Domaine de Prapin, Coteaux Lyonnais

The Prapin estate is, above all, the story of a farming family that has been based in the heart of the Coteaux Lyonnais for six generations. A commitment to quality and the environment has been the estate’s guiding principle for many years: the entire estate is certified as organic and biodynamic.

Today, Lucie and Pierre produce and age their wines using both traditional and natural methods to reflect the distinctive character of the Lyonnais terraces. Gamay, Gamaret, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Gris… the wines from the Domaine de Prapin are models of finesse, precision and elegance.

From the vineyard …

The vineyards of Domaine de Prapin are located in the Rhône region, in the heart of the Coteaux du Lyonnais, between Lyon, Vienne and Rive de Gier. The vines are planted on the slopes of three communes: Taluyers, Saint-Laurent-d’Agny and Mornant. The vineyard area is deliberately limited to 10 hectares to allow all efforts to be focused on quality and the expression of the granite (gneiss) terroir.

Grape varieties: Chardonnay and Gamay in the Coteaux du Lyonnais, and Pinot Gris, Viognier, Gamaret, Syrah and Marsanne in Vin de France.

The entire vineyard has been certified organic since 2012. No herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilisers are used in the vines. We have been practising biodynamics since 2012, first with the MABD association and subsequently achieving Demeter certification.

… in the cellar

Achieving the desired balance requires choosing the harvest date with the utmost care. This is the moment when the grapes have reached optimal ripeness, which is determined by taste and sight: by tasting the berries and assessing the balance between, on the one hand, sugar and acidity, and, on the other, colour, tannins and aromas. What follows is a matter of sorting. The grapes are meticulously sorted by the bunch by our trained pickers. Rigorous standards are applied at every stage.

At Domaine de Prapin, Lucie and Pierre – who are winemakers, farmers and, in Pierre’s case, an oenologist – produce and age their wines using traditional, natural and creative methods to ensure high-quality wines whilst preserving tradition. With the utmost care taken with the soil and the vines, our wines reflect the terroir of the Lyonnais terraces. Pierre and Lucie are always in pursuit of finesse, precision and elegance.

The history of the Prapin estate: Lucie tells you all about it

“In 1890, the first vines were planted at the Prapin estate in Taluyers following the phylloxera crisis. Recognising the potential of this exceptional terroir in the Coteaux du Lyonnais, my family continued to plant vines and fruit trees. In the 1950s, my grandfather François Jullian and my great-grandfather Charles Jullian cultivated 5 hectares of Gamay. They would deliver the oak barrels by cart to the bistros in Givord. In 1976, my father Henri Jullian took over the family estate, which comprised 9 hectares of mixed farming, including 5 hectares of vines. My father became passionate solely about viticulture, so he almost doubled the size of the vineyard in the Coteaux du Lyonnais, planting 7 hectares of red Gamay and 2 hectares of Chardonnay. He bottled his first wine that same year. In 1989, my mother, Sylvie Jullian, joined my father. They built the tasting cellar, which became the cornerstone of their direct sales. Henri wanted to stop using herbicides and turned to environmentally friendly practices. By 2009, it was clear to the whole family that the vines were in the process of converting to organic farming, and we began practising biodynamics in 2012. I returned to the Lyon region in 2016 to work with the vines and wines of my childhood. Pierre Rivière, my husband, a winemaker and oenologist from a family of Beaujolais winegrowers in Lachassagne, joined the estate in 2020. Together, we have chosen to pass on our values and raise our children on the estate.” (source: Domaine de Prapin)

A few photos of the Prapin estate