Domaine de la Folie

An exciting Domaine reborn. Clémence and Baptiste Dubrulle took over at the Domaine in 2010, but the estate’s history goes back three hundred years. It was Clémence’s grandfather that really made the reputation of the Domaine as one of the greats in the Côte Chalonnaise in the sixties and seventies. The Domaine fell on hard times and had nearly gone to ruin until Clémence and Baptiste took over and set about restoring it to its former glory. What a turnaround. The Domaine, based in Chagny, stretches over 13 hectares of Rully, two-thirds of which is planted to Chardonnay and one-third Pinot Noir. Viticulture is sustainable, respecting both tradition and the environment, chemical herbicides are avoided and harvest is manual in small cases. The wines, which are from some of the region’s finest single vineyards, are aged in steel or with oak barrels up to a maximum of five years-old depending on the cuvée. It’s wonderful to see this Domaine fulfilling their potential and showing that of the Rully region for producing, classy, pure wines of huge character.

2017 Vintage

Folie goes marching on. Clémence and Baptiste have produced stunning follow-ups to their lovely 2016s. These are everything you could want from Rully. Fresh, pure and with terroir oozing from their pores.?Wines of character and energy. Clémence hails the “exceptional” quality of the vintage describing the whites as “elegant and with citrus and white fruit characteristics” whilst the reds are “round, generous and gourmand. A vintage that undeniably shows Pinot at its best, the limestone soils helped preserve a freshness in this ripe vintage.” A great vintage here and a normal crop, their vines narrowly avoiding frost in April. Vintage began on the 2nd September and lasted 6 days. The quality of fruit was “irreproachable” according to Clémence, resulting in arguably the Domaine’s greatest wines yet.

2018 Vintage

For Clemence Dubrulle 2018 was “a once in a century vintage” in the Côte Chalonnaise. As in 2017 harvest began at the end of August, grapes were ripe, small and concentrated but there were lots of them so yields were good. To have this level of ripeness, with good quantities, and alcohols a reasonable 13% for whites and between 13 and 13.5% for reds, makes 2018 something of a dream vintage. Not adding sulphur until after vinification to improve the expressiveness of the wines and barrel-fermenting the single vineyard whites to improve oak integration, are both enhancements this year. Otherwise production methods remain the same. Characterful and incredibly expressive wines that marry the ripe fruit flavours of the vintage with impressive clarity of flavour and a tangy minerality. A domaine that goes from strength to strength.

2019 Vintage

Judging this as a whole range, 2019 must go down as Baptiste and Clemence Dubrulle’s best vintage yet. Clos Saint Jacques, Clos du Chaigne and Cuvée Marey have all hit their usual high, but most surprising are the two entry level Rullys, surpassing anything we have seen before. The Clos de la Folie offers a beautiful, expressive stone fruit profile whilst retaining a fantastic, classically Rully, thread of acidity. For the Rully Clos de Bellecroix, it will be our first year of buying this red cuvée - in 2019 showing a precision and quality of fruit we have never seen before. Aside from global warming suiting these east and north-facing vineyards, quality has increased thanks to the restless efforts of the Dubrulles - be it viticulture, rationalised sulphur usage, fermentation or élevage - everything is adapted and improved on to achieve the most expressive, pure and terroir-focused wines possible. Harvest began here at the end of August and lasted seven days. The crop was reduced in temp straightaway upon receipt into the winery, to retain freshness. Fruit was healthy and fermentations were easy. “The wines showed a perfect balance between sugars and acidity” Clemence affirms. Alcohols here range between a very reasonable 13 and 13.5%. The flavours are intense, ripe and balanced by great vitality. A benchmark vintage at Domaine de la Folie.

2020 Vintage

We are delighted to have unearthed a new hidden gem in the Maconais, Domaine de la Chapelle. Pascal Rollet first rented these prime vines in 1982 and has been working them ever since. The opportunity arose to buy the vineyards a few years ago and he did not hesitate to grab it. Pascal, and now his son, Thomas, presides over 7.5ha split across St Veran and the heart of the Pouilly sector of Pouilly-Fuissé. Well situated vineyards on a range of terroirs and exposures, with a large proportion of old vines (ranging from 50–100 years old) are at the heart of this estate. The vineyards are managed organically, grapes are hand picked and then very gently whole bunch pressed – yielding very clear juice, so very little debourbage (settling of the must) is carried out prior to fermentation. The process is watchful, but natural where possible, with intervention only where necessary. Wines are fermented and aged in a mixture of tank and oak futs, after which there is no tartrate stabilisation and only the lightest of filtrations. These exquisite, clear as a bell, wines are sheer joy; they are characterised by their great clarity and quality of fruit, more than minerality, and offer as much calm and balance as they do aromatic excitement.

2021 Vintage

Owner Clemence Dubrulle considers 2020 to be “a model vintage, perfect analysis, everything was balanced and it was an easy year to work – the wines are aromatic and ripe but fresh” Over and above the natural excellence of this 2020 white wine vintage, Domaine de la Folie has yet again refined and improved its work. We were bowled over by their 2019s, all the more amazing, then, that they have raised the bar once more. 2020 is the finest yet, in our view, though thanks to drought it will also be one of their smallest...

2022 Vintage

“The bougies had no effect at all” Clemence laughed when we visited. “And then we had two hail events, the last of which seemed to take all the dried grapes, which was kind of useful!” Clemence Dubrulle is invariably positive, up-beat, and charming – words you could just as easily use to describe the Domaine de la Folie wines. Refining their process year-in-year-out, this is a Domaine on a confidently upward trajectory. Purity of fruit, silken textures and a cosmetic free charm are the hallmarks of these wines, produced from their excellent vineyards that surround the Domaine. The top wines, from old vines, have real class. 2021 is a brilliant but sadly minuscule vintage here; the smallest they have ever produced.

2023 Vintage

Constant refinement is the name of the game at Domaine de la Folie, all in service of enhancing the purity and drinkability of the glorious Rullys that the domaine has garnered such a following for. Utilising only domaine yeasts, cutting back the oak on certain cuvees, selecting lighter toast barrels – all small tweaks but together meaningful steps that have contributed to a wonderful vintage for Clemence and Baptiste Dubruille. The whites have more precision and purity than we’ve seen before, moving from the white fruited purity of the Clos Folie, up to the serious Côte de Beaune-esque Clos St. Jacques, a wine that turns heads whenever we pour it.