La Vigne du Peron, Bugey

We are excited to introduce you to another outstanding producer in our portfolio from the understated, over-performing Bugey. Situated on the southernmost tip of the limestone-rich Jura massif and fed by the fresh glacial waters of the Rhône, Bugey's unique terroir belies the humble reputation of the region.

François Grinand once taught piano at a prestigious conservatory, but gave it up in 1993 to make wine in his hometown of Villebois in Bugey, France. He pursues the perfect bottle in the same way he might’ve once instructed students to pursue piano: with meticulous focus, dedication to practice and trust that beauty will arise from the process.

François’ Domaine du Perron is located in a nondescript garage just off Villebois’ town square. He farms a tiny two hectares of vineyards, with Pinot Noir, Gamay, Mondeuse, Altesse and Chardonnay tended to without any use of chemicals. More recently, he’s also started to buy organic fruit from like-minded neighbours, including from a Savoie vineyard planted to Jacquere that he shares with Jean-Yves Peron.

He uses an old upright press with a rock basin, pressing grapes and then transferring to old oak barrels where François tends to age the wines for 12 to 18 months. He bottles without filtration or additions of any kind. His wines offer a taste of Bugey, where the mountainous Savoie to its east meets the limestone-rich Jura massif to its north and the grandeur of Burgundy to its west. They are complex, elegant and true to varietal.

These are easily some of the most breathtaking wines in our portfolio and it is a pleasure to share them here in Australia.

available wines:

2020 Ermitures, Gamay
100% Gamay. Vinification is done in whole bunches in fibreglass and élevage happens in old barrels without any additions. It is very complex and has a beautiful texture with bright acidity and unmistakable minerality. Serious wine.

2020 Persanne, Mondeuse
100% Mondeuse. Vinification is done in whole bunches in fibreglass and élevage happens in old barrels without any additions. An impressive balance of sour-sweet fruit with a layer of savoury undergrowth holding the wine in place. So much minerality with layer upon layer of complexity.

2020 Etapes, Pinot Noir
100% Pinot Noir. Vinification is done in whole bunches in fibreglass and élevage happens in old barrels without any additions. Truly varietal: tastes like old-school Burgundy. Pure, taught and fresh with brambly fruit and a faintly herbaceous edge.