Les Flaneurs

History of Domaine Les Flâneurs

The story of Les Flâneurs truly begins in 2020, the year of the first vintage of this négociant founded by Laurence and Nina after several seasons of work at Domaine Dandelion, a renowned estate in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune. This formative experience alongside environmentally conscious winemakers shaped their vision and their determination to produce wine in the most natural way possible. The duo chose to set up in the same winemaking facilities previously used by Jonathan Purcell for his Vin Noé project, thereby benefiting from suitable equipment and a network of committed organic grape growers.

Since that first notable vintage in 2020, Les Flâneurs has continued to progress year after year, gaining in precision and technical mastery. What began as a microscopic garage project has transformed into a promising winemaking venture, celebrated by natural wine professionals and discerning enthusiasts alike. The domaine's philosophy rests on an artisanal and human approach, favouring the rigorous selection of grapes from organic farming and winemaking without artifice. Les Flâneurs embodies this new wave of independent winemakers who are reinventing Burgundian tradition with freshness and audacity, offering accessible wines that reflect their personal sensibility and their contemporary vision of Burgundy.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Les Flâneurs

As a négociant, Les Flâneurs does not own a vineyard of its own, but selects with meticulous care the plots and partner growers who share their values. This approach allows them to explore different terroirs of Burgundy and to compose a range of wines reflecting the geological and climatic diversity of the region. The grapes come exclusively from vines cultivated using organic farming methods, such as the Aligoté from Igé in the Mâconnais, thereby guaranteeing a healthy and expressive raw material.

The selection of plots is made according to precise criteria: the age of the vines, the exposure of the hillsides, the nature of the clay-limestone soils typical of Burgundy, and above all the quality of the viticultural work carried out by the owners. Les Flâneurs favours growers who practise respectful farming methods, limiting inputs and encouraging soil life. This rigorous selection forms the cornerstone of their quality-driven approach, making it possible to obtain ripe, balanced grapes that carry the identity of their original terroir.

The Burgundian terroirs selected by the domaine benefit from the region's continental climatic characteristics, with cold winters and warm summers favouring a gradual ripening of the berries. The soils, composed primarily of limestone and marl, lend the wines their distinctive minerality and the tension characteristic of the great wines of Burgundy. Whether in the Mâconnais for the Aligoté, in Mancey for the Pinot Noir, or in Belleville-en-Beaujolais for the Marsanne and Roussanne, each plot is chosen for its potential to produce honest, digestible wines that are steeped in their geographical origin.

Winemaking at Domaine Les Flâneurs

Les Flâneurs' winemaking philosophy is firmly rooted in the natural wine movement, with minimal intervention by the winemaker and absolute respect for the fruit. Harvesting is exclusively by hand, with the grapes being picked at full ripeness to guarantee the optimal expression of each variety. This selective picking constitutes the first step in a process aimed at preserving the integrity and vitality of the grape.

In the cellar, winemaking favours simplicity and authenticity. For the whites, the grapes are pressed directly into stainless steel tanks after harvest, with a minimal dose of sulphur at vatting (below 15 ppm), allowing the juices to express themselves freely. Fermentations proceed spontaneously thanks to indigenous yeasts naturally present on the berries, with no addition of commercial selected yeasts. This approach requires patience and careful observation, but it yields living, complex wines.

Ageing takes place in stainless steel tanks, preserving the freshness and aromatic purity of the wines. Once the wine is deemed ready, bottling is carried out without filtration or fining — techniques often used in conventional winemaking but which can strip the wine of its substance and complexity. For most cuvées, no sulphur is added at the time of bottling, demonstrating confidence in the natural stability of the wines and a radical commitment to natural winemaking.

This demanding way of working requires constant attention and a deep understanding of the fermentation and ageing processes. It nonetheless makes it possible to produce honest, digestible and vibrant wines, accurately expressing the character of the vintage and the personality of each variety. The winemaking at Les Flâneurs aims to reveal rather than to transform, favouring the precision of the fruit, freshness and a spontaneous balance that forms the recognisable signature of the domaine.

The Cuvées of Domaine Les Flâneurs

Bourgogne Aligoté

This emblematic cuvée of the domaine comes from Aligoté vines cultivated organically in Igé, in the Mâconnais. The Aligoté, a traditional Burgundy variety that is often overlooked, finds here a pure and refreshing expression. The grapes are harvested by hand and then pressed directly into stainless steel tanks. After an ageing process that preserves the wine's vivacity, it is bottled without filtration, without fining and without the addition of extra sulphur. This Bourgogne Aligoté is characterised by its brilliant freshness, its aromas of citrus fruits and white flowers, and its saline minerality on the palate. A wine of immediate pleasure, it offers remarkable drinkability while possessing sufficient structure for a few years of cellaring.

Bourgogne Rouge

Les Flâneurs' Bourgogne Rouge, crafted from Pinot Noir, has been the other pillar of the domaine since the 2020 vintage. This red wine bears witness to the progressive mastery acquired by Laurence and Nina in the vinification of this delicate and demanding variety. The Pinot Noir is vinified with great gentleness, without excessive extraction, in order to preserve the fruit and the fluidity characteristic of the variety. Coming from Burgundian clay-limestone soils, this red displays a luminous ruby colour and an elegant nose of fresh red fruits, cherry and subtle spice notes. On the palate, the wine unfolds with lightness and freshness, carried by beautiful fine tannins and lovely tension. The natural winemaking approach gives this Bourgogne Rouge remarkable drinkability and a sincere expression of its terroir.

Pinot Pinot

An atypical and creative cuvée, Pinot Pinot is an original white wine born from the blend of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir vinified as a white. This bold approach illustrates the desire of Les Flâneurs to explore the possibilities offered by Burgundian grape varieties beyond convention. The winemaking favours freshness and clarity, with minimal intervention allowing the juices to express themselves fully. On the palate, the wine reveals itself to be supple and lightly textured, with a subtle tension that balances the whole. Pinot Pinot displays an ethereal character, easy to drink and very pleasant as a gastronomic accompaniment. Its delicate aromas evoke white fruits, spring flowers and a touch of refreshing minerality.

Plutôt Blanc (Rosé)

This singular cuvée blends 30% Pinot Noir from Mancey, 35% Marsanne and 35% Roussanne from Belleville-en-Beaujolais. The playful name "Plutôt Blanc" plays on the visual ambiguity of this pale rosé wine, which could easily be mistaken for a white. Crafted without the addition of sulphites, this wine bears witness to the technical mastery acquired by the two winemakers and their confidence in the natural stability of the wine. The unusual blend of grape varieties brings complexity and originality to this cuvée. The Pinot Noir vinified as a rosé provides structure and delicate red fruits, while the Marsanne and Roussanne — Rhône Valley varieties rarely used in Burgundy — contribute richness, floral notes and aromatic length.