Yann Bertrand

Organic. Parcel: Fond Chatonnes. Size: 0.75 ha. Vine Age: 60 years planted at high density (11k vines/ha). Soil: Granite over clay soil. Cold carbonic maceration between 10-12ºC for 20-25 days. Native yeast, with no sulfur added. 100% concrete tanks. Bottled unfiltered by gravity following the lunar calendar. 5000 btl produced. A retired vigneron in Fleurie offered to rent Yann this parcel after tasting his wines at the local café in the town center and being impressed. He told Yann they reminded him of the wines he drank when he was a young winemaker in Fleurie. The name is inspired from an old Chauvet cuvee.

A happy accident deriving from a troubling incident in late summer of 2021: Before leaving for his summer holiday, Yann was expecting about 35hl of Beaujolais Supérieur to go into his regular cuvée ‘Oh!’; upon return, however, the parcel was devastated by mildew, leaving him only with 8hl. Given the tiny quantity, Yann decided to experiment with a rosé for the first time. Direct press, half in fiberglass, half in used barrels. 1.5g/l SO2 added (the highest of any wine in 2021 at the domaine). This wine is so good it’s gleeful.

Biodynamic. Parcel: Grand Pré. Size: 7 ha. Vine Age: 60-110 years. Soil: Pink granitic sands. Hand harvested in small bins with rigorous sorting in the vineyard. Cold carbonic maceration at 10-12ºC (50-54ºF). Native yeast with no sulfur added. 1 demi-muid of 500 L and 3 barrels of 300L. Racked by gravity. Bottled unfiltered by gravity following the lunar calendar. 860 mags produced. Two hailstorms in May 2016 wiped out over 85% of the harvest in Grand Pré. All of the remaining grapes from the domaine were blended together and bottled as Chaos Supreme, bottled only in magnum and produced only in 2016.

A special bottling to celebrate the birth of Yann’s daughter Olivia in this vintage. Taken from a total of 2ha from two parcels on decomposed sand and granite; vines are 45-75 years of age. Cold carbonic; eight months of élevage in a mix of neutral barrels; racking, blending, and bottling all done in concert with the lunar cycle (as are the rest of the wines at the domaine). 10+ months of bottle age before release, no SO2 added. Deep, darker, perhaps as close to majestic as Yann’s wines can come.

100% Gamay from 80-110 year old vines grown on granitic sand. Organic farming. Carbonic maceration a froid with native yeast and without SO2 for 17-20 days. 7-9 month aging 225-liter in used barrels (minimum 10 years old)

Organic. Parcels: Poncié, La Madone, Les Déduits. Vine Age: 40-70 years depending on vineyard. Soil: Parcels at a high altitude are sandy granite white parcels at a lower altitude are sandy clay mixed with pink granite. Hand harvested in small bins with rigorous sorting in the vineyard. Cold carbonic maceration at 10-12ºC (50-54ºF). Native yeast with no sulfur added. 5 months in very old barrels and demi-muids, minimum 10 years old from both red and white wines. 30% in demi muids, 30% in 300L barrels, 40% in 225 L barrels. Racked by gravity. Bottled unfiltered by gravity following the lunar calendar. 10,000 btl produced.

100% Gamay from 30-60 year old vines grown on granitic sand. Organic farming. Traditional semi-carbonic maceration with native yeast and without SO2 for 10-15 days. 7-9 month aging ⅓ in 500 liter used demi-muids, and ⅔ in tank.

Certified organic. 100% Gamay from a 2 hectare plot of 60+ year old vines grown in pink granite sand soils – called Arene Granitique. Carbonic maceration with native yeast and no SO2 or other additions for 17-20 days. 12+ month ageing in used 225-liter barrels (at least 4 years old). Racked and bottled by gravity. Zero sulfur and no fining or filtering. 250 cs produced.

Organic. Parcel: En Riziere. Size: 2 ha. Vine Age: Average 60 year-old vines. Soil: Roche is a local term for this particular white and crumbly terroir of fossilized granite, schist and other oxidized minerals. Hand harvested in small bins with rigorous sorting in the vineyard. Cold carbonic maceration at 10-12ºC (50-54ºF). Native yeast with no sulfur added. 7-9 months in very old barrels and demi-muids, minimum 10 years old from both red and white wines. 30 % in demi-muids and 70 % in 225 L barrels for a duration of 7-9 months. Racked by gravity. Bottled unfiltered by gravity following the lunar calendar. 5000 btl produced. Juliénas is the furthest north cru of the Beaujolais, and has a unique terroir from the better known crus to the South, Yann was inspired to produce Juliénas because the terroir is rather unknown and also because he forged a relationship with a passionate grower of grapes in the village.

From the farthest-north cru in Beaujolais, which piqued Yann’s interest, as it’s a very different terroir from his own—sandstone, schist, and white clay soils, plus 10% Chardonnay from the same vineyard, co-fermented! Cold carbo, 7-9 months in old barrel and demi-muids, no SO2 added. Lavender-driven, perfumed, lifted – a worthy expression of a different site.

100% Gamay from 80-100 year old vines. Organic farming. Carbonic maceration a froid with native yeast and without SO2 for 17-20 days. 7-9 month aging 225-liter in used barrels (minimum 10 years old)

Organic. Parcel: Les Charmes Size: 0.75 ha Vine Age: 50 years Soil: Clay with a little sand. Hand harvested in small bins with rigorous sorting in the vineyard. Cold carbonic maceration at 10-12ºC (50-54ºF). Native yeast with no sulfur added. 7-9 months in very old barrels and demi-muids, minimum 10 years old from both red and white wines. 30 % in demi-muids and 70 % in 225 L barrels for a duration of 7-9 months. Racked by gravity. Bottled unfiltered by gravity following the lunar calendar. 2500 bottles produced.

From the single vineyard ‘La Côte de Besset,’ 40 and 70 year-old bush-trained vines. The blue stones from mica schist and sandstone scree in this parcel lend this particular bottle a robust and spicy dimension. Cold carbo, 7 months in old barrel, .5g SO2 added at bottling. A charming wine, more of the huntsman side of Gamay.