Translation missing: en.Daniel Bouland + Domaine des Ardoisieres + Alain Graillot + Holiday Opening Hours: Daniel Bouland + Domaine des Ardoisieres + Alain Graillot + Holiday Opening Hours
Daniel Bouland
Daniel Bouland's wines are some of the best and most consistent in Beaujolais with fairly humble pricing in a region that is steadily increasing. Daniel's wines are among the most expressive in the region, predominantly from sites in the most respected village of Morgon and are dark, brooding and built for the cellar but still succulent and drinkable in their youth.
Daniel is known are one of the most reclusive winemakers in Beaujolais and works in his vineyards alone with just himself and the old, twisted Gamay vines. Even his younger vines were planted from a massale selection of his older vines. In the style of the region, Daniel's wines are made with 100% whole bunches and semi-carbonic fermentation with native yeasts and aged in older neutral oak. There is no filtering and only a light filtration before bottling.
We've just stocked up on Daniel's incredible 2023 wines - all from the village of Morgon, which are some of the best I have tasted from this vintage. The '23 'Morgon Les Delys' comes from old vines on an SE-facing slope planted to 10,000 vines/hectare producing a concentrated and velvety wine. The '23 'Morgon Bellevue Cailloux' comes from old vines on very stony soils making it the earliest ripening of the sites, resulting in a riper and more plush expression of the village. The '23 'Morgon Corcelette' and '23 'Morgon Corcelette Vieille Vignes Cailloux' come from the same rocky site, with the latter being made from the slightly older vines while the former, despite coming from younger vines, still average 60 years old. These are detailed, savoury and structured examples of Morgon. Daniel Bouland's wines always have a place in our store - get you hands on some of these amazing 2023s and see the hype for yourself!
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Domaine des Ardoisieres
Nestled within the snow-covered Alps of the Savoie region, this estate is a hidden gem of unique biodynamic wines, primarily from indigenous varieties. From a region steeped with history; with records of planted vines going back to the Romans, this producer aims to rediscover and reinvigorate the terroir through biodynamics with a deep respect for the land and its place within the world and greater universe.
The result? - “dazzling wines that display exceptional purity and minerality” according to Vin de France. The two extraordinary sites that have been reinvigorated by the Domaine are Le coteau de Cevin and Les couteaux de Saint Pierre de Soucy. Both sites are planted on steep slopes: Cevin is terraced with vines planted on stakes, whereas the vines of St. Pierre de Soucy are trellised - both site-specific decisions that aim to encapsulate the essence of the terroir.
“The objective in the cellar is for us to best express the purity and aromatic complexity acquired by the grapes at harvest. Wine is a reflection of the quality of the grapes.”
Brice Omont's decisions relating to fermentation and elevage are made with the aim of highlighting the quality and terroir-specific characteristics of the grapes rather than masking them with heavy-handed winemaking. When you see those snow-capped terraces in the photo above, why would you want to make wine any other way?
We've picked up some nice bottles from this exciting Domaine's offering. The '24 'Silice Blanc' is made from purchased Jacquere grapes and presents a fresh and fruit-driven style of Savoie whites. The '24 'Argiles Blanc' is an interesting blend of 40% Jacquere, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Mondeuse Blanche which is more floral and mineral than the previous white. Perfect with seafood, white meat or cheese. We also have a single bottle of the '22 'Quartz' which is their top wine made from 100% Altesse and much fleshier, textural and complex than the others and can easily age in the cellar. Of the red, we have the '24 'Silice Rouge' made from purchased Mondeuse grapes and drink like a cross between Gamay and Syrah with its plush red fruit and spiciness. Finally, the '24 'Argiles Rouge' is made from a unique blend of 65% Gamay, 25% Mondeuse, 10% Persan and shows layers of red fruit, florals, spice and minerality. A very distinctive red wine. Finally, we have a few bottles of their top red wine - the '17 'Amethyste Rouge' which is more deep and concentrated than the previous wine. These are a collection of very unique wines from one of the most underrated regions in France - don't sleep on Savoie!
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Alain Graillot
Alain Graillot is THE Crozes-Hermitage producer, putting the Northern Rhône's once disrespected appellation into the limelight, competing with the best wines of Saint-Joseph and Hermitage. Alain established the Domaine in 1985 from a rented vineyard and was so successful that he was able to purchase that same vineyard only 3 years later. Unfortunately, Alain passed away a few years ago in the March of 2022; however, the estate is in the trusted hands of his son - Maxime, who has worked there since 2004 and has been running it since 2008 when his father retired.
Maxime is making primarily Syrah-based wines, with some Marsanne and Roussanne for the whites in the 22 hectares they have throughout Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Hermitage. Graillot's vineyards are steep and terraced with deep roots and peppered with small stones from an ancient riverbed that assist with ripening. These vineyards are managed organically and of course, hand-harvested. The Syrah from Graillot's Crozes-Hermitage vineyard was planted in 1973 on well-draining soils made of sand, gravel, and alluvial stones. As far as the winemaking goes, Maxime uses whole bunches in concrete vats for a 2-5 day pre-fermentation maceration followed by fermentation with natural yeasts. The ageing is carried out in 1-7 year-old 228L barrels purchased from some of the best Domaines in Burgundy for about 15 to 16 months which is an increase from the 12 months when Alain was still in control. This lends some extra complexity and finesse to the wines upon release.
We've picked up some of this estate's red wines from the fantastic 2023 vintage. We have the classic '23 'Crozes-Hermitage Rouge' which comes from 40-50 year-old vines on the Terrasse des Chassis in Pont-de-l’Isère. This wine is the most iconic and representative of the estate's work. It is not uncommon for this wine to have a small amount of, let's say, "tasteful Brett" but this 2023 vintage is as clean as a whistle without losing its rustic charm. We have a couple bottles of the '23 'Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude Rouge' - a wine that is only bottled in exceptional years. This is a barrel selection that spends a bit longer in barrel and bottle and tends to be more powerful and spicy than the standard offering with a longer ageing capacity. These are some sensational wines which are perfect as we enter the cooler months now from an iconic Northern Rhône estate with only a small amount to go around - don't hesitate to snap these up!
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Holiday Opening Hours
The anticipated Easter weekend is here and we will be trading as close to normal as possible. We have been open throughout the week until Friday so make sure you get your Easter booze in before it's too late! These are our trading hours:
Good Friday 03/04/2026 - CLOSED
Saturday 04/04/2026 - 10am - 8pm
Easter Sunday 05/04/2026 - 10am - 8pm
Easter Monday - 10am - 8pm
We are closed on Good Friday but open every other day, just finishing slightly earlier at 8pm. There is no wine tasting this Saturday but that will return the following week so stay tuned!