Remi Dufaitre - Domaine du Botheland
Beaujolais, France
Laurence and Rémi Dufaitre make natural wines in Saint-Étienne-des-Oullières, in Beaujolais. They began working their own vines in 2001 and released their first vintage under their own label in 2010. Their approach brings together organic vineyard work, native yeasts and minimal intervention in the cellar. Gamay from Beaujolais and Brouilly is at the heart of their wines, alongside Chardonnay — wines made with freshness, fruit and a lively character in mind.
Before bottling their own wines, Laurence and Rémi sold their grapes to the local cooperative. Rémi waited until the native yeast population was healthy enough to support spontaneous fermentation. Their first bottled vintage followed in 2010.
Jean Foillard recognised Rémi's talent when he tasted the wines. He took him under his wing and introduced him to clients in Paris, helping bring the estate into the city's natural-wine scene.
Their work centres on Beaujolais and the Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly crus. Organic farming, patience in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the cellar let the fruit and the place speak for themselves. Gamay is central to the reds, while Chardonnay provides the white wines.
