy, Marcel Lapierre and Jean Foillard from Beaujolais, and more besides!
NATURAL WINE - Vignerons
With the philosophy of “considering each individual vine as a unique, living individual,” Julien Sunier has practiced organic agriculture since the creation of the domaine. Today, 3...
Domaine Marcel Lapierre has been organic since 1981. Today it has has 13 hectares under vine in Villié-Morgon, with an average vine age of 60 years old. Now managed by Mathieu Lapierre, son of Marcel,...
Anne-Sophie Dubois is an idealist winegrower who cultivates her little ecosystem of 8 hectares using organic methods. She harvests by hand, uses natural yeasts and often ages her wine in old barrels.
Another benchmark of the region, Domaine de Jean Foillard is situated in Villié-Morgon. From 12 hectares of vines, the estate produces five organic cuvées, always vinified at low temperatures, using...
This family property extends for 10.7 hectares, with 9.1 hectares in Fleurie and 1.6 hectares in Brouilly. Organic since 2009, their natural wines are vinified without sulphur, using carbonic...
Specialised in natural yeasts, Philippe Pacalet was one of the first natural winemakers in France. His philosophy is that nature should govern the production, and not new technology. La Maison...
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