Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie ‘Clos de la Grand’Cour’ 2023 is a red Beaujolais from a walled, estate-owned monopole in Fleurie, made from 100% Gamay on decomposed pink granite. It is a low-intervention, whole-cluster wine that combines the floral lift and juicy red fruit of Fleurie with the granitic minerality and fine tannic structure of this historic site.
Critic tasting note: (2023 vintage)
"Very cool, delicate and restrained, this Fleurie is barely medium-bodied but has quite a firm tannic core and plenty of wet-stone minerality. The red berry fruit is still a bit closed, so you need some patience. Very good structure in the long finish. From organically grown grapes. From approximately 40-year-old vines. Matured in large neutral oak foudre barrels and smaller barrels that are at least five years old. Drink from 2027." - James Suckling
Technical Details
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Producer: Jean-Louis Dutraive, Domaine de la Grand’Cour, Fleurie, Beaujolais, France
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Wine: Fleurie AOC, Clos de la Grand’Cour
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Vintage: 2023
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Grape variety: 100% Gamay
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Vineyard: Clos de la Grand’Cour, a walled estate monopole
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Vineyard size: Approximately 5 hectares
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Vine age: Approximately 40–50 years
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Soil: Decomposed pink granite
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Harvest: Hand-harvested in 20 kg perforated crates
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Fermentation: 100% whole-cluster, semi-carbonic maceration
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Yeasts: Indigenous
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Maceration: 2–3 weeks
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Ageing: 7 months, 70% in oak barrels and 30% in oak foudres
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Sulphur: No SO2 added during vinification or ageing; 10 mg/l or none at blending
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Fining and filtration: None
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Alcohol: 12.5–13% depending on release
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Bottle size: 750 ml
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Serving temperature: 14–16°C
The Producer
Jean-Louis Dutraive is a fifth-generation Beaujolais vigneron based at Domaine de la Grand’Cour in Fleurie. The estate is known for its low-intervention, organic approach and for wines that emphasize purity, freshness and terroir expression.
The domaine farms approximately 9.8 hectares in Fleurie and 1.7 hectares in Brouilly, with a focus on old Gamay vines grown on granite and clay soils. All wines are hand-harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled without fining or filtration.
Vineyard and Terroir
Clos de la Grand’Cour is a walled, estate-owned monopole at the heart of the domaine in Fleurie. The 2023 cuvée comes from the younger vines of the parcel, averaging around 45 years old, covering just under 5 hectares.
The soil is decomposed pink granite, which gives the wine its hallmark freshness, floral lift and fine mineral structure. Yields in 2023 were kept low at 30 hectolitres per hectare, ensuring concentration and terroir expression.
The 2023 Vintage
The 2023 Beaujolais growing season was warm and generous, producing ripe, healthy fruit with good concentration. In response, the Dutraive family chose to pick earlier than usual and shorten the vinification length to preserve freshness and elegance.
The resulting wines are more approachable than the powerful 2020 vintage, with lower concentration and finer tannins. For Clos de la Grand’Cour, this means a wine that is vibrant and expressive in youth, but still structured enough to age.
Winemaking and Ageing
The Gamay is hand-harvested in 20 kg perforated crates and undergoes cold whole-bunch vatting at 7–8°C. Fermentation is semi-carbonic, using indigenous yeasts, with a maceration of 2–3 weeks in concrete tanks.
The wine is then aged for 7 months, with 70% in oak barrels and 30% in oak foudres. No sulphur is added during vinification or ageing, and only a small amount—10 mg/l or none—is added at blending. The wine is neither fined nor filtered.
Tasting Profile
The 2023 Clos de la Grand’Cour bursts with juicy red fruits—strawberries and cherries—layered with orange peel, hibiscus and a touch of brown spice. On the palate, enveloping tannins provide structure and guide a long, steady progression.
A delicate thread of graphite-like salinity emerges on the mid-palate, harmonizing with the wine’s fleshy fruit. The finish is bold, fruit-driven and vibrant, with refined architecture and impressive depth.
Aroma and flavour: strawberry, cherry, orange peel, hibiscus, brown spice, violet, crushed stone and graphite.
Palate: medium-bodied, juicy and structured, with fine tannins, bright acidity, granitic minerality and a long, elegant finish.
Style: a pure, terroir-driven Fleurie—vibrant and fruit-forward in youth, but with the mineral tension and fine tannins to develop over time.
Drinking Window
The 2023 Clos de la Grand’Cour is approachable on release but benefits from a short period of cellaring. Its whole-cluster fermentation and granitic structure give it the balance to develop for several years.
A realistic drinking window is likely to begin around 2026–2029 and extend into the early 2030s under good cellar conditions. Serve it cool at 14–16°C and allow it time in the glass to open.
Food Pairing
Serve at 14–16°C with roast chicken, duck, pork, charcuterie, grilled salmon or mushroom-based dishes. Its acidity and fine tannins also suit semi-aged cheeses such as Comté, Beaufort or young goat’s cheese.
Avoid very spicy or heavily smoked dishes, which can overwhelm the wine’s delicate fruit and granitic minerality.
Collector Note
This is a rare, estate-owned monopole wine from one of Beaujolais’s most respected producers. Clos de la Grand’Cour is produced in limited quantities from old, massal-selected Gamay vines on decomposed pink granite, with low yields and minimal intervention.
The combination of Dutraive’s reputation, the historic walled vineyard and the freshness of the 2023 vintage makes this a compelling choice for collectors seeking age-worthy, terroir-driven Beaujolais with long-term development potential.
Recommended serving: open and allow 30–60 minutes in a large Burgundy glass before serving at 14–16°C to reveal its full aromatic complexity and mineral depth.
Drinking Window
2024-2035
