Jean-Paul Brun, Domaine des Terres Dorees

Jean-Paul Brun, Domaine des Terres Dorees

Jean-Paul’s star burns brighter than as ever in a Beaujolais firmament now rapidly recovering from the abuse inflicted on its Gamay grape as a result of the over-commercialisation of Beaujolais Nouveau and domination of negociants happy to churn out a travesty of the true wine by selling a beverage more reminiscent of bananas and bubblegum than wine grapes. Such damage to a region’s reputation typically takes a generation to reverse, and the picture is now much improved, thanks in large degree to the steadfast determination of a few dedicated producers among whom Jean-Paul Brun has been a leader. His restless, inquisitive, demanding nature has made him a maverick thorn in the flesh of the bureaucrat ‘gratte-papiers’at the Institut National des Appellations Controlées and their subsidiary fraud squad by whom he has been persecuted on the grounds of making wine that is ‘atypique’ for the region. It is of course precisely because his wines have been so untypical, and so much better than what had become the norm, that we have followed him with such enthusiasm for the past 25 years, and set a solid example by consuming his wines on a very frequent basis ourselves! No other region in the world takes the Gamay grape seriously, and yet a good Gamay wine is far preferable to an ordinary and more expensive Pinot Noir. 

The ‘Le Ronsay’ made from the younger vines is made in a traditional light style designed to emphasise the appeal of the youthful primary fruit, while the ‘Cuvée L’Ancien’ shows what can be done with a more northern Burgundian vinification that allows for greater depth of flavour and a structure that gives the wine good longevity for a decade or two during which it will gradually take on the character of a Pinot wine. Still greater individuality is to be found with his wines from some of the individual village ‘crus’. Nor is it with the fruit of the Gamay alone that he excels, for the strong limestone soils of his vineyards in Charnay are ideal for the production of good chardonnay and pinot noir wines too. The Beaujolais Blanc ‘Classique’ sees no wood and is a match for a good Macon Villages, while the richer cuvee ’En Fut’ is barrel fermented in the manner of a good Meursault and will match such a wine in quality but at half the price. His Bourgogne Pinot Noir is excellent and great value for pinot.