Domaine Yohan Lardy Chénas “Les Deschamps” 2023 | Beaujolais

The Wine

A darker, more structured expression of Gamay from old vines rooted in granite and manganese-rich soils, showing black cherry, violets and cracked pepper with plenty of mineral drive underneath. “Les Deschamps” loosely translates to “the fields”, though there’s nothing simple about this site. Whole-bunch fermentation and low-intervention cellar work give the wine both energy and depth.

The Producer 

“The Master of Moulin-a-vent” - James Suckling

Vintrepid’s first producer and one dear to our hearts. I worked with Yohan for several years in London and couldn’t believe he was not represented in Australia - and vintrepid was hence born. Yohan bottles micro-cuvees from tiny plots of very old vines in Moulin-a-vent, Fleurie and Chenas.

There is also a simply joyous declassified bottling called “poppy” that more than matches the energetic and effusive nature of the man himself. The vines are worked organically and meticulously with biodiversity meaning that insecticides are not required. Cellarwork is all natural with just a small amount of sulphur at bottling.