Bruno Duchene La Luna Rouge 2024

Bruno Duchêne represents a fascinating career transformation in the natural wine world. Originally from the Loire Valley, where his family operated a thriving farm machinery business, Bruno's path to winemaking was unconventional. Before discovering his passion for wine, he worked as a wild mushroom distributor throughout the Loire Valley and Burgundy regions, an experience that first exposed him to meticulously crafted, non-interventionist wines.

Inspired by these authentic expressions, Bruno sought formal training with Frédéric Cossard at Domaine de Chassorney in Saint-Romain, where he spent nine months learning biodynamic farming practices and natural winemaking techniques. This apprenticeship proved transformative, teaching him not only how to make wine but also how to truly appreciate it.

Today, Bruno resides in Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Côte Vermeille, where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean Sea. This dramatic Catalonian landscape, famously captured by Fauvist painters like Matisse, provides the backdrop for his four hectares of vineyards spread across four parcels. His vines grow on decomposed schist soils at approximately 300 meters altitude, planted on steep terraced hillsides that require entirely manual cultivation.

Bruno primarily produces three distinctive red wines: La Luna, La Pascole, and L'Anodine, all featuring co-planted Grenache varieties with Carignan. Each cuvée represents different vineyard management approaches, from parcels where grass grows freely to hand-worked sites impossible to mechanize. His organic farming practices benefit from the warm, dry Mediterranean climate, requiring minimal sulfur treatments and no copper applications. Bruno's commitment to natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts and minimal intervention creates wines that authentically express this legendary terroir.

Banyuls-sur-Mer sits at the dramatic confluence of the Pyrenees Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea in the Roussillon region of southern France, just kilometers from the Spanish border. This picturesque coastal town occupies a unique position on the Côte Vermeille, where steep, terraced vineyards cascade down mountainous slopes toward azure waters, creating one of France's most spectacular viticultural landscapes.

The town's history dates back centuries, with its name deriving from the Latin "Balneum," referring to ancient thermal baths. Banyuls-sur-Mer gained international recognition through its association with Fauvist painters, particularly Henri Matisse, who was captivated by the region's extraordinary light and vibrant colors. The artistic community dubbed nearby Collioure "La cité des peintres" (the city of painters), reflecting the area's profound influence on modern art.

Viticulturally, Banyuls-sur-Mer represents a legendary terroir renowned for both fortified dessert wines and dry reds. The region's vineyards, planted primarily with Grenache varieties and Carignan, grow on steep schist slopes that require manual cultivation due to their inaccessibility to machinery. These challenging conditions contribute to extremely low yields but exceptional quality, producing wines with intense concentration and distinctive mineral character.

The Mediterranean climate provides warm, dry conditions ideal for organic viticulture, with cooling sea breezes moderating temperatures. The decomposed schist soils, combined with varying expositions across different parcels, create complex microclimates that allow winemakers to craft distinctive expressions. Today, Banyuls-sur-Mer continues attracting passionate vignerons seeking to preserve this ancient terroir while crafting wines that authentically express this remarkable intersection of mountain, sea, and vine.