Blacé, Breath of the New Beaujolais
In the southern reaches of Beaujolais, Sylvère Trichard and Mathilde Sothier tend 6 hectares of Gamay and Chardonnay on pink granite and sandy clay. Named for the moon (Séléné), they follow lunar cycles, practice mixed agriculture, and prove that Beaujolais is more than just Gamay—it's a way of life rooted in the old ways.
From Domaine de Fully to Séléné
The vines were planted by Sylvère's grandfather in 1955 in the hamlet of Blacé, just south of Beaujolais' prestigious crus. Sylvère's uncle ran the estate as Domaine de Fully, beginning organic conversion in 1998—the same year 18-year-old Sylvère first stepped into the cellar. "It blew my mind," he recalls. "I took a passion for the metier and I put in ten years before daring to set myself up."
Those ten years were formative: agricultural studies in Dieppe (where he met future partner Mathilde), a year with Dominique Belluard in the Savoie mastering high-altitude precision, then home to work with Jean-Claude Lapalu, Beaujolais natural wine royalty. In 2012, Sylvère took over his grandmother's four hectares and established Domaine Séléné (also called Domaine de la Tallebarde), named for the Greek moon goddess—a nod to the lunar calendar guiding their biodynamic work. Mathilde joined to create a true mixed farm: vines, vegetables, and biodiversity.
"Don't try to fix in the cellar what you didn't do in the vineyard."
— Sylvère Trichard
Pink Granite & Sandy Clay
The estate sits on two distinct terroirs: silt and loam on gentle slopes near a stream, and sand-granite soils within the village zone proper. The vines range from 20 to 80 years old—bush-trained Gamay on pink granite that yields wines with lift, minerality, and clarity. Yields are kept low (~30 hl/ha) through careful hand management.
Certified organic since 1998 and returning to biodynamic farming in 2018, Sylvère and Mathilde work according to the lunar calendar, fostering biodiversity through compost, cover crops, and hedgerows. They tend all vines by hand to maintain soil health and vine balance. In 2020, they planted an orchard and trees between vine rows—both to restore the agricultural diversity of old Beaujolais and to provide shade as temperatures climb.
Sandy clay over granite, with veins of pink granite running through. Two distinct zones: silty-loam near water, and sand-granite in the village. Classic Gamay ground that brings lift and minerality, with enough clay for structure.
Gamay dominates (98% of plantings), with small amounts of Chardonnay (~2%—rare in Beaujolais) and Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay grows on the same granite, producing saline, crisp whites that challenge the region's red-only reputation.
Concrete, No Tricks
Sylvère's winemaking is defined by transparency. Grapes are hand-harvested—often whole cluster—and fermented with native yeasts using semi-carbonic maceration for the reds. No added yeast, no chaptalization, minimal pumping. The wines age primarily in concrete vats, which preserve freshness and terroir expression without oak influence. Around three cuvées see zero sulfur; others receive just a pinch at bottling depending on the vintage.
No fining, no filtration—the wines are bottled as naturally as possible. The only exception to the concrete rule is Gisous, the cuvée from Sylvère's grandmother's favorite plot of 80-year-old vines, which spends 6-8 months in old barrels. "The wood is more fine; it's the prettiest fruit of the business," Sylvère says of this north-east facing parcel. Everything else sees concrete or buried tanks, including the rare Beaujolais Blanc.
Cuvée de Printemps
The "Spring Cuvée"—Sylvère's answer to Beaujolais Nouveau, but with more thought. Whole-cluster Gamay undergoes carbonic maceration for two weeks, then ages six months in concrete. It's the first release of the vintage: fresh, floral, light on its feet, with that characteristic crunch of Beaujolais granite. Unfiltered, unsulfured, and bottled just as the vines are waking up for the new season.
Vegetables, Orchards & Vines
Séléné represents a return to the mixed agriculture of historic Beaujolais. Until the late 20th century, winemaking families here pastured cows and grew crops alongside grapes. Sylvère and Mathilde have revived this: they cultivate forty varieties of vegetables, sell wheat from neighboring farmers at their Friday afternoon open-door events, and integrate animals into the farm ecosystem.
"It makes for a nice change to have some vegetables and pasturing," says Mathilde. "It changes the landscape. It's nice when it's not just vines." This biodiversity isn't aesthetic—it's practical. Cover crops regenerate the soil, trees provide shade for increasingly hot summers, and the mixed farm creates resilience against the monoculture risks facing pure wine estates. The orchard planted in 2020 will eventually produce fruit for local sale and farm consumption, completing the circle of self-sufficiency.
"Our idea is to do forty varieties of vegetables, to sell just across the street, at the neighbor's place on Friday afternoons... They sell wheat. We sell wine too, and we welcome people."
— Mathilde Sothier
The Domaine Séléné Range
All wines are hand-harvested, fermented with native yeasts, and bottled without fining or filtration. Sulfur is minimal or zero. The range spans primeur-style fresh Gamay, serious old-vine cuvées, textural Chardonnay, and sparkling Pét-Nat. Production is small and sought-after, particularly in France and Japan.