Originally from Normandy Nicolas Pavie studied biochemistry & language science, but long had an interest in wine, he worked in a wine cellar for ten years, all the while visiting vineyards and winemakers. Eventually he took the decision to try and make wine, spending time working with two of the winemakers whose wines had most intrigued him. Through a lot of reading, theoretical knowledge and this practice for Nicolas: . The most important thing to work without sulfur: pruning and control of the yields and an excellent sanitary state of the grapes at harvest time.

In 2015 Nicolas took the plunge and took on some surface in Theize in Beaujolais, he now has 1.8 hectares of vines, all Gamay. Three plots of land harvested and vinified separately: sandy soil, clay-limestone, clay-limestone studded with golden stones. (The famous Pierre Dorees of the region). 

He works the soils only at the level of the vines without motorised machinery but with a grelinette so that this work is done with as little noise as possible in the vines. The aim is to leave the soil alone and let it express itself. This important manual work allows Nicolas to be in very regular contact with each vine stock. 

Grapes are hand-picked in small crates, 3 and a half weeks of maceration without intervention (infusion), manual pressing, bottling, corking... by hand and minimal use of pump.

The first vintage for a tiny new plot he took over in 2021, a vintage that was wet and cool. He applied his usual approach, 3 and a half week infusion of the grapes and aged this juice in tank. As with many in the region has some reduction on opening, but with a little air unfurls into a very pretty wine, full of dark red fruit. 

From his smaller plot in Theize, littered with the golden stones of the region, the grapes had 4 weeks of maceration, using his infusion method, then aged in tank. A little reduction on opening unfurls into a deep, sultry wine with silky dark fruit. 

This wine comes from two separate parcels planted on clay limestone soils, planted in the 1950's. As with all of Nicolas' wines there was around 3-4 week maceration of whole bunches in tank - with no punchers or extraction before a very slow press. This was aged in old barrel - from one of his friends in the Jura, for 12 months. Not as woody as the last Grande Illusion, it's already drinking beautifully, with plump dark fruit and very silky tannins.

This remarkable wine comes from a millefeuille of all Nicolas' parcels in 2020, given a 4 week whole bunch macerations with no interventions, before a very slow press, then aged in barrel for 18 months. It's dense, long and has remarkable depth, showing well already, but destined to age for years.

We are delighted to grab the last of this wonderful wine. It's from Gamay grown on 100% Granite soils near Nicolas' cellar in Saint Romain De Popey. He gave the grapes a very gentle 4 week whole bunch maceration, before pressing off into barrel for 24 months. With incredibly silky tannins and pure fruit and with an impossibly long finish, this is a real showcase of Nicolas' talents.

This is from the parcel in Theize on light clay and limestone. Grapes were macerated whole bunch for 4 weeks, before 25 months in barrel. Dense, silky and very long, this is a quite remarkable expression of southern Beaujolais Gamay. 

100% Gamay on granite soils, from 50 year old vines planted just outside his cellar. In the cooler vintage of 2021, the wines are fresher, lighter but somehow retain their length. Luddites is probably our favourite wine of the vintage, from when we tasted it in barrel until now when we are fortunate to grab some for the UK.

From Theize on stony soils of clay and limestones, dotted with the golden stones of the region. The grapes were given a full 4 weeks of maceration, then given 14 months elevage in barrels. The lighter vintage has given a pretty, elegant wine, smoky, mineral and very pure of fruit. 

From the vines on granite, the grapes were given 3.5 weeks of whole bunch maceration, before ageing in tanks for 12 months. This is already very lovely, bright, bursting with fruit, but with the signature depth and complexity that Nicolas always manages to find. 

From the vines on clay and limestone, this had a similar maceration to the Anastasis and was also aged in tank. However the vines are on clay and limestone soils, giving a richer, more exotic fruit profile. Delicious as always!