Address
316 West Geer St, Suite A, Durham, NC 27701
Hours
Mon. Closed
Tue. - Thu. 11am - 9pm
Fri. & Sat. 11am - 10pm
Sun. 11am - 8pm
Downtown Durham's neighborhood bottle shop and wine bar offering curbside pickup, local delivery, and shipping to 43 states.
Free Delivery in Durham & Chapel Hill
with a $120 Minimum Order.
Raleigh, Cary, Hillsborough and Surrounding
zip codes minimum $200.
We cannot ship to ND, SD, NH, UT, MS, PA, or KY. email info@louelladurham.com for shipping options
Intuition comes from the 2.5-hectare Les Grandes Vignes vineyard at 350 meters on sandy-granitic soil with southern exposure. It is an extraordinarily reclaimed ancient Roman vineyard located near Vernosc-lès-Annonay, on the plateau above the Rhône valley, where Nicolas Badel spent time during the summer as a child. The site holds special importance to him, as he would find wild vines and old Roman coins while exploring the area with his family. Les Grandes Vignes is incredibly unique from the rest of the Rhône valley. Instead of an industrial corridor, it is a bucolic setting, surrounded by scrubby woodland, high above the river in an exceptionally pristine, natural environment. Nicolas calls his wine Intuition because of the emotional connection he felt to the place growing up, as well as the wild vines he observed growing in the area. Subsequently, he planted the vineyard primarily to syrah, with a tiny amount of co-planted viognier.
Nicolas likes to explain that his wine-making is non-formulaic: adapting it to each vintage’s unique conditions. The essence of his philosophy is to make terroir and finesse-driven wines that are pure, precise, clean, and transparent. Intuition is well-structured, yet also approachable and easy to drink.
Vintage – 2016 was a lighter vintage that gave wines of great elegance, freshness, and detail. Far from underripe, 2016 produced wines of good depth, with a strong acid backbone, and ample energy. Yields were healthy but not excessive, so there’s no lack of fruit concentration to the vintage.
Vinification – After a manual harvest, the grapes are destemmed. The wine is then fermented spontaneously with natural yeasts in cement tanks, with a 20 day maceration on the skins. It was then aged for nine months in a combination of three, four, and five-year-old Burgundy barrels. No sulfur was added during the vinification process, only a small amount at bottling.
LouElla is Downtown Durham's neighborhood bottle shop, bar, and event space offering curated wine, craft beer, and fortified selections from family operated producers. The business takes its name and mission from owner and proprietor Campbell Davis's Great Aunt LouElla who was much beloved for her warmth, hospitality, and generous spirit. Whether we are serving you at the bar or helping you pick that perfect bottle to host your celebration, our mission is to share LouElla's hospitality with the community.
Campbell Davis
Owner & Manager
For Cam Davis, LouElla is the culmination of more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality and beverage industry. Cam has successfully managed some of Durham’s finest locally and nationally recognized establishments, including Hutchin's Garage, Guglhupf, Rue Cler, and Durham Catering Company. He brings a wealth of wine and beverage knowledge, not only from his extensive restaurant experience, but also from his tenure as Durham Sales Manager for wine distributor Bordeaux, Fine and Rare.
Hours
Mon. Closed
Tue. - Thu. 11am - 9pm
Fri. & Sat. 11am - 10pm
Sun. 11am - 8pm