/Region/ Beaujolais (linked to the Rhône) – Côte de Bessay near Saint-Amour, Fleurie and Leynes (France) /Varieties/ Gamay for reds; Chardonnay for Beaujolais Blanc /Founded/2013
Domaine de Fa is the Beaujolais project of Antoine and Maxime Graillot. In 2013 they acquired about 5 hectares on the Côte de Bessay, at the northern edge of the region near the Saint-Amour cru, on pink granite and sandy soils. They also established themselves on about 3 hectares north of Fleurie, and later added vineyards in Leynes to produce Beaujolais Blanc.
The farming is organic, with gentle tilling and preservation of natural cover crops; vinification favors semi-carbonic maceration and moderate use of sulfur to highlight a highly expressive, floral, and delicately textured Gamay. Their Beaujolais, Fleurie and Beaujolais Blanc cuvées expand the Graillot family’s range toward a lighter, more glou-glou style, without sacrificing depth or sense of place.