Auvergne, France

François Dhumes

Francine & François

François Dhumes may be more discreet than some of his neighbours and winegrower friends, but his quiet strength makes the Auvergne shine in the firmament of French and European wine regions. Based in the small village of Orcet, with the help of his wife Francine, he crafts Gamay wines of a rare finesse, true juices with the scent of volcanoes...

François Dhumes at a glance

Country	France
Region	Auvergne
Village	Orcet
Cultivated grapes	Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chardonnay
First vintage	2006
Size	About 2 hectares
Our favorites	Jus de Vilain, Sarment Pepper

Jeu de vin, jus de vilain

François is a true Auvergne winegrower, born in Clermont-Ferrand... Oenology studies in Beaune, followed by a few years working with "traditional" winegrowers, taught François Dhumes how to work in the vineyard, how to organise his work seasonally... but also the direction he didn't want to pursue!

François returned to Auvergne in 2006, where he cultivated a hectare of vines himself, while working intermittently for Vincent Tricot and Patrick Bouju. For the past few years, he has been working on his own, following his instincts and approaching winemaking with as little intervention as possible. The vineyards are spread over five hectares within a radius of 20km around Orcet, in Chidrac, Corent or on the Gergovie plateau.

Different terroirs... Gamay, Chardonnay and, recently, some Pinot Noir vines (Sarment Pepper). The result is wines bursting with fruit, finesse and minerality. A winemaker not to be missed!