Domaine Les Roches Bleues

Lieu-dit L’Héronde Côte de Brouilly 2020

Domaine Les Roches Bleues Lieu-dit L’Héronde Côte de Brouilly 2020

Jonathan Buisson and his wife Chloë are third-generation artisan producers in southern Beaujolais, farming ten hectares of estate gamay vines with organic and regenerative agricultural methods while incorporating agroforestry techniques. Nestled in an idyllic setting at the foot of the majestic Mont Brouilly, Domaine Les Roches Bleues enjoys exceptional growing conditions, with the famous pierre bleue (diorite, a hard, blue-hued igneous rock typical of Côte de Brouilly) giving delicious wines with incredible energy, structure, and freshness.

L’Héronde is an incredible lieu-dit of Côte de Brouilly, on track to become one of the first official Premier Cru vineyards of Beaujolais in the future. Domaine Les Roches Bleues’ L’Héronde is a limited-production bottling of over 65-year-old, bush-trained gamay vines that are grown on a southeast exposure with fractured pierre bleue soils at 350m. Jonathan has planted hedges and trees bordering the vineyard to connect the vineyard with the forested cap of Mont Brouilly. L’Héronde is very floral, with pronounced spiciness coming from the blueschist soils and savory, tasty red fruits with firm structure and density derived from low-yielding old vines. This wine is a Cru Beaujolais built to improve for a decade or more, if you can avoid drinking it right away. 

Vinification – Whole bunches are handpicked in small crates and selected in the vineyard. 14 days of spontaneous, whole-cluster, semi-carbonic maceration is followed by a very gentle and slow pressing using a traditional old, wooden vertical press. The must is transferred into temperature-controlled cement tanks, where fermentation continues with native yeasts. After racking, the wine spends 18 months in 35hl old French foudres before being bottled unfiltered. Only a very small amount of sulfur is used at bottling. 4500 bottles produced.

  • Vineyard: L’Héronde at 350m, southeastern exposure

  • Grapes: 100% Gamay

  • Vine Age: 65+ years old

  • Soil: Pierre bleue (blueschist)

  • Vinification: 14 days of spontaneous whole-cluster carbonic maceration, slow pressing, then spontaneous alcoholic fermentation with native yeasts in temperature-controlled cement tanks with pump-overs

  • Aging: 18 months in 35hl old French foudres

  • Fining & Filtration: No filtration, fined with diatomaceous earth

  • Farming: Certified Organic, Practicing Biodynamic, Agroforestry, Regenerative

  • S02: 21mg/L total

  • Vegan: Yes

  • Suggested Retail: $45.00 (750mL)