Terres Dorees Morgon Beaujolais 2021

Country: France

Region: Beaujolais

Type: Red Wine

Grape: Gamay

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.  

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.

This is 100% Gamay from the Bellevue lieu-dit in Morgon near the Côte du Py. The vines are planted on a slight, south-facing slope on sandy, schistous, granitic soils. Harvest is done by hand. As for all Terres Dorées wines, the vinification is traditional Burgundian: the bunches are destemmed and fermented with native yeasts and without sulfur in concrete tank. The maceration lasts around 4 weeks. The wine is aged in concrete for 6-8 months and bottled with a light filtration and minimal sulfur. 

Medium to full-bodied, juicy, with firm structure and notes of cherries, plums and berries.