This is the shop’s absolute favorite Beaujolais producer. Hard stop. A few years ago Dubois’s wines completely changed our perspective on the trajectory that the region was headed in and the nuance that could be expressed through gamay. Wine nerds en masse have been heralding the ‘Burgundian’ advance of Beujolais for a while now, and this has been spurred on by the upward spiral of prices for pinot noir coming out of the Cote d’Or. However, gamay actually achieving the heights of pinot noir in the glass has been few and far between, with only the best winemakers coming close. The gang of 4 producers (Lapierre, Foillard, Thevenet, Breton) influenced by Jules Chauvet have garnered most of the attention in recent times, and have reinforced the ‘natural’ mantra of most new age producers. Dubois produces Beaujolais in a natural style (a little sulfur at bottling because she cares about longevity and so do we), but she completely exits the natural train when it comes to how serious the resulting wines become.
These are not Glou Glou juice you pop open at a picnic when you want to focus more on drinking than on what’s in your glass (although you totally could, and Dubois’s Cocottes bottling can be enjoyed in this way). Rather, Dubois’s Fleurie-based reds are as delicate as a fine Volnay (she spent substantial time there actually) and as sumptuously silky as a Chambolle-Musigny. The quintessential gamay fruits are there, but there is bewildering density and complexity as well. For us, what steals the show with these wines is that they’re not just a pinot noir replication achieved through gamay, but rather the heights of that unique variety expressed with hauntingly beautiful character.
Everything about the vineyard and the winemaking for Dubois is painstakingly artisan. The vneyards (about 20 hectares) are farmed organically, with biodiversity encouraged between the rows for topsoil health and composting employed. The vines are between 40 and 60 years old, planted at high density, and having naturally low yields from the dense pink granite soils, 30% incline and southwest exposure. Dubois harvests by hand and works with gravity in the winery, making wines that balance the Jayer method—an approach that advocates destemming—with whole cluster incorporation depending on the vintage. Only the Cocottes bottling is produced with carbonic maceration, while the Alchimiste and Labourons are traditional Burgundian in style.
We’ve still got some of the 2021 vintage in stock and the 2022s are newly arriving this coming week. This latest vintage for the region is billed to be one for the ages with exceptional flavor concentration and lower yields.
I served large format of Dubois Labourons as one of the apertif wines at my wedding….I truly cannot recommend this producer highly enough. I fully expect the prices for these wines to jump considerably in the next few years, so savor the moment and seize the opportunity!
These are not Glou Glou juice you pop open at a picnic when you want to focus more on drinking than on what’s in your glass (although you totally could, and Dubois’s Cocottes bottling can be enjoyed in this way). Rather, Dubois’s Fleurie-based reds are as delicate as a fine Volnay (she spent substantial time there actually) and as sumptuously silky as a Chambolle-Musigny. The quintessential gamay fruits are there, but there is bewildering density and complexity as well. For us, what steals the show with these wines is that they’re not just a pinot noir replication achieved through gamay, but rather the heights of that unique variety expressed with hauntingly beautiful character.
Everything about the vineyard and the winemaking for Dubois is painstakingly artisan. The vneyards (about 20 hectares) are farmed organically, with biodiversity encouraged between the rows for topsoil health and composting employed. The vines are between 40 and 60 years old, planted at high density, and having naturally low yields from the dense pink granite soils, 30% incline and southwest exposure. Dubois harvests by hand and works with gravity in the winery, making wines that balance the Jayer method—an approach that advocates destemming—with whole cluster incorporation depending on the vintage. Only the Cocottes bottling is produced with carbonic maceration, while the Alchimiste and Labourons are traditional Burgundian in style.
We’ve still got some of the 2021 vintage in stock and the 2022s are newly arriving this coming week. This latest vintage for the region is billed to be one for the ages with exceptional flavor concentration and lower yields.
I served large format of Dubois Labourons as one of the apertif wines at my wedding….I truly cannot recommend this producer highly enough. I fully expect the prices for these wines to jump considerably in the next few years, so savor the moment and seize the opportunity!
2022 Vintage Dubois (Arriving Tuesday Oct. 17th):
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste 2022 750ml $31.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Vinopol Note on this cuveee: Bouquet of dark, mineral-laden black berries with sous bois and sumptuous acidity.
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons 2022 750ml $37.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Vinopol Note on this cuveee: Pure velvet in texture. Perfume of warm purple fruits and hauntingly beautiful florals and earth. Fine tannins and a very long finish.
WE’RE THE FIRST SHOP TO OFFER THIS VINTAGE ARRIVING TO THE US
All Anne-Sophie Dubois Wines Available:
| ANNE-SOPHIE DUBOIS WINES | VWS PRICE | AVAILABLE | LINK |
| DUBOIS FLEURIE COCOTTES 2021 | $29.00 | 6 | Link |
| DUBOIS FLEURIE L’ALCHIM 21 1.5L | $79.00 | 2 | Link |
| DUBOIS FLEURIE L’ALCHIMISTE 2021 | $29.00 | 13 | Link |
| DUBOIS FLEURIE L’ALCHIMISTE 2022 | $31.90 | 36+ | Link |
| DUBOIS FLEURIE LABOURONS 2021 | $33.00 | 29 | Link |
| DUBOIS FLEURIE LABOURONS 2022 | $37.50 | 36+ | Link |
| DUBOIS FLEURIE LABOURONS 21 3L | $199.00 | 1 | Link |