2015 Puligny-Montrachet “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
Tasting through the five massive oak foudres residing in Nicole Chanrion’s cellar always offers a sweeping view of the Côte de Brouilly and its various terroirs. Made from several parcels along the northern and eastern sides of this imposing hill, the wines range from perfumed, floral charmers to dense, tannic beasts that emanate the gunflinty minerality typical of the Côte’s rocky blue soils.
The blend of all five always proves the most compelling, the wines complementing each other like pieces to a delectable puzzle. The latest edition exudes lovely whiffs of violets and spice, gradually building weight on the palate before culminating in a chewy finish replete with stones and some more spice.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
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: | 14.5% |
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Chiroubles
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais | Morgon
Domaine Robert-Denogent France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais Villages
Jean-Paul & Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais | Régnié
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.
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais
La Soeur Cadette France | Beaujolais | Juliénas
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais | Morgon
Quentin Harel France | Beaujolais | Morgon
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Brouilly
Quentin Harel France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais Villages
Domaine Robert-Denogent France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais Villages
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais | Juliénas
Jean-Paul & Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais | Morgon
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch
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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