Domaine Valma, located in the Fleurie appellation of Beaujolais, is a recently formed (2021) and highly regarded estate founded by Valentine and Stéphane Mathieu. Valentine oversees the vineyard and cellar work, while Stéphane manages marketing and sales. The name Valma is an anagram of Valentine’s first and last names; and also suggests, etymologically, Val (valley in Old French) + Alma (nourishing spirit in Latin).
The Domaine comprises 5.5 hectares in Fleurie, with vineyards cultivated on degraded pink granite soils ideal for Gamay. The estate practices organic viticulture, currently in official conversion. Traditional vine training methods such as goblet and éventail are employed, alongside double cordon de royat pruning.
Les Labourons, where Domaine Valma is located, is a small enclave of vineyards and forest in Beaujolais, characterized by its biodiverse environment. The vineyards have a mix of young vines facing north, which preserve acidity, and older vines facing west, which provide depth and concentration to the wines. The couple has recently acquired two additional parcels in Fleurie, including a prestigious plot on La Madone, likely to be awarded Premier Cru status in the future.
Valentine credits botanists François Dal and Gérard Ducerf in her understanding of vineyard behavior and ecology . She similarly obtained winemaking guidance from Beaujolais icon Jacques Néauport, a peer of Jules Chauvet (godfather of the natural wine movement) in her mastery of the subtleties of the semi-carbonic maceration process.
The grapes are manually harvested and fermented 100% whole cluster in concrete tanks, followed by aging in both concrete tanks and used barrels. SO2 is added only sparingly, after malolactic conversion, and limited to 20-30mg/L. The wines are bottled without fining, or filtration.
