Nathalie Banes & Julien Merle

Nathalie Banes

Nathalie Banes launched her domaine in 2015, transitioning from a career in jewelry to natural winemaking in the southern Beaujolais (Pierres Dorées). Working mostly alone with her horse Hulot, she tends about 4 hectares of vines on clay-limestone soils.

Rejecting Beaujolais’s hallmark carbonic maceration, Nathalie follows a more Burgundian approach: full destemming, long macerations, and extended élevage in old wooden vessels. The result is wines of depth, minerality, and complexity that stand apart from lighter, more playful Beaujolais.

Her cuvées—such as La Saoulée, Moulin la Blanche, Tiki, and Nathalitre—are crafted with zero intervention: no added sulfites, no filtration, and no fining. They reflect her determination to make soulful, authentic wines rooted in the land.

Julien Merle

Julien Merle took over his family’s estate after years of the fruit being sold to négociants. Inspired by friendships with Jean Foillard and Guy Breton, he began bottling under his own name and quickly established himself as part of the new generation of natural Beaujolais producers.

He farms organically with biodynamic principles, working his old vines (some over 80 years old) with horse plowing to protect soil life. In the cellar, he uses indigenous yeasts, avoids additives, and favors long, gentle fermentations that blend semi-carbonic techniques with Burgundian pigeage.

Julien’s wines are pure, fruit-driven, and approachable, but he also values consistency and volume, blending parcels to create stable, balanced cuvées. His approach highlights Gamay’s freshness and drinkability while maintaining a natural, artisanal identity.

Summary

• Region: Beaujolais (Pierres Dorées)

• Farming: Organic, low-intervention, horse-assisted vineyard work

• Winemaking: Native yeast, no additives, low or no sulfur, Burgundy-influenced vinification methods

• Style: Nathalie crafts soulful, textural, terroir-driven wines; Julien focuses on pure, approachable, and consistent expressions of Gamay