Jean-Paul Dubost La Ballofiere Morgon 2022
(Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) - [JR 17.5] [JS 90]

About the Winery:
From his 26 hectares in Lantignié, Brouilly, Moulin-a-Vent, and Morgon, fourth-generation vigneron Jean-Paul Dubost produces wines that combine lusciousness of fruit, mineral rigor, and open-armed friendliness in a way only great Beaujolais can. Jean-Paul assumed control of his family’s holdings in the mid-1990s, gradually steering viticulture toward organic practices, and today all parcels are either farmed fully organically or are in organic conversion.

Dubost’s cellar regimen pulls simultaneously from regional tradition and thoughtful low-interventionism: spontaneous fermentations; classic semi-carbonic macerations, with no-destemming employed except for the naturally ultra-structured Moulin-a-Vent; and bottling with extremely low levels of added sulfur dioxide.

Rather than conveying an overarching house style, Jean-Paul’s wines articulate with stark clarity their parcels and crus of origin, and the subtle differences he employs in the vinification and elevage of each wine serve only to enhance the transmission of terroir.

About the Wine:
Ballofière is a high-altitude parcel for Morgon, situated at 350-370 meters with a west-to-south exposure and consisting of poor, schistous soil with a small amount of sand. Following a semi-carbonic maceration, Dubost incorporates 15% used demi-muids into the élevage here, with the balance done in tank. The pulpy, gently tannic palate offers darkly spiced fruit and a firm sense of minerality.

Ratings & Reviews

17.5/20 Points - Jancis Robinson:
"Full bottle 1,161 g. La Ballofière is a single vineyard on an outcrop of granite. Vines an average of 70 years old. 30% aged in barrel. Organic and biodynamic.
I had forgotten just how damn good Dubost's La Ballofière is. It has the kohl-smudge smoky seduction and towering-black-rock power of Morgon. But it also has something generous and gentle and soulful. A deep pool of dark-red and midnight-blue fruit at its core – so deep and still that when you reach it, it's like skimming a pebble across its surface and then hearing the infinite silence as the stone sinks through the sweet, sultry depths of the fruit. Stunningly beautiful tannins with the texture of damask rose petals and gossamer and finest-grade sandpaper. Peony and purple-satin flowers on the finish. It's just drop-dead gorgeous." (Aug 2025)

90 Points - James Suckling:
"Geranium and sweet almond blossom aromas almost overpower the sweet strawberry and cherry notes. Soft and floral on the palate with a medium body and juicy finish. Good length, though. Drink now." (Mar 2024)