School example
THE SOUL OF NATURE
Many wine growers have decided to go all out and try to work harmoniously with nature. Pesticides and chemical fertilisers have depleted and bleached the soil. Hundreds of innovative men and women have already dared to stand out and follow the methods of pioneers like Rudolf Steiner, Maria Thun, and Jules Chauvet and return to the soul of nature, resulting in infinitely pure, enjoyable, and digestible wines.
DOWN-TO-EARTH
Guided by ancient wisdom, down-to-earth winemakers choose their rootstocks through mass selection. This technique, a part of the rich history of winemaking, involves selecting several cuttings and adding them to an already functioning ecosystem. The result is an increase in resistance to outside attacks through dynamic exchange. The land, tilled with the horse and fertilised with organic compost, is also homeopathically treated with specific biological preparations and a small dose of silica. This treatment promotes the bacterial life of microorganisms essential for natural yeasts while the vineyard's metabolism and the minerals in the soil intensify the roots' depth.
POSITION OF THE MOON
All these steps, helped by the moon's position, are done according to the principle of biodynamic agriculture to improve the full development of the root, leaf, flower or fruit. By taking into account the number of grapes per vine, these winemakers anticipate the necessary pH level of the wine and, therefore, its measurable acidity, which ensures that the conversion of the natural yeasts into sugar and alcohol is slower.
Regular tasting of the grapes, especially the pips, determines the ratio of sugar to acid according to their phenolic ripeness and the timing of harvesting. The yield per hl per ha is minimal, and vinification is gentle and slow. No chemicals are used in the cellar, no clarification or filtering is performed, and no or very little sulphur is added during bottling.
LOOKING FOR AN OX
Christian Ducroux goes to the limit, sacrificing every 6th row of vines for planting fruit trees and flowers that promote biodiversity in the vineyard and setting vines one metre apart so that his horses Ewan and Kaïna can manoeuvre well. Because a horse runs 2 kilometres per hour, he is looking for an ox that runs much slower at 1 kilometre per hour, which is better for soil resilience. He does not believe in the age of the vineyard, but the high density of 10,000 vines per hectare and a yield of 25 to 30 hectolitres are the most critical factors. He has abandoned using copper sulphate against mildew and is experimenting with clay, clover, and whey sprays.
DEMETER
Christian Ducroux has been working organically for more than 40 years, following the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (père de la Biodynamic), 25 of which have been biodynamic, and is one of the first in the Beaujolais Demeter certified by Ecocert. That means forbidden chaptaliseForbidding, forbidden the addition of yeast cells and chemicals, and minuscule use of sulphur. Legally, 160mg/l total sulphur is still allowed for red, 210mg/l for white and 400mg/l for sweet, and to think that most natural wines contain no sulphur at all.
FAMILY
Within Christian Ducroux's family, the lights are still on industrial, and his brother, who still makes conventional wines with loads of sulphur, doesn't understand it, but he tastes the difference. That all celestial bodies, both the earth and the moon, the sun and even the stars, influence crop growth and that the moon's influence, for example, causes ebb and flow but also does something to the crop's water balance had not yet occurred to him, and indeed not that sun and moon phases can determine harvesting and pruning. Christian Ducroux waltzes gracefully around his conventionally-minded brother. High above Régnié-Durette, he cultivates 4 hectares across three parcels in Thulon and Lantignié. Whether it is due to the North-East exposure or the timing of the harvest, the alcohol content in his Gamay is low. Pleasantly low!
PROLOGUE
Prologue at 11% alc is made without sulphur. It has a silky texture with loads of fresh and juicy fruit of blue plum and currants, making your mouth water and always finish in the finest salt. To spread its wings, it demands air. Expectation (formerly Cru Régnié), also without sulphur at just under 12% alc, smells like the lily of the valley, and Irises and Patience tastes like ripe plums, surprises with pure mouth-filling berry juice and crosses the palate with smoky nuances and a hint of black tea. Stored in a good cellar, this is a natural wine to love for many years.
If you visit Christian Ducroux's vineyards, you will see the vines teeming with life and buzzing. Peach, apricot, pear, apple, and cherry trees are growing there. Still, the plan is to grub up another row of vines to benefit biodiversity and plant other varieties that flower at different times of the year, so he has pollen and flowers from early spring until the end of the year.
CUVEE THIBAULT
The good news is that Thibault, Christian's youngest son, will continue the estate this year into 2024. His studies at wine school are over. His first white wine, Cuvée Thibault, is in a massive selection of Pinot Gris and Riesling bottles from a high-altitude plot above Thulon. It's a poem but very limited. White summer fruit, frangipane, citrus and spice with sizzling length. Delicate and pure.
Working with Christian Ducroux is an honour, and it is no surprise that other winemakers in the Beaujolais consider him a master. Will it be Thibault who soon surpasses his daddy?
