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2020 Beaujolais-Villages “Les Grandes Terres”
Quentin HarelIf you’re looking for a fun experiment that requires drinking plenty of Beaujolais, please consider the following: get a bottle of each of the three wines on this page, pop the corks, and enjoy a comparative tasting. I’ll bet you’ll want to dive into the crystal-clear purity of Lake Breton. I’ve got a hunch you’ll be seduced by the dark side of Foillard’s force. And I guarantee you’ll do a double take of Harel’s “Grandes Terres” (be sure to taste it last). Why? I’ll let you in on a little secret: the “Grandes Terres” parcel is an old field blend with Pinot Noir, a few old Swiss varieties, and some teinturier vines hidden amongst the Gamay. Not too many of course, but just enough to add another dimension, some complexity, and some stuffing to this turducken that makes it stand out and, most important of all, fun to drink!
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Beaujolais Villages |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Quentin Harel |
Winemaker: | Quentin Harel |
Vineyard: | 7 to 70 years, 40 years average; 3 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged 12 months in 70 hL cement tank and 20 hl enamel tank |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 IGP Comte Rhodanien Pinot Noir
France | Beaujolais
February Club Gourmand ~ In the Beaujolais spirit, it is uncomplicated and fruit-forward, with aromas of fresh berries and turned earth—a charming Pinot to be uncorked on a whim.
2021 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
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This Fleurie beautifully combines high-toned finesse with a potent depth. Can a wine be delicately intense?
2021 Morgon “Charmes - Infusion”
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This classic, cool-weather vintage of Quentin Harel’s one hectare holding in Morgon spends three months macerating in concrete amphora. The result is a distinct softening of its crunchy, mineral-laced bramble.
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Perle de Gamay”
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Notes of stones, pear, and citrus... Enjoy as a refreshing, mineral apéritif or alongside your favorite fresh seafood.
2021 Morgon Tradition
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When you don’t know what your hosts are serving for dinner and they’re fun and friendly people, bring this juicy, silky, and minerally old-school Beaujolais and know you'll be invited back.
2022 Beaujolais
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This Beaujolais offers the drinkability of the most effusive Morgons with the frankness of a chiseled Moulin-à-Vent.
2022 Régnié “En Voiture Simone”
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The high-toned nose suggests an absolutely electric wine, full of delicate florals and tart berries, and the juice hits the palate like a dreamy cloud of Gamay.
2021 Côte de Brouilly
France | Beaujolais
For lovers of old-fashioned Beaujolais in all its elegant, high-toned, terroir-driven glory.
2021 Brouilly “Reverdon”
France | Beaujolais
The 2021 vintage proved an elegant one for Thivin’s Brouilly, with all the suppleness and tonicity you’d expect from this storied estate.
2021 Juliénas
France | Beaujolais
With loads of fresh Gamay fruit, it flows over the palate with a juicy buoyancy that simply makes it hard to resist.
About The Producer
Quentin Harel
About The Region
Beaujolais
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.
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2022 Beaujolais Rosé
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2021 Beaujolais Blanc “Terrain Rouge”
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2022 Beaujolais
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2021 Régnié “Grain & Granit”
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2021 Fleurie
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2021 Côte de Brouilly
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2022 Beaujolais Blanc “Clos de Rochebonne”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.