Yann Bertrand

We first discovered Yann Bertrand in 2014, shortly after he started making wine. We had been hearing buzz from our friends in Beaujolais about a new kid on the block, a young guy with tousled hair who came from a family of growers. Word was he had studied with Jean Foillard and Yvon Metras. That he had big plans for taking his family’s vines in Fleurie fully organic. That his first vintage was “soulful,” “focused,” and “electric.” 

The rumors we heard have become more true with every vintage — these days, his wines disappear shortly after hitting shelves. Sure, the brightly-hued labels and Instagramable wax caps are alluring, but the thirst for Bertrand is inspired by what’s inside the bottle. And that’s pure, pleasure-driven Beaujolais. Yann returned to his family’s vines in Fleurie in 2012 after a stint working in wine bars and shops in the French Alps. When he returned, he began working with his parents to bottle the wines grown in their 7.5-hectare block of the Grand Pré vineyard. 

Yann’s parents had already started the transition to organic farming when he arrived, but he took them to full certification in 2013. As for the winemaking, it’s right in line with the natural approach of his forbearers: all whole cluster cold carbonic, indigenous yeasts, and no added SO2.

Over the years, he's found new ways to deal with the unpredictable effects of climate change. After a series of rough harvests in 2015 and 2016, Yann started buying grapes from like-minded growers in other crus, from Morgon to the less-well-known Juliénas.

These wines are the real deal. They’re made by hand from organic fruit with minimal intervention in the vineyard and the winery, they speak to their place, they are the extraordinary results of Yann’s incredible efforts and a testament to his talent. Exactly the type of wines we want to drink and the kind of grower we want to champion.