Portraits of winemakers

DOMAINE DES BRAVES

Domaine des Braves: A Unique Terroir

A Distinctive Location

Nestled in a hamlet between Beaujeau and Belle-ville, Domaine des Braves spans 16 hectares of vineyards. Situated in the heart of the Régnié cru, the youngest Beaujolais appellation, this charming estate benefits from an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) that has been in place for about thirty years. This designation sets it apart from regional AOCs with its unique typicity and high-quality terroir.

Winemaker Franck Cinquin cultivates two grape varieties here: Gamay and Chardonnay. These emblematic varieties of the Beaujolais region thrive on this exceptional terroir. Gamay, the king of the region’s grapes, is grown at 300 meters above sea level on pink granite plateaus, fully exposed to the south. These ideal conditions ensure perfectly ripe grapes that retain freshness and respect the terroir's finesse.

Fruity and Elegant Wines

Domaine des Braves produces 50,000 bottles annually, including Régnié (one of the ten Beaujolais crus), Coteaux Bourguignons for its white wines, and Beaujolais Villages Nouveau as a primeur wine. Franck Cinquin, also a vineyard nurseryman, understands the needs of his plots and cultivates his vines with an environmentally respectful approach.

The estate crafts round and fruity wines that are highly representative of the Beaujolais terroir. The Régnié cru, the estate's flagship wine, restores Gamay to its full glory with smooth, fruity cuvées that offer both freshness and finesse. While enjoyable in their youth, these wines reveal even more depth after a few years of aging.

Domaine des Braves: A Family Legacy

As the oldest historical building in the hamlet, Domaine des Braves has been around for over 240 years! Since 1903, it has been owned by the Cinquin family and has developed through the years and generations.

A true family legacy, the current winemaker, Franck Cinquin, is the fifth generation to work on the estate. After his viticulture studies, Franck began working on the estate, marking his first vintage and most cherished winemaking memory in 1988. Since then, he has upheld the family tradition by carefully producing Régnié wines and expanding the estate by acquiring new plots starting in 1990. A nature enthusiast, Franck works in harmony with it to produce increasingly high-quality wines. As Franck Cinquin often says, “Making wine is both an art and a science!”