BEAUJOLAIS/CRU

Nose: very intense, it reveals subtle and varied perfumes. Strawberries aromas are wonderfully blended with blackberry and a note of toasted coffee complexifies this aromatic panel.
Palate: powerful and linear, the palate is supported by elegant tannins. Black fruits flavours invade our senses, long and supple finish with sensations of candied fruits.

BURGHOUND 91 POINTS - "A ripe and overtly peppery mix of red and dark fruit, cut with plenty of earth character. This can also be found on the beautifully rich, seductive and opulent flavors that culminate in a lingering and slightly warm finish, where a hint of bitter cherry pit arises. This should drink well young, yet reward mid-term cellaring as well."

WINE SPECTATOR 90 POINTS - "This is light-bodied but backed by focused acidity and streamlined flavors of pure cherry and raspberry that are tangy and spicy, flanked by white pepper, tea and herb details."

We have long been fans of Chateau Thivin which is a benchmark domaine of the Côte de Brouilly. Thivin consistently produces wines which are utterly delicious and showcase amazing purity of fruit without being heavy.

A visit to this domaine was one of the highlights of our trip to Beaujolais last year. The bucolic scenery and warm hospitality of Claude and his wife made this a memorable stop. The wines perfectly complemented the cheese, charcuterie and pate which were served on a sunny afternoon overlooking the vineyards.

Château Thivin is the oldest estate on Mont Brouilly and was built in the fifteenth century on an ancient volcano which juts out steeply into the valley below. It is one of the historic estates of Beaujolais and consistently produces exceptional examples from the Cru of Côte de Brouilly. Thivin's parcels are predominantly south-facing and are planted entirely with Gamay vines that average 50 years of age. Traditional whole-cluster fermentation maintains the characteristic fruity qualities of Gamay, which is transferred to large neutral oak barrels for aging before bottling.

In 1976, Richard Olney took Kermit Lynch to visit Chateau Thivin on their first wine trip together. It was Olney's top recommendation in the whole of the Beaujolais region. Of course, Kermit is known for his keen eye for quality and soon a relationship was formed and the wines were imported into the U.S. Today, Claude, his wife Evelyne, and their son Claude-Edouard continue the tradition as staunch and proud defenders of the terroir of Brouilly.

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2017 Côte de Brouilly is superb, unfurling in the glass with aromas of ripe cassis, candied violets and plums. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, structured around fine-grained but chewy tannins and tangy balancing acids, with considerable depth and substance at the core. The wine is still quite primary and will need some time to come together, but it's an excellent rendition of this storied cuvée that resembles the 2011 vintage."

We have long been fans of Chateau Thivin which is a benchmark domaine of the Côte de Brouilly. Thivin consistently produces wines which are utterly delicious and showcase amazing purity of fruit without being heavy.

A visit to this domaine was one of the highlights of our trip to Beaujolais last year. The bucolic scenery and warm hospitality of Claude and his wife made this a memorable stop. The wines perfectly complemented the cheese, charcuterie and pate which were served on a sunny afternoon overlooking the vineyards.

Château Thivin is the oldest estate on Mont Brouilly and was built in the fifteenth century on an ancient volcano which juts out steeply into the valley below. It is one of the historic estates of Beaujolais and consistently produces exceptional examples from the Cru of Côte de Brouilly. Thivin's parcels are predominantly south-facing and are planted entirely with Gamay vines that average 50 years of age. Traditional whole-cluster fermentation maintains the characteristic fruity qualities of Gamay, which is transferred to large neutral oak barrels for aging before bottling.

In 1976, Richard Olney took Kermit Lynch to visit Chateau Thivin on their first wine trip together. It was Olney's top recommendation in the whole of the Beaujolais region. Of course, Kermit is known for his keen eye for quality and soon a relationship was formed and the wines were imported into the U.S. Today, Claude, his wife Evelyne, and their son Claude-Edouard continue the tradition as staunch and proud defenders of the terroir of Brouilly.

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WINE ADVOCATE 92+ POINTS - "From a south-facing site near Château Thivin, the 2017 Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Melanie exhibits a deep bouquet of blackberry, wild berries, grilled meat, dark chocolate and licorice. On the palate, it's full-bodied, rich and ample, with a juicy core of fruit, ripe but chewy structuring tannins in abundance and a gourmand, layered profile."

BIODYNAMIC

A precise and intriguing expression of fresh red fruits and red berries on the nose. Delicate, yet complex attack with clean notes of red fruits followed by hints of minerality in the long finish.

Jean-Louis Dutraive represents the fifth generation of Domaine de la Grand’Cour, joining his father at the estate in 1977. The family’s total holdings comprise 10.6 hectares, farmed all organically. Fruit for the 2017 ‘Les Deduits’ comes from old vine plots, vinified in concrete and aged in oak for six months. Dark fruited and fresh, full bright, thirst-quenching acidity and silky tannins; serve slightly chilled with pizza, pasta, or tacos.

Viticulture: No herbacides or pesticides, organically farmed.

Vinification: Traditional vinification without sulfur and with natural yeast at very low temperatures. Carbonic maceration and little or no filtering.

Jean-Louis is a devout practitioner of organic viticulture and the property has been certified by ECOCERT since 2009. Harvest is done by hand and grapes are immediately placed in tank at low temperatures to begin carbonic maceration (without sulfur)
The wines of Jean-Louis Dutraive are some of the most unique aromatically and texturally in all of Beaujolais. One whiff, and the wines display an almost exotic floral and spicy aroma overlayed over lush minerally Gamay fruit, sort of like a top Morey St. Denis 1er or Grand Cru nose combined with earthy, Volnay-like fruit. There is also a textural lushness and exuberance backed up by ample structure and acid. These are substantial Beaujolais, and ones that could certainly stand up to food. They also have the requisite material to develop and evolve over the medium term, i.e. 10-12 years of aging, easily!

Coming from a small vineyard of one acre located in Les Bruyeres near the Cru Fleure in Beaujolais. Handpicked chardonnay, fermented and ged in stainless steel vats. Very fresh and clean and well-balanced to pair with cheese, salad or fish.

In 2011, Yohan LARDY came back to his native village of Fleurie after spending almost one year in Chile working for an estate during harvest and winemaking. Yohan is 27 year old, he obtained a BTS Viti-Oeno in Macon-Davaye, he is completely passionate by winemaking. In 2011, he decided to buy 2 hectares of vines in Moulin à Vent, the lieu-dit "Les Michelons", one of the best terroir of the appellation, on the top of the hill, very steep with a southern exposure. One part of the vines were planted in 1911 and the other part in 1950. 2012 is his first vintage.

This well-balanced wine has typical aromas of violet, roses with an emphasis on fruit, very spicy (cinnamon) and floral notes. The mouth is full, well rounded, displaying berries and cherries notes, roses, a long finish with soft tannins. Pair with grille red meat, lamb legs, games.

We recently tasted this wine and were blown away! The fruit and floral aromatics immediately caught our attention and the fireworks began when we tasted the great purity, balance and freshness of this wine. This collaboration between the historic domaine and the great importer Kermit Lynch is absolutely delicious and represents an insane value.

This Beaujolais drinks like a much more expensive Cru Beaujolais-it's that good!! This is one of those crowd-pleasing wines everybody will enjoy.

Tradition runs deep in the family and the estate perched above a narrow creek in the hamlet of Le Breuil has been in operation since 1512. The 50-100 year old Gamay vines are grown primarily on granite-based soil with the remainder a mix of clay and limestone. The Dupeuble family tends their vineyards without any chemicals or synthetic fertilizers with the grapes harvested manually and vinified completely without SO2. The wines are fermented using natural yeasts and are bottled without filtering to preserve the intensity of flavor.

There are very few wines in the world that can compete with this quality at such a great price. This is one to stock up on and enjoy as your new house red.

This gorgeous red is deep purple in color with riveting aromatics. A farmer's market feast awaits as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries, violets and cinnamon greet the nose. On the palate, this wine is medium-bodied yet layered with a rich, smooth texture. The fruits listed above cascade across the palate with a freshness that has us asking for another glass. A knock out!

ORGANIC -Semi-carbonic maceration with no added sulfer and natural yeast. Vinification occurs in concrete before aging in a combination of stainless steel, neutral Burgundy barrels and demi-muid for 6 months. Wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal SO2 added. Fruit for the 2017 Chiroubles comes from 70 year old parcels, vinified semi-carbonically. Concentrated and balanced, full of lively dark fruit and age-worthy potential.

Certified organic Vineyard

Just below the family's monopole Le Clos about 300 meters down the hill lies the terroir "Champagne." Approximately, 1.5 hectares of low yielding 70 to over 100 year old Gamay. The town considers this one of the finest terroirs in Fleurie.
As with all of Dutraive's vineyards, Terroir Champagne is organically farmed and worked by hand.
Carbonic maceration with no added sulfer and natural yeast.
Aging- one year in futs de chene (barrel). approximately 25% new.
Production 500 cases
Notes - Beaujolais like this is worth seeking out immediately.

Breton’s domaine is comprised of three hectares (only 7.2 acres), eighty percent of which lies in the appellation of Morgon, around the village of Villié-Morgon. The vines range in age from 8 to 80 years, with the 80-year-old vines dedicated to the “Vieilles Vignes” cuvée. Guy’s property is located in the microclimates “Saint-Joseph” and “Grand Cras,” where the naturally low pH of the soil creates favorable conditions for Breton’s sulfur-free vinification.

JAMES SUCKLING 92 POINTS: "A bright and fun red with granite and dark-berry aromas as well as dried strawberries. Medium-bodied, fresh and clean. Hints of citrus underneath. Drink now."

VINOUS 93 POINTS: "Brilliant violet. A highly complex bouquet evokes fresh red berries and cherries, along with suggestions of pungent flowers, minerals and Asian spices. Silky and focused on the palate, offering sweet, seamless black raspberry and floral pastille flavors underscored by a smoky mineral element. Gentle tannins come in slowly on the strikingly long finish, which shows excellent clarity and leaves behind sappy red fruit and lavender notes."

The wine is classic Foillard: smooth and seductive, with rose petals, red cherry, and a granite crunch to remind you of the noblesse of these slopes. Featuring vines from the communes of Lancié, Saint-Amour, Saint-Jean-d’Ardières, Perréon, and Régnié-Durette, this is the real Beaujolais-Villages, further set apart from simpler Beaujolais by the touch of a master vigneron.

Jean-Louis' “sans soufre” bottling immediately overflows with soft, beautiful exotic red and yellow fruits that comfortably rest on fresh, striking acidity. It is the most charming and perhaps the least serious wine in the range only due to its shorter drinking window. Jean-Louis is candid about the need to drink this wine within a 6-8 hour period as the wine has a wonderfully high peak of drinking. However, without SO2 the wines loses a good portion of its charm the next day. It is a rare and wonderful wine.
All of Jean-Louis’ wines are made with whole clusters, zero extraction and natural fermentations. They are made from a combination of nearly perfect farming and zen-like observation. The elevage of this wine is 60% in stainless steel and 40% in futs de chene (barrel).
Terroir: Just on the north side of the domaine, this vineyard is on a gentle slope facing north. The soil is decomposed granite that is slightly deeper than most sections of the Clos de la Coeur; in fact, it is the deepest soil in his roster of vines. It is also the coolest site, thus rendering wines with greater acidity. This combination of higher natural acidity and a cooler terroir is the reason why he chooses this site to bottle a wine completely free of Sulfur.