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2020 Beaujolais-Villages “Les Grandes Terres”

Quentin Harel
Discount Eligible $22.00
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If 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


Technical Information
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%

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About The Region

Beaujolais

map of 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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