Domaine La Bohème – Patrick Bouju & Justine Loiseau

Domaine La Bohème
Patrick Bouju & Justine Loiseau
Auvergne, France

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Patrick and Justine make wine in Saint-Georges-sur-Allier, a village in the Auvergne region. An allergy to sulphites partnered with a love of nature sparked Patrick’s interest in natural wine and in 2004, near the dormant Puy de Dôme, Domaine La Bohème was born.

The vines are rooted in volcanic soils, south-east of Clermont-Ferrand. Some of these are ancient, pre-phylloxera even: vines that survived the epidemic of the late 1800s when a species of lice decimated Europe’s vineyards. The couple tend to 8 hectares here, with different plots spread across several communes and a range of grape varieties. Another 1.6 hectares of vines in South Beaujolais complete the domaine.

As well as their own wines, Patrick and Justine make a négoce line, created in 2014 after a run of poor harvests. Erratic weather resulting from climate change along with intense damage from Suzuki fly led to huge losses in the vineyard, and Patrick and Justine had to look to other winegrowers for substitute grapes. Travels across France and as far as Greece came with the silver lining of fascinating characters and grape varieties different to those in Auvergne, and the winery became an exciting laboratory with plenty of room for creativity. 

See below for wines that are vivid, alive, and consistently delicious.