Jean- Claude Lapalu

Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu is located in Brouilly, the southernmost Cru of Beaujolais, with nine hectares of vineyards spread from Mont Brouilly to the village of Saint-Étienne-la- Varenne. Although his family had long farmed these vines, Jean-Claude Lapalu began bottling his own wines in 1995, guided by curiosity and a desire to work outside convention.

Influenced by Jules Chauvet as well as early encounters with natural wines from Provence, Lapalu adopted organic farming (certified since 2010) and minimal-intervention winemaking. Many of his vines are 50 to over 100 years old. All grapes are hand-harvested, vinified with indigenous yeasts, and fermented using carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration. Élevage takes place in concrete tanks or neutral barrels, with little or no sulfur added.

Today, Lapalu favors elegance over extraction, allowing fruit and energy to lead. His wines are lively, supple, and fluid—clear, soulful expressions of Brouilly that prioritize drinkability and finesse.