Aside from the fact that this makes him very pleasant company, François’ disposition reflects his fundamental approach to his craft. As a vigneron, he’s grounded in a quiet but unshakeable conviction, even as he remains open-minded to new possibilities, and this spirit is infused in his wines. 

François Bouillot and his wife Claire Salomon work simply, which means they farm organically. A native of Burgundy, François moved to Ampuis in the northern Rhône in 2008 to grow 5.5 ha of vegetables and fruits. It was here that he first dabbled in planting his own vines, though these first plantings of Syrah in 2009 were just part of an undertaking to expand their farming repertoire, to include local plants and varieties. After all, they were living right next to the hills of Côte-Rôtie, the birthplace of arguably the finest Syrah in the world.

Still, even though he had received viticultural training, and in his younger days had tended the famous vineyards of Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur in Vosne-Romanée, François did not see himself as a vigneron exclusively. He and his Claire continued to immerse themselves in the local agricultural scene and became actively involved in the organic farming community. It’s perhaps this grounding as an organic farmer that makes François such a uniquely qualified vigneron.

Though his love for wine had been kindled in the early 2000s while working at Domaine Gros, François decided to continue on in farming, acquiring more experience and honing his agriculturist instincts.

In the meantime, this avid wine lover enjoyed wines like the rest of us: by tasting and drinking lots of it, exploring the varieties of tastes and developing a finely tuned sense of the qualities he sought in the wines he admired. He befriended many vignerons and visited their cellars. One person François would regularly visit is Hervé Ravera, the masterful natural winemaker from Marchampt in Beaujolais. François credits Ravera as the person who nudged him to start making his own wine.

In 2014, François got wind of an opportunity to return to Burgundy to work on a vineyard near his home town. It was an offer that was too good to pass up. François and Claire moved back to the hamlet of Mâlain, on the western outskirts of Dijon, but retained their farm and vineyard in Ampuis. As commuting between the two regions became increasingly taxing, François decided to give up vegetable farming and focus on his vineyards and winemaking instead.

Vineyard in Mâlain

As a farmer steeped in the concept of sustainability, François has an innate preference for natural wines. However, he’s also very particular about quality. As much as he likes the unbridled vibrancy of natural juice, he’s fastidious about tastes that are not perfectly clean. This was why he didn’t eschew sulphites completely in the beginning. He started out with a unique personal formula, making one third of the wines without additives and two thirds with 20 mg/hl of SO2.

A deep conversation with Hervé Ravera in 2013 convinced him to change his mind. “If the grapes are nice, they have all they need inside to do things on their own. You have to trust in your grapes,” advised Ravera. From then on, François stopped using sulphur completely.

Speaking with François about winemaking doesn’t always yield much technical information. It’s almost as if wine is but a straightforward outcome of nature, a result of not much more than planting grapes. Good grapes make good wine, pretty much. There isn’t much discussion about how he cultivates his grapes either: he practices natural viticulture and that’s about it.

That being said, François loves to taste. He’s very discerning about the taste of the food and wine that he consumes, and seeks out outstanding examples wherever possible. So while his winemaking is unencumbered by methodology, he cares deeply for the final taste experience.

Bouillot-Salomon wines are always clean and incisive. Without looking at the bottle, it’s not easy to identify them as natural wines immediately because they possess such striking intensity and focus. With a minuscule production that ranges between 1-4 barrels per cuvée, there are very few bottles to go around, much less to satisfy demand. 

These wines have now landed and are available ex-cellar Singapore. This offer is valid until 25 May 2021. All order requests will be processed subject to remaining availability and final written confirmation. No further discount. Full settlement is required to confirm orders. Please note the special terms and conditions that apply.