# Barbalolo (2022)

- **Producer:** Domaine des Barbatruks
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Merlot
- **Region:** Jura, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €20
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now
- **Serving temperature:** 12–14 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, cherry, plum, violet, peach, orange

## About this wine

Barbalolo is a vibrant natural red wine crafted by Maxim Lannay and Isabelle Delahaye of Domaine des Barbatruks (bottled under their négociant label, Les Barbatruks). Based in Montmalin, near Arbois in the Jura, the duo established this négociant project in 2020 after devastating frosts decimated their estate vineyards. By sourcing organic and biodynamically farmed grapes from trusted grower friends in warmer southern regions like Vaucluse and Ardèche, they continue to produce highly creative, low-intervention wines. The name 'Les Barbatruks' is a playful nod to the shapeshifting children in the classic French cartoon Barbapapa, with each cuvée featuring a whimsical character on the label.

## Interesting facts

- The name 'Les Barbatruks' is a playful reference to the shapeshifting children in the classic French cartoon Barbapapa.
- Winemaker Maxim Lannay trained under Alice Bouvot of the legendary Jura natural wine estate Domaine de l'Octavin.
- To keep the fruit pure and avoid heavy tannins, they use a 'burger method' of stacking alternating grape layers.

## Food pairing

The vibrant, sweet-and-sour acidity and low tannin profile of this light-bodied Merlot make it an exceptional partner for rich, fatty foods. It cuts through the fat of cured meats, duck rillettes, and sausages beautifully, while its bright primary fruit notes complement earthy mushrooms and lightly spiced pork dishes without overwhelming them.

## Wine making process

This cuvée is a unique, light-extraction expression of Merlot. For the 2022 vintage, 50% of the Merlot grapes from Carpentras in the Vaucluse are direct-pressed, while the remaining 50% from Ardèche undergo a gentle two-week infusion. Fermentation occurs spontaneously using only indigenous yeasts in fiberglass tanks (cuves résine de verre) with zero temperature control. The wine is aged for a brief three months in the same vessels and bottled en primeur in November. In line with strict natural winemaking philosophies, it is bottled completely unfined, unfiltered, and with zero added sulfur dioxide.