Terres Dorées
Jean-Paul Brun started Terres Dorées in 1979 with a mere 4 hectares of vines in Charnay in the southern Beaujolais, an area which is slightly warmer and more limestone-driven versus the more renowned granite-rich cru villages in the northern Beaujolais. Today, the Charnay estate is around 30 acres, but with an additional 15 hectares farmed in the crus. The farming in Charnay is organic and includes working of the soils; the cru parcels are farmed sustainably and the soils are not worked. Harvest is by hand and of well-ripened but not over-ripened fruit, so alcohol levels are generally modest. Annual Terres Dorées production is around 350,000 bottles, 85-90% of it from estate fruit with the rest of it sourced.
From the beginning, Jean-Paul carved a different path for himself in Beaujolais. Not only does he not chaptalize (common practice here), he has also always eschewed the relatively modern technique of carbonic maceration, in favor of traditional Burgundian vinification. His feeling was and remains that the character of Gamay and its varied terroirs is obscured by whole-cluster fermentation, as well as by the use of commercial yeasts and copious sulfur. He has never strayed from that philosophy, continuing to carefully sort and destem his grapes; add no yeast; add no sulfur (until a touch at bottling); allow for several weeks’ maceration; do regular pigeage or punchdowns; and age in a combination of concrete and old oak, varying with vintage and wine.
Jean-Paul is not an adherent or advocate of “natural wine” per se, yet is among the most natural of Beaujolais vignerons, uninterested in trend or fashion but deeply committed to purity of expression of fruit and site. The individuality of those expressions--the fact that each is a different wine from all of the others--is intentionally emphasized by hiss choice to label every one of his many bottlings with a completely different label.
For an informative interview of Jean Paul by importer Jules Dressner of Louis/Dressner, click here.
Image | PRODUCT | Description | Country / Region | Region | Materials |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() DB8956-17 Organic |
Beaujolais Blanc Chardonnay 2017 |
Chardonnay 100% Chardonnay. On his home estate in Charnay in southern Beaujolais, Brun planted Chardonnay in 1983 on the sandy, limestone-rich clay... Read More |
France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB5478-16 Organic |
Roussanne 2016 |
Roussanne | France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB8331-17 Organic |
FRV 100 Rosé (2017) NV |
Gamay 100% Gamay. The name "FRV100" is a play on the word “effervescent”--which becomes more apparent when you sound out the letters and number... Read More |
France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB0429-17 Organic 90 |
Beaujolais Rosé d'Folie 2017 |
Gamay 100% Gamay. Direct-press rosé from the most productive Gamay vines in Brun's estate vineyards in Charnay in the southern Beaujolais.... Read More |
France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB8957-17 Organic |
Beaujolais L'Ancien Vieilles Vignes 2017 |
Gamay 100% Gamay. L'Ancien comes from Jean Paul's oldest vines--hence the name of the wine--in his home village of Charnay in the southern... Read More |
France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB8957-16 Organic |
Beaujolais L'Ancien Vieilles Vignes 2016 |
Gamay 100% Gamay. L'Ancien comes from Jean Paul's oldest vines--hence the name of the wine--in his home village of Charnay in the southern... Read More |
France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB0310-17 Sustainable |
Côte de Brouilly 2017 |
Gamay 100% Gamay. Côte de Brouilly was Jean-Paul's first cru bottling. He farms vines ranging from 40 to 55 years old, facing east and midway up... Read More |
France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB0308-17 Sustainable |
Fleurie 2017 |
Gamay 100% Gamay. Fleurie is one of Jean-Paul's two largest cru holdings, 6 hectares all within the famous lieu-dit of Grille Midi, a south-... Read More |
France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB0489-15 Sustainable |
Fleurie Grille Midi 2015 |
Gamay 100% Gamay. 100% Gamay. Fleurie is one of Jean-Paul's two largest cru holdings, 6 hectares all within the famous lieu-dit... Read More |
France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB0307-17 Sustainable |
Morgon 2017 |
Gamay 100% Gamay. Two parcels of Morgon go into this bottling, one on the famous Côte du Py hill and one in a different climat, both having sandy... Read More |
France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB8819-17 Sustainable |
Morgon Javernières 2017 |
Gamay | France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB0309-17 Sustainable |
Moulin-à-Vent 2017 |
Gamay 100% Gamay. The cru of Moulin-à-Vent is generally considered the source of the potentially longest-lived, most structured Beaujolais,... Read More |
France | Beaujolais | |
![]() DB1123-17 Sustainable |
Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2017 |
Pinot Noir 100% Pinot Noir. Brun is clearly best known for his Gamay, but he planted Pinot Noir on the clay-limestone soils of his estate vineyard in... Read More |
France | Beaujolais |