Julie Balagny

History of Domaine Julie Balagny

Julie Balagny's story is one of a radical break with her origins. Born into a bourgeois Parisian family, nothing predestined her to become a winegrower. In 1999, driven by a deep longing for the countryside, she left Paris for the South-West. A vocational degree in viticulture and oenology in Cahors opened the doors of the wine world to her. Her early days in the vineyards of Roussillon led her to discover, almost by chance, "organic" produce at a neighbouring market gardener's: "I told myself I had just eaten the first real tomato of my life." The revelation was complete. She then joined a biodynamic estate in Nîmes, the Domaine Terre des Chardons, where she spent four years and trained in the principles of biodynamics and natural wine.

In 2004, at a barbecue, she met Marcel Lapierre, the "patron" of natural Beaujolais wine. This encounter changed her trajectory. She then met Yvon Métras, who motivated her to "set up her own estate" in Beaujolais. In 2009, she settled in Romanèche-Thorins, produced her first Fleurie in Yvon Métras's cellar, and gradually acquired her first plots on the steep slopes of En Rémont. In 2015, she extended her estate with two new leased plots (Beaujolais-Villages and Moulin-à-Vent). In 2016, after a devastating hailstorm, she added négociant activity to offer Minouche (Saint-Amour). Her cellar and home in Romanèche-Thorins, whose door was always wide open, welcomed cats, dogs, hens and lambs as readily as winemakers from around the world who came seeking her inspiration. Julie Balagny passed away in the spring of 2023, leaving an immense legacy. Her right-hand man Brice Grizonnet, alias "Docteur Briçou" (whose name is borne by the Moulin-à-Vent cuvée), bottled the last wines of the 2022 vintage in July 2024, and today vinifies the En Rémont vines.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Julie Balagny

Julie Balagny's estate was centred on 3 hectares of a single block in Fleurie, on the very steep and isolated slopes of En Rémont. These plots, perched high up, cannot be mechanised: all work is done by hand, often with the help of a winch and a mountain plough. The slopes reach 45 degrees in places. The vines are between 30 and 100 years old, some almost a century old. The soils display great geological diversity over a small area: granite mixed with pebbles and sand (En Rémont general), granite and quartz (the En Rémont cuvée, the most mineral expression), and granite and basalt (Cayenne, the spiciest and most full-bodied expression). En Rémont forms a preserved enclave within a much more conventional vineyard, "well isolated from the pesticide-infested plains".

To this were added leased plots: B…j.l..s comes from one hectare of 70-year-old vines on sandy slopes in Émeringes, on the border of Juliénas; Docteur Briçou comes from a plot in Moulin-à-Vent whose vines were planted in 1913. Minouche is made from grapes purchased in Saint-Amour. Julie treated her vines with herbal teas made from rhubarb roots from Eure-et-Loire, in a spirit of coherence and short supply chains that rejected any organic certification after 2015 (she dropped the AB label because "certifications drove her mad"). She ploughed with a horse-drawn plough, pressed by hand, and lived "rather the old-fashioned way."

Winemaking at Domaine Julie Balagny

Julie Balagny vinified according to the principles of Jules Chauvet and the natural Beaujolais school. The grapes spent 24 hours in a cold room before being placed as whole bunches in concrete or fibreglass tanks. A CO2 injection was made when filling the tank (but never afterwards). Carbonic maceration for approximately 3 weeks. She never used a starter culture, but could resort to the lees from other tanks in the event of a sluggish fermentation. After pressing in her old manual mechanical press, the wines completed alcoholic fermentation before being transferred to old oak barrels to spend the winter. No added sulphur. No oenological additives. No filtration or fining. The wines combined "a pure and crystalline fruit, an electric acidity and an almost infinite drinkability." Julie sometimes chose to label her wines as Vin de France rather than AOC in order to avoid visits from inspection agents, in a spirit of absolute freedom.

The Cuvées of Domaine Julie Balagny

Fleurie En Rémont : The estate's flagship cuvée and the wine that made Julie Balagny's reputation. Drawn from the majority of the En Rémont vines, on granite soil rich in quartz. The oldest vines are almost a century old. Carbonic maceration for 3 weeks, aged in old barrels. A red wine of unparalleled crystalline minerality and purity of fruit, with a remarkable ageing potential. Notes of cherry, iris and quartzite minerality. The favourite cuvée of wine lovers the world over, with an ageing potential of a good ten years or more.

Fleurie Cayenne : A red cuvée from the portion of the En Rémont vines on granite and basalt soil, giving a spicier and more full-bodied character than the granite-quartz En Rémont. Carbonic maceration, aged in old barrels. A red wine of beautiful depth and a different texture from the En Rémont, with aromas of dark fruits, spices and a basaltic smoky touch. Two Cayenne cuvées could coexist depending on the vines (vines aged 60 to 100 years depending on the plots).

Fleurie Simone : A confidential red cuvée from an intra-plot selection within En Rémont, isolating the oldest century-old vines on the soils richest in quartz. Produced only in the greatest vintages. A red wine of great ageing potential and for the collector, of unparalleled finesse and minerality. Among the most sought-after Beaujolais cuvées at auction.

Vin de France / Fleurie O Bella Ciao : A "total" red cuvée blending all of the Fleurie vines into a single wine in the years when Julie decided not to separate En Rémont and Cayenne. "A perfect illustration of the alliance of lightness, fruit and minerality." In certain vintages labelled as Vin de France to avoid AOC inspections.

Vin de France B…j.l..s : A red cuvée from one hectare of old 70-year-old vines on sandy slopes in Émeringes (Beaujolais-Villages), on the border of Juliénas, farmed on lease. The most accessible and most immediately enjoyable cuvée of the estate. "Fruity and cheeky, with a pleasingly lingering finish." The entry point into Julie's universe, to be drunk young and without ceremony.

Vin de France Docteur Briçou : A red cuvée from a Moulin-à-Vent plot whose vines were planted in 1913, farmed on lease. Formerly known as Docteur Buchaille. Bearing the nickname of Brice Grizonnet, Julie's right-hand man, to whom it pays tribute. 93/100 according to an American taster. A deep and structured red wine, expressing the full power and minerality of Moulin-à-Vent from almost century-old vines.

Vin de France Minouche : A red cuvée made from organically grown grapes purchased in Saint-Amour, bearing the nickname of Brice Grizonnet and completing the range on this northernmost cru. A fragrant and floral red wine, typical of Saint-Amour. One of the most confidential and most sought-after cuvées in the range.

Vin de France François / Toccata : Confidential cuvées from the Julie Balagny range, bearing the names of people or musical references, in the spirit of freedom and poetry that characterized all her labels. "The name of the story they tell: anecdotes from the winemaking process, the vagaries of the vine or incongruous memories from the harvest — everything lends itself to the imagination." Vinified according to the same natural philosophy.