Terres Dorées Cremant de Bourgogne 'Charme' 2020

Country: France

Region: Beaujolais

Type: Sparkling Wine

Grape: Chardonnay

Jean-Paul Brun started Terres Dorées in 1979 with just 4 hectares of vines in Charnay in the southern Beaujolais, an area which is slightly warmer and more limestone-driven than the more renowned granite-rich cru villages in the northern Beaujolais. Today, the Charnay estate is around 30 acres, but with an additional 15 hectares farmed in the crus.  The farming here is organic, while the cru parcels are farmed sustainably. Harvest is by hand and of well-ripened but not over-ripened fruit, so alcohol levels are generally modest. Jean-Paul is not an adherent of “natural wine” per se, yet is among the most natural of Beaujolais vignerons, deeply committed to purity of expression of fruit and site. He carefully sorts and destems his grapes, uses native yeasts, adds no sulfur aside from a touch at bottling, and ages in a combination of concrete and old oak, varying with vintage and wine.

The wine is made using Methode Champenoise aged 18 months on its lees before the wine is released. It has a green apple and citrus character, with nuances of a chalky minerality making its presence known on the tangy, briny finish.