CHANRION 2019 COTE DE BROUILLY

KERMIT LYNCH WINE MERCHANT - ôte-de-Brouilly is one of the oldest vine-growing sites of the Beaujolais region—viticulture is thought to have taken off in the eleventh century, and today all flanks of this ancient volcano are covered with vines. In addition to its slope and range of sun exposures, the Côte is remarkable for its soils: whereas most cru Beaujolais is grown on decomposed granite, the volcanism here produced bluish stones more similar to schist, giving wines with a notable mineral crunch and gunflint-like aroma. Having taken over the family domaine in 1988, Nicole Chanrion works seven hectares of Gamay on the northern face of the mount. Her impressive career, during which she served as president of the Côte-de-Brouilly AOC, has even earned her the nickname La Pâtronne de la Côte. The title “Boss of the Côte” is well merited, as this 2019 attests: pure, driven, stony, and incredibly delicious, her wines are not to be taken lightly. —Anthony Lynch