Domaine d'Ici La

Groslée, Bugey, France

For a wine to be great, it must be a clear and true expression of its place, and it was a hunt for the perfect place which led the young Florie Brunet and Adrien Bariol to their new home in Bugey - Domaine d’Ici La. Whilst Florie is no longer involved in the domaine’s activities, her impact on the inception and initial growth of the estate can’t be overlooked.

Florie grew up in Alsace and credits her father’s appreciation for wine with igniting her initial curiosity.  She worked for 5 years in the art world before changing track and studying viticulture and oenology to set her on a new path. Adrien grew up in the Rhône valley, and it was some experiments making beer with his friends that sparked a fascination with fermentation, leading him to work in cellars in Condrieu, Ampuis, and Chavanay.  So, with no family history in winemaking, Florie and Adrien found themselves magnetically attracted to fermentation, wine, and viticulture.

Together, they set out to find the vineyards to call their own.  Like many young winemakers, they began their search in Jura, but were disappointed with what they were able to find, and felt a desire to go further off the beaten track.  In 2017, they arrived in Bugey, where a twist of fate led them to encounter the soon-retiring Patrick Charlin, from whom they acquired their first parcel of vines and their first cellar space.  Enchanted by the rugged and mountainous landscape, the local grapes, and the beautifully maintained vineyard plots available, they knew they had found what they were looking for.  

Adrien has now been single-handedly running the estate since 2023 and is continuing with the same philosophy, passion, and drive. The clarity and precision with which his wines sing of their rocky birthplace is immediately apparent, and is all the more impressive on learning that he made his first wines here in 2018.  Meticulous work across his variegated vineyard sites yields focused expressions of variety and place, while considered and gentle élévage reveals his subtle but confident personality. 

From lean and mineral Chardonnay to bright, sappy Gamay, detailed and textured Altesse to elegant and vibrant Mondeuse, Adrien is communicating his sublime surroundings through the local varieties, in a voice all of his own.