Collection: Romuald Valot

Born in Burgundy, Romuald Valot has spent the past decade carving out his own path in the remote hills of Beaujolais. Raised in a winemaking family in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, he developed a deep passion for wine from an early age. His career began with five years on an estate in Bandol before returning to Burgundy to work in the vineyards of Chambolle-Musigny, including plots owned by Domaine Faiveley.

Over time, Romuald grew increasingly disillusioned with chemical-intensive farming and “miracle” cellar interventions, prompting him to redefine the kind of winemaker he wanted to become.

In 2013, he took a decisive step, purchasing a small house, a cellar, and three hectares of vineyards in the wild hills above Beaujeu. Today, he manages 11 hectares, eight of them his own, across several Beaujolais appellations: Beaujolais-Villages (Beaujeu), Beaujolais (Saint-Jean-d’Ardières), Chénas, Côte de Brouilly, Chiroubles, Régnié, and Brouilly. Many of the vines are up to 100 years old, rooted in granite soils at 500–520 meters above sea level, making them some of the highest and most isolated in the region.

Romuald’s philosophy is uncompromising: healthy wine comes only from a healthy, respected ecosystem. Certified organic, he practices radical permaculture, avoids plowing almost entirely, and has eliminated copper and sulfur since 2016. Instead of chemical treatments, he relies on careful manual labor, constant observation, and patience. Plant extracts (nettle, chamomile, valerian, algae, and whey, sometimes combined with clay and spring water) protect the vines from frost, stress, and disease, while nourishing the soil and restoring balance. Some plots are cultivated without pruning or tilling, pushing the boundaries of natural viticulture.

In the cellar, Romuald applies the same philosophy. Grapes are harvested early in the morning, often as whole bunches, and allowed to gently macerate for about two weeks before slow pressing. Wines are aged in old barrels or qvevri for roughly a year, without additives. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with natural CO₂, his wines are living, honest, and profoundly connected to their landscape, a true reflection of Romuald’s courage, conviction, and respect for nature.