CÔTE-DE-BROUILLY 2022
GRANDES MISES
Grape varietal
Black Gamay with white juice.
Tasting notes
Deep purple in colour, with violins reflections.
The nose shows pleasant spices and small fruits flavours such as blackcurrant and blueberry.
The mouth, dominated by ripe black fruits aromas reveals a nice balance and silky tannins. A rich and generous wine with an impressive long finish.
Serving suggestions
Serve ideally at a temperature of 15°C to 18°C. (59-65°F.).
Food and wine pairing
A good match with old-fashionned chicken-liver gateau or meat/poultry dishes in sauce, such as duck magrets, or with goat cheese.
Ageing potential
A wine full of charm and vivacity in its youth. It will develop finesse and elegance after several years (3 to 8 years).
Origins
The appellation “Côte-de-Brouilly” was first authorised in 1934 with the vineyard owners on the Brouilly hillside concerned that the wine would lose its identity with the recent extension of the “Broully” appellation. Côte-de-Brouilly is considered richer and more structured in style than Brouilly.
Terroir
The vineyard, situated totally on the steep slopes of Mount Brouilly is at 400 metres and faces South- West.
It is on granite and very hard schist, of blue colour referred to ask “diorites”.
Mount Brouilly is a former volcano dating back to the Primary era.
Vine and soil
Age of Vines: 56 years-old.
Yield: 52 hectolitres per hectare.
Plots: From a selected vineyard situated at the base of the steep Mont Brouilly slopes, with a rigorous selection on the property of the partner-grower. The vineyard faces East but benefits from fine sunshine thanks to the rounded hillside. The vines are pruned “en gobelet” and managed with sustainable farming methods.
Vinification and maturing
The gamay grapes from this plot were harvested during the last week of August 2022.
Burgundy-style vinification: The grapes were not destemmed before being placed in a concrete vat by gravity.
Maceration for around 15 days with frequent over-pumping. The temperature was maintained at 28°C. (82,4°F.), to extract the colour and the fruit, for the necessary suppleness and sweetness to counter-balance the very mineral terroir.
The wine was then matured and aged in vat on fine lies.
Bottled in June 2023 after a very light filtration.
9 533 bottles in total.
Vintage : 2022
Rainfall in June was highly variable from one area to another. In the south of Beaujolais, where most of the Chardonnays are concentrated, there was little rain, unlike the north, where the crus are located.
The intense heat of July and August accelerated the ripening process for the Gamay grapes. The harvest was characterised by great disparity between the plots. Some grapes did not withstand these extreme conditions and lost a lot of juice, while others resisted them exceptionally well. Several factors explain these divisions such as the heavily drained soil, the exposure, and the age and yield on the vine. There was little difference between the early and late sectors.
The harvest took place from 23 August to 10 September. Volumes were lower throughout the appellation, but the quality was good.
This year we have focused on de-stemming with long macerations to enhance the wine's elegance. Naturally, our traditional semi-carbonated vinification with whole grapes is still used to extract the aromatic finesse of the Gamay grapes, as well as some hot pre-fermentative maceration to extract as much colour as possible from the grapes that suffered the most from the drought.
The wines are beautifully concentrated with a lovely volume in the mouth. Tannins are prominent. Tasting is a real pleasure. The nose and palate reveal raspberry and cherry liqueur aromas, smooth blueberry cream accompanied by violets, dark chocolate and pear.
Awards
- May 2024 : 90 points - JamesSuckling.com
