Les Grangeons de L'Albarine

We first read about Les Grangeons de L’Albarine in an article published by French newspaper Libération in 2017. Luc Bauer was described in the same breath as gifted vigneronne Loreline Laborde of Les Granges Pâquenesses so we took notice. And when we prepared for our summer 2019 tour of the region Luc Bauer was the first name down our list. From his childhood in the Monts du Lyonnais, a range of low-altitude mountains just south of the Beaujolais, Luc developed a profound love and respect for nature. Eager to work the land, he became an agricultural engineer but grew disillusioned after his experience in cereal production, an industry where profitability ruled over sustainability. His introduction to wine came quite late, courtesy of his Alsatian wife Clémence and her family whose enthusiasm for the local production was contagious. He became hooked by the 'Terroirist' approach of the best vignerons, most of whom shared his concerns about industrial agriculture, and decided to join Macon-Davayé’s wine school in 2008. After graduating, he worked a few years in the Maconnais with growers such as the Bret Brothers, fervent advocates of biodynamics, and Philippe Jambon who’s been at the heart of the natural wine movement since the late nineties.

This is a true ‘vin de copains’, direct and thirst-quenching, with bright violets and crunchy cherries, and the salivating finish makes you reach for another sip almost immediately.

Planted on a south-facing slope at 350m altitude covered in limestone scree, half of the parcel is planted with 60yo gobelet, while the rest of the vines are 40yo and trellised. Surprised by the yields in 2018 (40hh), Luc was forced to destem half of the harvest so it could all fit in his cuve, and the cuvaison lasted about 10 days with hardly any remontage. Bottled without sulphur, the colour is a gorgeous shade of pink with purple hints.