Jean Louis Tribouley
COUNTRY: France
REGION: Pyrenees
Jean-Louis Tribouley has been crafting soulful wines in Latour de France since 2002, working alongside contemporaries like YoYo, Jean-François Nicq (Les Foulards Rouge), and Stephan Morin (Domaine Leonine). A cornerstone of the region’s natural wine movement, Jean-Louis embodies its essence: a hands-off approach, practicality, modesty, and a genuine love for the craft. His 11 hectares of organically certified vines, ranging from 20 to 60 years old, thrive in arid, stony soils composed of schist, gneiss, and granitic arenas—a challenging but rewarding terroir that yields wines of incredible depth and character.
The estate’s diverse plantings include Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Macabeu, and Grenache Gris, all farmed with care and vinified thoughtfully. Grapes may be destemmed or not, depending on the cuvée, with maceration lasting 8 to 20 days. Reds are vinified in stainless steel, resin, or concrete, while whites ferment in old barrels, maintaining a balance between tradition and minimal intervention. Bottling is done on-site with collective equipment, emphasizing community and simplicity. Jean-Louis’s wines are as joyful and approachable as the man himself, who is just as likely to pour you a glass as he is to share oysters shucked by hand—a fitting reflection of the warmth and authenticity behind each bottle.
CUVÉES
“Marceau Le Blanc”
Region: Pyrénées-Orientales
Grape: Macabeu
Soil: gneiss, schist, clay, limestone
Age of Vines: 40-60 years
Winemaking: direct press into tank, finishes fermentation in barrel.
Aging: 8 months
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: minimal at racking
“Les 3 Lunes”
Region: Pyrénées-Orientales
Grape: 80% Syrah, 20% Grenache
Soil: gneiss
Age of Vines: 50 years
Winemaking: destemmed, 15 days maceration
Aging: 18 months in fiber
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: minimal at racking
“L’Alba”
Region: Pyrénées-Orientales
Grape: 60% Carignan, 30% Syrah, 10% Grenache
Soil: gneiss
Age of Vines: 50 years
Winemaking: 12 day carbonic maceration in stainless steel
Aging: 8 months in fiber tank
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: minimal at racking
“Les Copines”
Region: Pyrénées-Orientales
Grape: 70% Grenache Gris, 30% Macabeu
Soil: schist, clay, limestone (grenache), schist (macabeu)
Age of Vines: 50-80 years
Winemaking: direct press into tank, fermentation finished in barrels
Aging: 8 months
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: minimal at racking
“La Part de l`Ete”
Region: Pyrénées-Orientales
Grape: 70% Syrah, 30% Carignan
Soil: gneiss
Age of Vines: 20 years
Winemaking: methode ancestral rosé
Aging: in bottle
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
“GG”
Region: Pyrénées-Orientales
Grape: 70% Grenache Gris, 30% Macabeu
Soil: schist, clay, limestone (grenache), schist (macabeu)
Age of Vines: 50-80 years
Winemaking: direct press into tank, fermentation finished in barrels
Aging: 8 months
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: minimal at racking
“Elepolypossum”
Region: Pyrénées-Orientales
Grape: Carignan
Soil: gneiss
Age of Vines: 50 years
Winemaking: 1/2 destemmed, 10 days fermentation
Aging: 14 months in fiber tank
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: minimal at racking
