Karim Vionnet ‘Du Beur Dans Les Pinards’

Karim Vionnet ‘Du Beur Dans Les Pinards’ – an unapologetically authentic expression of Gamay. The vines are planted on a parcel once owned by the late, great Jules Chauvet; through these vines are trellised pioneering knowledge and passion. Having inspired Vionnet’s mentors and idols, it is fitting that he should inherit such a site. Needless to say, this is an exceptionally playful cuveé; light-heartedly inclined and wholly gluggable. Initially itching the nose with an exuberant array of tart red fruits, the palette is awash with that same excitability. Delicate floral tones are met with a jowl-biting acidity and a heady yet welcome punch of cracked black pepper. In the end, one is left with a smiling invigoration and an unquenchable thirst. A dazzling, fruit-driven vessel of silk; elegant and electric.

Karim Vionnet was a baker by trade before turning his passion towards wine-making. For the best part of a decade, he worked under the priceless tutelage of Lapierre and Breton. Having consolidated this anarchial ‘Gang of Four’ wisdom, he started his own production in 2006. With five hectares under vine, he applies organic principles, rejecting the use of unnecessary intervention or artifices. His parcels are located in Quincié, Beaujeu and Lantignié, all of which boast varied soil types from marl, schist, sand to granite. Simplicity seems to be the guiding light on Domaine Vionnet; accessible and honest wines that reflect the truth of his labour, wines that twinkle with grace and ease. As of 2020, his daughter Noémie has joined the project and has since released a cuveé that she herself vinified.

Karim Vionnet ‘Du Beur Dans Les Pinards’ – undoubtedly, a worthy by-product of Chauvet vines. Hand-harvested, gently pressed and subject to a semi-carbonic maceration in stainless steel. A masterful breath of fresh air; neither fined nor filtered and oozing personality.