Cellar Profile
The Duperray estate has been producing wine in the southern part of the Beaujolais region, in the commune of Saint-Julien, near the Beaujolais cru of Fleurie, since 1840. Jean Baptiste was a young winemaker in his late 20s when, in 2014, he took over the property from his father, continuing his family's legacy. Duperray practices sustainable viticulture and is HVE (High Environmental Value) certified. He avoids herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers. Weed control is done by plowing, and pruning and harvesting are done by hand. He believes that the best wines are made in the vineyard and his winemaking style involves minimal intervention to allow the terroir to shine. The estate is celebrated for its natural-style Gamay wines, which are fresh, vibrant and highly drinkable wines.
Region
Beaujolais is the southern part of the larger Burgundy region of France. Climactically closer to the Rhône (having part of the region actually in the Rhône Alps) than the rest of Burgundy, the dominant grape of the region is Gamay Noir, not Pinot Noir. The soils here are granitic and sandy, which benefits the juicier, more vigorous Gamay grape. The finest examples of Gamay come from the 10 Crus, but there are excellent wines coming from other vineyards which can achieve Beaujolais-Villages status, denoting their superior quality.
Vineyard
Estate vineyards in the southern part of Beaujolais. The soil is a mix of silt, clay and rich loam. Farmed organically, with great respect given for biodiversity in the vineyard.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested grapes are placed whole cluster in concrete tanks, where they undergo 8 months of natural carbonic maceration. The wine then undergoes spontaneous fermentation on the skins, before being lightly racked. There are no additives to this natural wine.
Tasting Notes
Ripe and vibrant on the nose, with raspberry, bubblegum and cola notes mixing with some underbrush and earth. The palate is juicy and mouth-filling, but balanced by lively acidity. The red fruits are sweet and sour, but there are earthy, mushroom notes as well. This can be lightly chilled and served with good conversation and great friends. "Glou-Glou" means "glug" – don't overthink the pairings here…
Varieties
Gamay, like the Beaujolais region in which it thrives, is often misunderstood and under appreciated. Depending on how it is grown and vinified, it can produce simple, light fruity wines (Beaujolais Nouveau) as well as bigger, structured reds showing cherry, berries, pepper and roasted notes (Cru Beaujolais).