Thibault Ducroux "En Roue Libre" Gamay, Beaujolais, France 2022

FROM JENNY & FRANÇOIS:

THE PRODUCER: Thibault Ducroux is one of those winemakers who has been enticed by the vine from practically a toddler’s age: the son of a Beaujolais grower, he recalls how quickly he became passionate while learning the basics of the trade in his father’s cellar. His desire to understand more about vine-growing led him to study a classical viticulture-enology course in the region, but the real game-changer came when he discovered the works of Jules Chauvet, the ingenious 20th-century research chemist, winemaker and négociant venerated as the father of the French natural wine movement.

THE WINE: The 2019 vintage of this wine was Thibault’s very first wine, made from his first purchased parcel. It is called En Roue Libre (French term for freewheeling, or neutral gear) – a name that honors both hands-off natural winemaking methods and Thibault’s love for cycling. (He even used to race in a club before dedicating himself to full-time winemaking, and the bike still remains a big weekend pleasure.)