Henry Fessy Beaujolais

By the year 1000, the monks of Cluny had already planted vines in Beaujolais, primarily on steep hillsides which faced the rising sun. Today our vineyards are still worked by hand using traditional methods to protect the unique characteristics of each vine. The Gamay grape is perfectly suited to this region and thrives in ideal conditions developing its full range of aromas.

The heart of Henry Fessy's domaine is on the Plâteau de Bel-Air, a named vineyard in the commune of Saint Jean d'Ardières at the centre of the Brouilly appellation. It is on the foothills of Mont Brouilly overlooking the Sâone plains; set on a hill and very sunny. Granite schist soils overlay shale bedrock and a special micro-climate produce fruity, silky wines with fine tannins and flavours of red fruits and spice.

We work our 70 hectare domaine with respect for nature; restricting work to what is strictly necessary and beneficial for our vines. This philosophy extends to limiting our yields to 40 hectolitres per hectare which helps us to produce elegant and generous wines which fully express their vineyard and growing season. Experience, tradition and respect for our expertise accumulated over more than a century have made Henry Fessy a recognised quality wine producer in the region. We have remained faithful to traditional techniques, hand picking our grapes and following a traditional method of vinification with no carbonic maceration, which gives us wines which express the full wealth of flavours from the Gamay grape. 

At Henry Fessy we are anxious to preserve and promote the diversity of the Beaujolais Cru vineyards. We continued to expand our domaine by acquiring venerable old vineyards across the region and are owners of land in nine of the 10 Crus. The vineyards of Château des Labourons and Château des Reyssiers and our single parcel selections represent the pinnacle of our range which extends over 24 appellations and includes white appellations in Mâcon, because of the areas close proximity to Beaujolais. Our Beaujolais wines are fruity and round in the mouth and our Macon wines are elegant with subtle floral aromas.