Exclusive: 2020 Justin Dutraive La Madonne

Exclusive: 2020 Justin Dutraive La Madonne
I've never experienced such power, depth and sheer richness in a bottle of Fleurie before. After all it's a Cru Beaujolais customarily prized for its lightness and lucidity.

But today's wine is no ordinary Fleurie as it's sourced from a scant few rows of septuagenarian Gamay vines. These old, gnarled beauties struggle mightily to produce only tiny amounts of wine in any vintage, but in 2020 they eked out just 8 hectoliters per hectare. For comparison, normal yields in Fleurie average 45!

The result is a Beaujolais of unmatched concentration, whose stout frame is packed with bold flavors of red berries, spice and that signature floral, Fleurie elegance. The young and immensely talented Justin Dutraive's skills are on full display here. His father Jean-Louis Dutraive's estate Domaine de la Grand’Cour is widely considered to be one of the region's elite, but what Justin has managed to achieve with this wine may the finest Dutraive wine to date.    

Today, I'm proud to offer the only bottles of 2020 Justin Dutraive 'La Madone' Fleurie in South Carolina!    
 2020 Justin Dutraive 'La Madone' Fleurie - $54.99
 
*SPECIAL NEWSLETTER PRICE - $49.99
 
To order, reply directly to this email or call me at 843.576.4845
Justin is the eldest son of Jean-Louis Dutraive, a living legend of Fleurie. He grew up in his family's winery and was constantly surrounded by his father's vigneron pals such as Jean Foillard, Yvon Métras, and Sylvain Chanudet. You could say Fleurie is in Justin's DNA.

Prior to producing his own wines in 2015, Justin did internships with Foillard and Julie Balagny, and worked harvests at wineries in Oregon and Australia. Justin does everything on a very small scale and with upmost care. You can feel his deft touch and inherent knowledge of his homeland in each bottle he produces. The future of Beaujolais looking very bright indeed. 
100% Gamay, from 71 year old vines grown organically on a steep granite hillside that towers over the surrounding vineyards with a famous chapel at the top (hence the name). Justin’s small parcel comes from vines owned by his mother, who lives at the top of this famous hill. Hand-harvested and vinified via carbonic maceration. Aged in used Burgundy barrels for 7 months prior to bottling, un-fined and unfiltered.  

Jumps out of the glass with an effusive nose of cherry, blackberry, spice, rose hip and violets. The voluminous palate displays immense concentration with broad fruit flavors tightly coiled around a firm mineral backbone and lifted elegance. A serious and peerless Beaujolais.     
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