Domaine de la Beche

Created in 1848, this small family estate now passed through 7 generations has been run by Olivier Depardon since 1985 when he took over the reigns with just 4 hectares. Now with a total of 26 hectares farmed his son Alexis manages the vineyards and winemaking and daughter Caroline manages the commercial affairs.

This a source of accomplished, stylish and very attractively priced wines from some of the best villages and locations in Beaujolais.

White

2024 Beaujolais Blanc cuvée Alexis
From a small 1.4 ha holding of 40 yo vines planted in clay limestone soil in Villié-Morgon. Hand harvested and raised 100% in stainless steel tank to retain freshness and precision, this cuvee sees full malo and shows excellent texture and intensity. As the market looks for well-priced fresher, lower alc whites this fits the bill – very enjoyable and a bit of a surprise package!

The nose offers floral and mineral aromas, while the palate is round and expressive, punctuated by a beautiful freshness that makes for a magnificently balanced wine. 100 % Chardonnay. Great minerality and freshness with waves of citrus fruit attacking the palate.

Beaujolais Blanc makes up just 4 % of the region’s wines, but is worth some attention. In 2013 there were 248 hectares of Chardonnay destined for Beaujolais Blanc. This has since grown to 574 hectares. There are also around 1500 hectares of Chardonnay planted that are used for Crémant. There are two appellations: Beaujolais Blanc and Beaujolais Blanc Villages. The former is more likely to come from clay/limestone soils, the latter from the granite that dominates the northern part of the region. But even within the crus, which aren’t as uniform in terroir as they are sometimes portrayed, there are small plots of limestone soil that lend themselves better to Chardonnay than Gamay.

Reds - Beaujolais Villages + Regnie

2024 Beaujolais Villages
Vines from the lower part of Morgon. 100 % destemmed – no whole bunch. Vibrant aromatics, bright pure fruit, spice and minerality – very good – a winner! The 2024 vintage is pure indulgence, beautiful juices, fruity, the quintessential summer vintage. Gamay Noir with white juice, grown on crystalline soil. Vinified in the Burgundian style!

A nose of blackcurrant and strawberry with hints of spice. Very dark color. A lovely, round, aromatic, powerful, and almost tannic palate. Very flavorful and mineral, this Beaujolais-Villages will surprise many!

2024 Régnié
From a 4 ha holding of vines averaging 50 yo planted in sandy decomposed granite close to the border of Morgon. The grapes are de-stemmed but not crushed, and ferments are spontaneous. The élevage is a relatively short one of six or so months in concrete vats, making for an especially exuberant wine of crisp red berry fruit. Production averages 1,670 cases. Supple fine tannins, perfumed aromatics, juicy red & black fruits with savoury notes to it as well. Good freshness and elegance.

‘The 2024 Regnie from Domaine de la Beche is made from vines that average fifty years of age. Father and son Olivier and Alexis Depardon destem all of the bunches for this bottling, but do not crush the grapes, so the wine is still fermented (with indigenous yeasts) in a semi-carbonic method. It is raised in traditional concrete vats. The wine’s bouquet is bright and black fruity in this vintage, offering up scents of dark berries, black cherries, espresso, a fine base of dark soil and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with excellent depth of fruit at the core, fine soil signature and grip, ripe, fairly firm tannins and impressive balance on the long, focused and nascently complex finish. This is structured like a young Morgon and truly deserves a bit of bottle age to soften up its tannic undercarriage a bit. It will be an excellent wine. Drink 2030-2060.’ 92 points, John Gillman, View From The Cellar, May 2026.