2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
Producers
Vézelay, a small Chardonnay appellation in northern Burgundy, has a marginal climate that can give growers serious headaches. The 2016 vintage epitomized these challenges, as a devastating frost in late April severely affected the harvest to come. Valentin Montanet of La Sœur Cadette reported losses up to 80%—truly catastrophic for a small-scale producer. With most of Burgundy ravaged by frost, Valentin looked to the south to purchase grapes in order to supplement what remained of his harvest. This decision also gave him a chance to vinify Beaujolais, an idea he had long entertained, and one that has brought him great joy since he launched the project in 2016.
Now, several years into his Beaujolais venture, Valentin has learned a few tricks about working with Gamay. While his first vintages had a more "Burgundian" personality—elegant, thought-provoking—his latest vintage makes it hard to tell he hasn't been making Beaujolais his whole life. His 2019 Juliénas, sourced from an organically farmed vineyard on granite soil, is textbook cru Beaujolais: very aromatic with loads of fresh Gamay fruit, it flows over the palate with a juicy buoyancy that simply makes it hard to resist.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Gamay |
Appellation: | Juliénas |
Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Producer: | Domaine de la Cadette |
Vineyard: | 30-45 years, 2.5 ha |
Soil: | Granite |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Domaine de la Cadette France | Burgundy | Bourgogne
La Soeur Cadette France | Burgundy | Bourgogne
Domaine de la Cadette France | Burgundy | Vézelay
Domaine de la Cadette France | Burgundy | Bourgogne
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais | Régnié
Quentin Harel 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 | Chiroubles
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais | Côte-de-Brouilly
Jean Foillard France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
Alex Foillard France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet France | Beaujolais | Régnié
Nicole Chanrion France | Beaujolais | Côte-de-Brouilly
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Beaujolais-Villages
Guy Breton France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais | Côte de Brouilly
Domaine Chignard France | Beaujolais | Fleurie
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
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