GRANDES MISES
SAINT-AMOUR 2022
Grape varietal
Black Gamay with white juice.
Tasting notes
This great wine from the Beaujolais area shows a ruby red dress with violet reflections and aromas of black fruit (cherry) and iris to the nose. In the mouth, it is spicy, with complex aromas, an ample structure, silky tannins and a fine long finish.
Serving suggestions
It would be recommended to appreciate this wine quite fresh, between 15 and 18°C. (59-64°F.), in order to be seduced by the complexity of its aromas.
Food and wine pairing
Poultry with cream and morrels pairs perfectly with this Saint-Amour.
Ageing potential
This Saint-Amour is full of charm in its youth. It can also be aged more than 5 years.
Origins
We all recognise that this most Northern Cru bears a name which is gentle to the ear and to the heart. It is the wine of poets and lovers. If it did not exist, life would be a little less charming. The village of Saint Amour gives its name to this wine. Before that, a long time ago during Gallo-Roman times, a centurion named Amor belonging to the Thébaine Legion, stationed in the Valais region of Switzerland and famous for his Christian faith suffered martyrdom. In all evidence, the ways of lovers, with their pleasures and sorrows, are rarely easy. Today the wine of Saint Amour shows two faces, according to the soil composition and indeed the vinification technique.
Terroir
The slighty slopes are the results of a strong alteration of old rocks. The extraordinary diversity of this cru can be explained by the presence of the two juxtaposed flaws: the limestone and the granitic soils.
Vine and soil
Vineyard age: 47 years old.
Yield: 56 hectoliters per hectar.
A rigorous plot selection is made on single estate.
Vines are planted on sandy soil, with old pebbly soils.They are pruned « en gobelet ». They are managed with substainable farming methods. It gives a extraordinary complexity to the Gamay wine!
Vinification and maturing
Harvest started the last week of August 2022.
The Gamay grapes were collected by our partner-growers, and then placed, with 100% whole bunches (without destemming), in concrete vats by gravity for a “Burgundy-style” vinification. Maceration lasted around 12-15 days with cap-punching, over-pumping and racking.
According to the plot selection, each cuvee was vinified separately. The wine was then aged in tank on fine lies.
A first bottling was made in May 2023 with a light filtration: 24,133 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
- February 2024 : Silver medal - MUNDUS VINI
