François Dhumes

Wines from Domaine François Dhumes: buy at the best price

François Dhumes is one of the most discreet and endearing figures on the natural wine scene in Auvergne. Settled with his wife Francine in the small village of Orcet, in the Puy-de-Dôme, this winemaker, a native of Clermont-Ferrand, has been producing since 2006 wines of remarkable freshness and drinkability, marked by the unique volcanic imprint of the Auvergne terroirs. Across approximately four to five hectares scattered in a mosaic around Orcet, in Corent, Chidrac and Perrignat-sur-Allier, he cultivates organically Gamay d'Auvergne, Beaujolais Gamay, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, on exceptional basaltic and volcanic soils. Working with the minimum possible intervention, without additives or exogenous yeasts, François Dhumes produces each year around eight cuvées depending on the vintage, all in very limited quantities, sold out very quickly, and now essential for lovers of great natural wines.

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François Dhumes Vénus 2022
Bio
22 in stock
111924
Red
75cl
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Vin de France | Vin de France

François Dhumes Vénus 2022

€27.00 inc-VAT per bottle
€22.50 ex-VAT

History of the François Dhumes Estate

Born in Clermont-Ferrand, François Dhumes grew up in Auvergne before leaving to study oenology, first in Beaune in Burgundy, then working for several years in conventional estates in the Rhône Valley and the Mâconnais. These experiences taught him the fundamentals of winemaking and seasonal organisation, but also what he did not want to do: the more he learned conventional techniques, the less they interested him. He then decided to return to Auvergne, his native region, to develop his own project according to his deep convictions.

Back in Auvergne, he met the winemakers who would shape him definitively: Vincent and Marie Tricot, Patrick Bouju and Stéphane Majeune, key figures in the Auvergne natural wine scene. Working for them intermittently, he came to understand how to cultivate vines organically and vinify without additives. In 2006, he started out with one hectare of vines already farmed organically since 2002, in Corent, while continuing to work for his neighbours. Gradually, he acquired new plots, developed his estate to four to five hectares, built his own cellar in Orcet, and struck out on his own. Supported by Francine, he embodies today a quiet strength that brings Auvergne to the finest natural wine cellars in Paris and around the world.

Terroirs and Vines of the François Dhumes Estate

François Dhumes's vines are scattered in a patchwork across a radius of about twenty kilometres around Orcet, across three villages with distinct soils: Corent, Chidrac and Perrignat-sur-Allier. The terroirs of Corent and Perrignat-sur-Allier rest on the region's famous volcanic basalts, those black rocks born of ancient volcanic activity that give the wines their smoky signature, their distinctive minerality and their deep freshness, what regulars call the "scent of volcanoes". The plots at Chidrac, on red clay, produce Gamays in a lighter and more crystalline style, close to Beaujolais. This geological diversity is reflected directly in the estate's range of cuvées.

The Gamay d'Auvergne is trained on cordon royat to limit yields to approximately 25 hl/ha, the Chardonnay on guyot to approximately 20 hl/ha. The vines are fully grassed over. Treatments are limited to three passes from early June to late July, using sulphur, copper and nettle teas. Harvest takes place in October. The vine varieties comprise Gamay d'Auvergne, Gamay du Beaujolais, Muscat Chardonnay, Pinot noir and a few complementary varieties for the blends.

Vinifications of the François Dhumes Estate

François Dhumes's winemaking philosophy in the cellar is one of radical non-interventionism: the grapes ferment on their own with indigenous yeasts, pump-overs are done by bucket, all work is manual and artisanal. No inputs are used during vinification. For the whites, pressing is direct, followed by one year of ageing in old barrels for the Nuit Blanche cuvée, or a light maceration for the Foin Foin cuvée, producing a so-called "orange" wine. For the rosés and natural sparkling wines, pressing is direct and fermentation takes place in tank, with bottling in spring before the end of fermentation for the sparkling cuvées.

For the reds, two approaches coexist depending on the cuvée. Semi-whole-bunch carbonic maceration (whole bunches, semi-carbo), with little extraction and six months of barrel ageing, produces juicy, light and indulgent Gamays (Jeu de Vin, Jus de Vilain). Long Burgundian maceration, on destemmed harvest for eight weeks, followed by one year of barrel ageing, produces more structured cuvées (Minette, Sarment Pepper). The wines are bottled without filtration or fining, with added sulphur reduced to an absolute minimum depending on the cuvée.

The cuvées of the François Dhumes Estate

Nuit Blanche: A white cuvée from Chardonnay on the basaltic terroir of Corent, vinified by direct pressing and aged one year in old oak barrels without sulphur. A deep and mineral white wine, with aromas of white fruits, hazelnut and volcanic stone, with an ample palate and a persistent saline tension. One of the most singular Chardonnays in Auvergne, marked by the imprint of basalt.

Foin Foin: An original white cuvée from Muscat Chardonnay with a light skin maceration, producing a so-called "orange" wine with golden hues. Tropical and exotic aromas, volcanic freshness on the palate, texture lightly structured by the maceration. A living, indulgent and surprising wine, embodying the creative and free spirit of François Dhumes.

Tête de Bulle Blanc: A natural sparkling white from Chardonnay, vinified by direct pressing and bottled before the end of fermentation. Lively and fine bubbles, fruity and floral nose, fresh and lightly mineral palate. A white ancestral sparkling wine without sulphur, for immediate thirst-quenching pleasure, to be shared as an aperitif or with light starters.

Tête de Bulle Rosé: A natural sparkling rosé, likely from Gamay or a blend of local grape varieties, vinified by direct pressing and bottled during fermentation. Vibrant pink colour, light and festive bubbles, aromas of wild strawberry and citrus, a fresh and thirst-quenching palate. A sparkling wine without added sulphur, in the spirit of Auvergne thirst-quenching wines.

Jeu de Vin: A red cuvée from Gamay d'Auvergne, vinified as whole bunches by semi-carbonic maceration for approximately three weeks, then aged six months in barrels. Juicy, lively and luminous red wine, with aromas of fresh red fruits, violet and light spices, with a straight and mineral palate reminiscent of the basalt of Perrignat-sur-Allier. A Gamay d'Auvergne in all its frankness and energy, with enough depth to surprise.

Jus de Vilain (or Jeu de Vilain): A red cuvée from Beaujolais Gamay planted on red clay in Chidrac, vinified in the same semi-carbonic style as Jeu de Vin: whole bunches, light maceration, six months of barrel ageing. A crystalline and extremely delicate wine, airy and light, with an aromatic finesse close to the finest crus of Beaujolais, a fluid texture and a fresh, slightly wild finish. The favourite cuvée of Francine Dhumes.

Minette: An ambitious red cuvée from Gamay d'Auvergne, vinified in a more Burgundian style: destemmed harvest, long maceration of approximately eight weeks, followed by one year of ageing in oak barrels. This is where the Gamay d'Auvergne on basalt expresses its full depth: intense aromas of dark fruits, violet, undergrowth and spices, a concentrated and structured palate, a long and mineral finish. An ageing wine and the pinnacle of the estate's red range, which François Dhumes ironically calls his "Cuvée Fûts de Chêne".

Sarment Pepper: A cuvée from Pinot noir, vinified by long maceration on destemmed harvest and aged in barrel. A fine and elegant red wine, with aromas of cherry, pepper and volcanic minerality, with silky tannins and a beautiful length. Produced in micro-quantities, extremely rare, for lovers of great natural Pinot noirs.

0+0: An atypical blend cuvée, made from Cinsault and Grenache depending on the vintage, classified as Vin de France. Deep and brilliant colour, aromas of very ripe dark fruits, dense and fleshy palate. A foray beyond the estate's usual grape varieties, reflecting François Dhumes's curiosity and open-mindedness in his creative approach.

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