2021 Domaine Valma Fleurie Prélude 2021 - Face B

Inaugural vintage from Domaine Valma, an estate situated directly next door to the incredible Anne Sophie Dubois in the Les Labourons lieu dit in Fleurie. Their vineyard, a north face among the highest in Beaujolais, was originally planted in 1950, and the new owners are affecting a transition to organic farming.

This is their Prélude Face B bottling, smaller volume than their other cuvee, and aged in used barrels rather than concrete tanks. All of their wine is made with naturally occurring yeast, whole cluster with semi-carbonic ferments.

I had tasted this on release back in 2023 with the following notes:

Beautifully balanced nose, toeing the line between red berry, soft herbal accent, and classic Fleurie violet. Well structured, silky tannins case juicy acidity, old vines on welcome display. A long finish resonates with herbs and black soil.

Opened a bottle today:

Very savory nose, Black Forest ham and soaked kombu, yielding to a background of blackberry compote. M+ acidity, soft and smooth tannins through the mid palate. The barrel influence is becoming more evident on the palate, providing layers of interesting toasted tertiary notes alongside rapidly fading blue and black fruit.

Very nice, a promising new producer to watch.