Description
Since 1888 the Fessy family has been based in the heart of the Brouilly appellation of Beaujolais, France. Over the years they have purchased choice parcels of vineyards in most of the 10 Crus and the Beaujolais-Villages appellations to create the enviable domaine that we have today of nearly 70 hectares of prime vineyards. Work in our vineyards is carried out with sensitivity and intelligence and they only intervene when necessary. This philosophy allows them to produce highly complex wines which express a real sense of place and origin. They offer the full range of Beaujolais wines from our own vineyards each expressing their own unique terroir. Experience, tradition, respect and an in-depth knowledge of the Beaujolais vineyards go hand in hand-making Henry Fessy a respected quality-driven Domaine.
In 1888 a travelling salesman called Jean Pelissier decided to buy a parcel of Brouilly right in the heart of the “Paradis” vineyards on the Bel Air plateau. He joined forces with his son-in-law Henri Fessy with the objective of creating excellent wines. During the second half of the 20th century, Jean and Henri’s sons and grandsons succeeded in developing the company thanks to their exploration of vineyards beyond Brouilly. Following the company’s purchase by Maison Louis Latour in 2008, owners of vineyards and the eponymous brand in Burgundy, a decision was taken to continue acquiring parcels of vineyards, primarily in the ten Beaujolais Crus. Henry Fessy has remained faithful to the traditional method (no carbonic maceration) which favors the balance between the seductive fruit-forwardness and the supple tannins which guarantee good ageing capability. The grapes are transported in small buckets to the winery, before being sorted, de-stemmed and then placed into cement and steel tanks for approximately a week. The length of the fermentation depends considerably on the vintage. The wines will then age in vats for between 7 and 10 months before being bottled the following spring.