Patrick Bouju | Domaine la Bohème

Patrick Bouju and Justine Loiseau are based in the village of Saint-Georges-sur-Allier in Auvergne, in the Puy-de-Dôme. They farm just over 5 hectares of their own vines here, some are 120 years old! Their own domain grapes they farm since 2004 include Pinot Noir, Gamay d'Auvergne (which is similar to Gamay you usually find in Beaujolais, but with a thicker skin and a smaller size).

Patrick and Justine also feature plots of rare, old varietals like Mirefleurien and Limberger. Their Gamay d'Auvergne goes into their legendary Lulu wine, bottled after aging in Amphora and showcasing the real ageability of the grape. Their domaine fruit of Pinot Noir is mostly used for Cailloux, which features an beautifully earthy presence from the volcanic soils - and is equally agable. Their Chardonnay is mostly used for Festjejar Blanc, a vibrant, white Pet Nat as well as their esteemed 'The Blanc' which showcases the volcanic soil beautifully. Another popular but hard to find wine is their 'Sein Pour Sein' which is a cunning play on words...

Their vines are mostly on volcanic basalt soils, which are scattered across different parcels in the nearby region, rather than all together in one place. A horse is used to tend to the soil and a lot of love goes into producing very high quality grapes that accurately reflect this wonderful volcanic terroir.

Patrick Bouju's non Auvergen wines

In addition to their domain wines, Domaine la Bohème also have a small plot of 1.8 hectares in South Beaujolais for extra Gamay. These grapes are also featured in the wine Niglo, meaning Hedgehog in Romanian - an appreciative nod to their hard-working Romanians who tend to the plot there.

Their other non-Auvergne wines make up their Negoce range, which enables Domaine la Bohème to stay well priced and affordable. Their domaine wines are in short supply and high demand, with higher prices as they do all the work themselves in the vineyards. Grapes often used by the Negoce range of Domaine la Bohème include Pineau d'Aunis, Muscat, Gamay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Mondeuse, Picapol and Cinsault. Most of the Negoce wines have a distinctive label, usually feature in the initials of the grapes or region of the wine. i.e Mo is a Mondeuse from Savoie whilst Super B is a Gamay from Beaujolais.

Alongside a love for sourcing grapes in as many French regions as the pair find interesting, their adventures even reach as far as Greece. In partnership with French importer Culinaries Patrick and Justine partnered with respected grower Jason Ligas, they created the Sous le Vegetal range of wines. These wines aim to revitalise native yet somewhat forgotten grapes on the Greek island of Samos. Whilst Jason is no longer involved, the wines from Samos continue to be made with local growers

In 2016 and 2017, Patrick Bouju teamed up with famed rapper Action Bronson and respected importer Ochin Clovis to create ‘A La Natural’ together, a wine that features all of the makers characterised on the label too. The 'A La Natural’ Rouge 2017 is a blend of Chardonnay & Gamay, whilst the ‘A La Natural’ Blanc 2017 is a blend of Muscat & Chardonnay.

This special wine, which was seen being made on Vice by millions of people certainly helped catapult the awareness of Domaine la Bohème. Patrick Bouju and Justine Loiseau are not the type of winemakers to let such media hype get to their head, and are good friends with Action Bronson to this day although another collaborative bottle may not seem as likely. Patrick and Justine are very genuine people, with a genuine love for natural wine and keeping their wines at an affordable pricepoint for people to enjoy, rather than capitalising on their success.

Patrick Bouju references, an allergy to sulphur is what first introduced him to natural wines... and we're glad of that, as the wines of Domaine la Bohème are extremely vibrant and alive, whether the more premium offerings like Lulu or budget-friendly smashers like Mol. This is especially because Patrick Bouju & Justine Loiseau never use any Sulphur in their wines, ensuring maximum flavours from their healthy grapes.

In the cellar, Domaine la Bohème make use of fibreglass and stainless steel tanks, aged wooden barrels and Amphora. Having studied viticulture in Beaune, Burgundy, Patrick Bouju has the knowledge of how to make wine classically but adopts a much more minimalistic approach in the cellar.

The couple is farming on their own 5 hectares of volcanic soils of clay, limestone and basalt for their own domaine wines. Domaine la Bohème (we are not sure if this is named after the famous opera) bottles are in hot demand and usually showcase great ageability. We personally find the Cailloux to be one of the most exciting Pinot Noirs around... if you can get your hands on it - the domain wines often sell out very fast!

Which wines of Patrick Bouju do not contain sulphur?

All of the wines from the winery Domaine la Boheme, including Mol, A La Natural, G&M, Lulu, Cailloux, Mo, Festejar and Super B, do not contain any added sulpur at any point in the winemaking process.

What is the Action Bronson wine called?

The collaborative wine between Action Bronson, Clovis Ochin and Patrick Bouju is called 'A La Natural' and was made in 2016 and 2017. This wine was seen being made in the Vice episode "From Paris With Love" from Action Bronson's popular show F*ck, that's delicious. The red version is a red-white blend of Gamay & Chardonnay

Where can I buy Patrick Bouju wines?

The wines of Patrick Bouju & Justine Loiseau (of Domaine la Boheme) can be found on morenaturalwine.com or in cool natural wine bars and restaurants with a natural wine list.

Where is Patrick Bouju based?

Patrick Bouju and Justine Louiseau of Domaine la Boheme farm a vineyard size of 5 hectares of grapes near the village of Saint-Georges-sur-Allier in Auvergne, more specifically in the Puy-de-Dôme. It is here that they work the vineyards with their horse, the old fashioned way.

What wines does Patrick Bouju make?

Whilst Patrick and Justine change their wines often, popular wines include A La Natural, Festejar, G&M, Mo, CC, Picapol, Super B, M, P (Pineau d'Aunis), Niglo, Violette, P Pinot Noir, The Blanc, A, Love Song, Lulu, Cailloux, Ergostaline, Vivanterre, Brutal. The couple also make a small batch of hot sauce and have a bitters beverage called Gentiane.