By country :: France :: Beaujolais
A summer barbecue in the sunshine with good friends is the perfect accompaniment to a light, fruity, very slightly chilled Beaujolais. Gamay is undoubtedly the region's flagship grape variety, although a small amount of white Beaujolais is also produced, using Chardonnay or Aligoté. The vast majority of Beaujolais should be drunk in its youth, and its juicy fruitiness comes from a process during vinification known as carbonic maceration, which encourages the fruit flavours, rather than tannins, to the fore. There are certain Beaujolais, however, that do show the ability to age wonderfully.
There are five different classifications of Beaujolais: Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais, Beaujolais Supérieur, Beaujolais-Villages and 10 Beaujolais Crus.
Found 7 products.
Beaujolais Villages, Domaine de la Plaigne, 2010Our price: £11.65This is a very small, independent estate off only 13 hectares owned by Cecile and Giles Roux. From their base in the picturesque village of Regnié, they produce fruity Beaujolais created in a very traditional method, with a minimal amount of intervention in the winery. As a result, their wines contain all of the juicy, red fruit characters that you would expect from a quality, well produced Beaujolais.
Brouilly 'La Croix des Rameaux', Domaine Lapalu, 2010Our price: £25.95Grapes here are hand-picked and sorted, loaded by conveyor to avoid damage and given neither SO2 nor cultured yeasts during fermentation. During maceration, a wooden grill is used to keep the skins submerged and thus enhance extraction. The wine stays for at least 6 months on its fine lees, gaining power and complexity. And yet the Brouillys are neither heavy nor clumsy and one could easily imagine them ageing 10 - 15 years. The Vieilles Vignes Brouilly is a combination of two cuvées, one made by carbonic maceration, the other a traditional vinification with destemmed grapes. The two cuvées are then blended after malolactic fermentation and spend the winter in stainless steel tanks. Croix des Rameaux, from beautifully exposed prime parcels of 80 year old vines and aged in 3 -5 year old barriques, displays a wonderfully wild nose of leather, tar and red cherry, and palate-punching dark fruits. Stylistically it seems to straddle Burgundy and the Rhône.
Brouilly Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Lapalu, 2010Our price: £19.60Grapes here are hand-picked and sorted, loaded by conveyor to avoid damage and given neither SO2 nor cultured yeasts during fermentation. During maceration, a wooden grill is used to keep the skins submerged and thus enhance extraction. The wine stays for at least 6 months on its fine lees, gaining power and complexity. And yet the Brouillys are neither heavy nor clumsy and one could easily imagine them ageing 10 - 15 years. The Vieilles Vignes Brouilly is a combination of two cuvées, one made by carbonic maceration, the other a traditional vinification with destemmed grapes. The two cuvées are then blended after malolactic fermentation and spend the winter in stainless steel tanks. Croix des Rameaux, from beautifully exposed prime parcels of 80 year old vines and aged in 3 -5 year old barriques, displays a wonderfully wild nose of leather, tar and red cherry, and palate-punching dark fruits. Stylistically it seems to straddle Burgundy and the Rhône.
Fleurie Vieilles Vignes 'Le Vivier', Domaine Lardy, 2011Our price: £12.95Generally Fleurie is all about juiciness and elegance, and this wine produced by Lucien is no exception. Lucien waxes lyrical about the terroir and to prove his point he has recently bought vineyards in other ‘climats’ of the Fleurie appellation such as ‘La Madonne’.
Fleurie Vieilles Vignes 'Le Vivier', Domaine Lardy, 2011 (half bottle)Our price: £7.55Generally Fleurie is all about juiciness and elegance, and this wine produced by Lucien is no exception. Lucien waxes lyrical about the terroir and to prove his point he has recently bought vineyards in other ‘climats’ of the Fleurie appellation such as ‘La Madonne’.
Gamay, Raisins Gaulois, Marcel Lapierre, 2012, Organic/NaturalOur price: £12.75Marcel and Mathieu Lapierre - Organic
Moulin à Vent, Domaine Lardy, 2009Our price: £13.50Generally Fleurie is all about juiciness and elegance, and this wine produced by Lucien is no exception. Lucien waxes lyrical about the terroir and to prove his point he has recently bought vineyards in other ‘climats’ of the Fleurie appellation such as ‘La Madonne’.
