Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu

Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu is based in Saint-Étienne-la-Varenne, in the southern Beaujolais, close to Mont Brouilly and within the Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly and Beaujolais-Villages appellations. The domaine covers around 12 hectares, predominantly planted with Gamay on the region’s characteristic granite soils. Many of the vines are old, with a significant proportion around 60–80 years old.

Jean-Claude Lapalu comes from a family of winegrowers and initially followed the traditional local model of selling grapes to the cooperative. He established his own domaine in the mid-1990s, beginning to vinify and bottle his own wines rather than sending the harvest to the cooperative. His approach evolved rapidly towards organic farming and natural winemaking, influenced in part by the ideas of Jules Chauvet and the emerging generation of low-intervention Beaujolais producers. The estate has been organically certified since 2010 and incorporates biodynamic practices.

Lapalu’s wines are centred on Gamay, with an emphasis on expressing the fruit, freshness and mineral character of the individual vineyards. Winemaking varies according to the parcel and cuvée, using whole clusters, partial or complete destemming, and long carbonic or semi-carbonic macerations. Fermentation is generally carried out without cultured yeasts or other additives, while ageing takes place in concrete vats, older barrels or amphorae. The wines are generally bottled without filtration, with little or no added sulphur depending on the cuvée.

The range includes Beaujolais-Villages Vieilles Vignes, Le Rang du Merle, Brouilly Vieilles Vignes, Brouilly La Croix des Rameaux, Cuvée des Fous, Côte de Brouilly and Eau Forte. Alma Mater, aged in amphora, is one of the domaine’s more experimental wines. Lapalu has also produced white wine from Chardonnay, including Ce Blanc.

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