Product images are for indication purposes only. Label might vary
depending on current vintage.
Gamay VdF, François Dumas 2022
Francois Dumas
François Dumas is one of the more discreet names of the Northern Rhône, working from his home village of Véranne, just south of Condrieu. Originally planning to become a sports teacher, his direction changed after a harvest with Yves Cuilleron in 2004. He went on to train with some exceptional growers, including Jean-Louis Chave in Hermitage and Jean-Louis Trapet in Gevrey-Chambertin, before returning home and establishing his own domaine in 2010.Today François works around four hectares, including tiny parcels in Condrieu and Saint-Joseph alongside vineyards planted to Syrah, Gamay, Pinot Noir and a mix of white varieties. Farming has been organic from the beginning, with much of the work carried out personally and by hand. In the cellar, the approach is equally understated: spontaneous fermentations, long macerations, old barrels and very little sulphur, with no new oak used to mark the wines. Production remains tiny, at around 9,000–10,000 bottles a year.
The wines have a distinctive combination of Northern Rhône character and Burgundian finesse — pure fruit, fine textures and remarkable freshness, with the granitic soils bringing tension and minerality. François has deliberately kept the domaine small, producing quietly individual wines that increasingly rank among the most compelling and difficult-to-find bottles of the region.
François Dumas’ more approachable Gamay, sourced from several high-altitude parcels above 350m around Véranne in the Northern Rhône. Unlike the semi-carbonic style often associated with Gamay, François works with a traditional fermentation before giving the wine an unusually long 24 months in old barrels, bringing considerably more depth and structure.
Dark cherry and raspberry meet pepper, earth and subtle savoury spice. The palate is juicy yet firmly structured, with fine tannins, lively acidity and a fresh mineral edge. Generous and characterful without becoming heavy, this is a distinctly Rhône expression of Gamay — deeper and more serious than its simple Vin de France designation suggests.
Origin Condrieu, Northern Rhône, France
Grapes Gamay
Vintage 2022
Alcohol 13%
Style Spicy, structured, mineral
Bottle size 75cl
Winemaking Hand harvested, mostly whole bunch, fermented in tank with controlled extraction, aged in old Burgundy barrels for 20 months, unfiltred, unfined.
Notes Organic, Natural