Justin Dutraive Beaujolais 'Les Bulands' 2023

Following in the footsteps of his legendary father Jean-Louis – one of Fleurie’s most respected and influential vignerons – Justin Dutraive is now a remarkable Beaujolais talent in his own right.

Justin grew up tasting the pioneering low-intervention wines made by his father’s friends and contemporaries – superlative Gamays from the likes of Marcel Lapierre, Yvon Métras, and Jean Foillard. After finishing wine school and interning with Foillard and Julie Balagny, Justin returned to work at his family’s historic estate, Domaine de la Grand’Cour.

In 2015, he took over a handful of vines below the village of Fleurie for his own winemaking project, as well as two lieux dits on the region’s famous pink granite soils: the tiny 90-year-old ‘Chapelle des Bois’ planted by his grandfather and a portion of ‘La Madone’ – a steep, south-facing slope that’s arguably the leading vineyard of the appellation.

Sharing Jean-Louis’s ethos of “minimal intervention; maximum surveillance”, Justin uses organic and biodynamic practices to craft his own high-quality Gamays. Vinified in fibreglass and aged in a combination of Burgundy demi-muids, foudres, and stainless-steel tanks, they combine ethereal perfumes with silky textures and finesse.

From 50-year-old vines below Fleurie, ‘Les Bulands’ offers sappy fruit and earthy mineral accents and ‘Les Tours’ – from Saint-Étienne-la-Varenne on the edge of Brouilly – has more structure and power. Justin’s Fleurie ‘La Madone’ shows spice-accented fruit and effortless vibrancy, while his Régnié cuvée is becoming one of this lesser-known Cru’s new benchmarks.

With Cru Beaujolais now deep into a much-deserved renaissance and the region full of young talent, Justin is making his mark as one its brightest stars.

From a 1ha parcel beneath Fleurie. Lively and juicy, spice-and-mineral-accented red berries.