Pierre Boyat  

Recently retired, Pierre farmed several small parcels scattered around the village of Leynes, literally straddling the border between Macon and Beaujolais, just to the south-west of the town of Macon. The vineyards are planted to Chardonnay and Gamay and comprised about 3 hectares.

Previously, Pierre worked on his family estate, farming conventionally, for many years before a meeting with legendary natural producer Philippe Jambon sparked within him an urge to start again, farm organically, and produce wines with zero additives. He sold the family property and in 2007 began working on the three new parcels.

The vineyards are very healthy and Pierre is wildly enthusiastic about soil health and biodiversity.

He primarily produced two white cuvees — A St Veran and the cuvee Les Rennes. In addition, two red cuvees were made — Noir de Rouge from a blend of sites, including the brilliant parcel on a slope shared with Philippe Jambon and Jerome Guichard, and Bois de Leynes, from the vineyard directly beside the house. By and large, the chardonnay parcels are planted on clay and limestone while the gamay is planted on sandier, more granitic soils. 

The wines are very good. There was very little winemaking in the winery though fruit was sorted with a fanatical level of detail. Whites were pressed and eventually run into bottle after roughly 11 months and the reds were fermented without being destemmed with elevage happening in a mix of large format wood and tank. The reds are mineral, medium-bodied and very nourishing and the whites are ripe but with a freshness that comes from low PHs, the result of years of great farming.

It was sad to see Pierre bid farewell to the domaine, but we are thankful to still have a number of these exquisite wines in the warehouse.

Leynes, Beaujolais

 

Information on previous wines

  • Gamay from 50 year old vines grown on a blend of granite, sand, limestone and basalt. 100% whole bunches fermented and raised in concrete

    2017 A little fuller, richer and with more youthful fruit than, say, the 2014, but with a fraction less complexity.

    2015/2016 A blend of the darker, richer fruit from the warm 2015 season with the more lean and lithe fruit from 2016, creating a wine of multidimensional complexity.

    2014 A great vintage, but one which has taken some time to fully express itself, particularly in the case of whole-bunch fermented wines like this. Fine, complex and relatively serious.

    2013 A darker shade of fruit, with a slight oxidative character and spice from the stems.

  • Gamay from young vines planted over granite, fermented in concrete with elevage in old barrels

    2018 Resting

    2015 A warm and dry year resulting in a riper, more wintry style and a very precise and correct wine.

  • Gamay from 30 year old vines grown on sand and decomposed granite next to Pierre’s house. 100% whole bunch fermented in concrete

    2018 Resting

    2015 A brilliant wine from this warm year. Medium-bodied and classical in style.

    2014 Medium-bodied and round with dark red fruit, and showing the freshness and complexity that 2014 has always promised.

    2013 Fine-boned and aromatic.

  • From a vineyard of old-vine chardonnay grown on a mix of clay, limestone, sand and basalt, with a tiny bit of petit muscat also planted. Elevage in barrel

    2019 Textured, very lightly oxidative and ultimately quite classical. Broad, ripe and succulent yet still coiled and with plenty of information and complexity.

    2015 Direct-press macerated chardonnay grown on limestone. From a warm, dry year.

    2014 Chardonnay and petit muscat. A great vintage, but one which has taken some time to fully express itself. Medium bodied, gently pulpy and mineral.

    2013 Direct-press. From a cool year.

  • Chardonnay from a single small vineyard in St Veran

    2017 From a classic year.

    2015 A warm and dry year which led to very long and slow fermentations – this cuvee took two years in barrel to ferment to dryness. Supple and sumptuous, with an extra layer of ripeness and complexity to the fruit, but with lots of levity from the limestone.

    2014 A brilliant vintage with wines built for ageing over the long term.

  • Direct press chardonnay from a small vineyard planted on calcareous soil

    2014 An excellent year which took a while to fully express itself, with tension, fruit, freshness, minerality and complexity.

    2013 From a cool year.

    2012 From an excellent, balanced vintage.