2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non MutéAntoine-Marie Arena
France | Corsica
$57
Producers
Enough beating around the bush: Nicole Chanrion’s Côte-de-Brouilly is not only among the best values in Beaujolais, it should be on any list of best quality, too. No, I’m not exaggerating or making a sales pitch. Highly delicious and strongly evocative of its terroir, it can be carelessly quaffed in its youth but will hold up for fifteen years easily, its lively fruit gradually giving way to a deep complexity and gutsy structure. By sticking to a time-tested formula—hand-harvested old-vine fruit, whole-cluster fermentation with native yeasts, old foudres, and (you guessed it) no filtration—Nicole creates some of the most honest and affordable cru Beaujolais on the market. Her monumental 2015 is still fresh as a daisy, its impressive nose of spices and fresh fruit supported by thick, chewy tannins and a flinty minerality.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Côte-de-Brouilly |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Nicole Chanrion |
Winemaker: | Nicole Chanrion |
Vineyard: | 50 years, 3.5 ha |
Soil: | Schist, Porphyry |
Aging: | Ages for at least nine months before an unfiltered bottling |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais | Côte-de-Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
After years of the region’s reputation being co-opted by mass-produced Beaujolais Nouveau and the prevalence of industrial farming, the fortunes of vignerons from the Beaujolais have been on the rise in the past couple of decades. Much of this change is due to Jules Chauvet, a prominent Beaujolais producer who Kermit worked with in the 1980s and arguably the father of the natural wine movement, who advocated not using herbicides or pesticides in vineyards, not chaptalizing, fermenting with ambient yeasts, and vinifying without SO2. Chief among Chauvet’s followers was Marcel Lapierre and his three friends, Jean Foillard, Guy Breton, and Jean-Paul Thévenet—a group of Morgon producers who Kermit dubbed “the Gang of Four.” The espousal of Chauvet’s methods led to a dramatic change in quality of wines from Beaujolais and with that an increased interest and appreciation for the AOC crus, Villages, and regular Beaujolais bottlings.
The crus of Beaujolais are interpreted through the Gamay grape and each illuminate the variety of great terroirs available in the region. Distinguishing itself from the clay and limestone of Burgundy, Beaujolais soils are predominantly decomposed granite, with pockets of blue volcanic rock. The primary vinification method is carbonic maceration, where grapes are not crushed, but instead whole clusters are placed in a tank, thus allowing fermentation to take place inside each grape berry.
Much like the easy-going and friendly nature of many Beaujolais vignerons, the wines too have a lively and easy-drinking spirit. They are versatile at table but make particularly good matches with the local pork sausages and charcuterie. Though often considered a wine that must be drunk young, many of the top crus offer great aging potential.
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais | Morgon
Domaine Diochon France | Beaujolais | Moulin-à-Vent
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais | Régnié
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais | Régnié
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Quentin Harel France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais Villages
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais | Morgon
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais | Fleurie
Quentin Harel France | Beaujolais | Morgon
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa