Surface area 5 ha.
Natural since 2006

About the winemaker
Benoît Camus is often described as one of the ‘mystery men’ of Beaujolais, quietly overseeing around five hectares of his own vineyard land. Benoît harvested his first grapes in 2006, after years spent working alongside fellow winegrowers in his youth. With the acquisition of his own plots, he initially sold his wines to Philippe Jambon, who released them under his own négoce labels. This humility is typical of Benoît it’s always been his goal to craft wines that are pure and energetic, rather than to seek the spotlight.

About the vineyard
Benoît’s vineyards lie in Ville-sur-Jarnioux, in the southern reaches of Beaujolais about 25 minutes north of Lyon. Here, the soils are primarily composed of limestone marl, clay, and granite. The majority of these parcels are planted with Gamay, but Benoît also makes a small amount of white wine from half a hectare of Chardonnay. He actually lives in a caravan on one of his own plots, jokingly referring to it as "Chateau Roulant" the rolling château. It’s clear that nurturing the health of his organic vineyards is truly his greatest passion.

About the wines
Until a few years ago, most of Benoît’s production was sold under Jambon’s label, with only a small selection his favourite wines bottled under his own name in exceptional vintages. We have followed Benoît’s natural wines since the 2009 vintage, watching as his journey unfolded. Even back then, his wines were bold and full of flavour, a touch wild, and always remarkably drinkable consistently offering outstanding value.
Fermentations generally take place with whole bunches, and the pressing happens only when Benoît decides the moment is right. The wines are usually aged in concrete, stainless steel, and fibreglass methods that faithfully capture the character of southern Beaujolais. Broadly speaking, Benoît’s low-intervention wines are rustic yet energetic. You sense that their soulful heart is closer to the gentle south and the garrigue of the Rhône than to the stately airs of Burgundy. Southern Gamay brings warmth and dark fruit, while the limestone marl and granite lend aromatic complexity, minerality, and lively acidity. These are pure wines from robustly healthy, organic vineyards a testament to the quiet brilliance of this artisan winemaker.

NDP profile: Benoît Camus