2017 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”Domaine Les Pallières
France | Southern Rhône
$40
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Long gone are the days of thin, insipid, overly processed juice from evil co-ops; today’s Beaujolais is the product of conscientious farming and natural winemaking by passionate individuals dedicated to showing off the charms of their beloved region.
Made in this way, Beaujolais Nouveau becomes a wine of explosive deliciousness. Just think—over the course of a mere two months, these grapes went from idling bunches hanging from the vine to a juicy elixir that will inspire song, dance, and overall merriment throughout an entire nation, not to mention us Nouveau disciples across the Atlantic.
You can expect the 2019 Nouveau from Ghislaine Dupeuble to be made in the domaine’s usual, stereotype-shattering style—estate-grown, hand-harvested, naturally fermented, and unfiltered. This is Nouveau worth celebrating.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Beaujolais |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Domaine Dupeuble |
Winemaker: | Stéphane Dupeuble |
Vineyard: | 50 - 100 years, 42 ha |
Soil: | Granite, Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
Domaine Dupeuble France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Domaine Diochon France | Beaujolais | Moulin-à-Vent
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Chiroubles
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
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.
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais | Fleurie
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Chiroubles
Quentin Harel France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais Villages
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais | Côte-de-Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171
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
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