Château de La Chaize, Beaujolais, makes stunning debut at JN Wine Tasting in Cork's Hayfield Manor

Château de La Chaize, Beaujolais, makes stunning debut at JN Wine Tasting in Cork's Hayfield Manor

Albane, with Richard of JN Wine.

Great to chat with Albane Lussat, Head of Sales at the fabulous Château de La Chaize (in the southern part of Beaujolais) at this week's JN Wine tasting in Hayfield Manor. It was her first visit to Cork and she explained that this is their first year with James Nicholson Wines. As we spoke, I tasted five of the wines, one white (2024), the others red (all 2023) except for the amazing 2020 Clos de La Chaize, a monopole*.

As Albane said the Gamay grape is not really associated with ageing but this wine certainly indicates that it may well have more potential than previously thought. The fruit comes from the small clos** which is just behind the chateau and was laid out around the same time that La Chaize was built. The plot is exposed to the East and gets the sun early. Its granite soil, that the Gamay grape loves, gives elegance and length to the wines.

The wine is not produced every year. The winemaker waits for a good one and then selects the very best of the fruit. While the first four wines were started in stainless steel, the Clos was in concrete. It then spent twenty months in oak and the results are stunning.

I had started with the easy-drinking Beaujolais Blanc (2024). It is 100% Chardonnay (as you’d expect here). My first bottle was a delightful indication of the quality to come.

The first of the reds was the Fleurie lieu dit "La Chapelle Des Bois” 2023. Small single plots provided the fruit here. It is organic. The 9 months in large casks has added complexity but, as Albane pointed out, there is no impact from the wood on this delightful red. Fleurie is one of my favourite crus in the area and this is likely to become my favourite Fleurie.

The reds continued to impress. I had their Brouilly Lieu-dit "La Chaize"  Monopole (2023) now in hand. Fifteen months in oak, large vats again, had added even more complexity. The fruit, raspberries and cherries, subtle rather than blatant, but it has lightness and freshness. One to note!

Then we were on to their Côtes de Brouilly Lieu-dit “Chavennes” 2023. The small parcel, at a height of 500m, is composed of pink granite and also blue volcanic soil. The wine is aged for 18 months, again in large casks (foudres). Fruity aromas follow through to the well balanced palate and there’s a lengthy finish. A beautiful expression of the Gamay. 

Château de La Chaize, has been a family-run wine-producing estate for 350 years! Jules Hardouin-Mansart was engaged to build the chateau. He was Louis XIV’s favourite architect and the man behind the most famous architectural creations of the king’s reign. An icon of French Classicism during the late 17th century, his work included the Trianon at Versailles. Construction of La Chaize began in 1674. It is now classified as a French Historic Monument.

* A walled area.

**In wine, monopole in wine refers to a vineyard or an entire appellation controlled exclusively by a single winery or owner. A monopole can be large or small and that one winemaker controls everything from farming to bottling. 

Bloom, the tasting venue in the Hayfield Manor.

Welcome to the Hayfield Manor.

Frédéric Berne Beaujolais Lantignié Granit Rose ,with "an exuberant red fruit character"

Frédéric Berne Beaujolais Lantignié (AC) Granit Rose 2022, 13% ABV

RRP €29.95: Barnhill Stores; La Touche Wines; The Corkscrew; Ely Wine Store; Wineonline.

"an exuberant red fruit character"

Pink granite is a much-prized soil in Beaujolais because it gives its ultra-compatible grape, the Gamay, a boost that contributes to the highly aromatic and soft quality of the wines. And that is indeed the case with our fresh and vibrant Lantignié. The Gamay is one of my favourite grapes, and I’m happy to give this a Very Highly Recommended. It may not yet be a cru wine of the region, but you can taste why wine-maker Frédéric says that Lantignié (close to the crus of Régnié and Chiroubles) has the potential to become the eleventh cru of Beaujolais. 

It was quite a good year in the region, and the resulting wines showed lovely aromatics and good levels of acidity. In colour, it is a light to medium ruby colour. On the nose are those vivid red berry aromas. The palate is fresh and supple with fine tannins and a lifted acidity. There are flavours of raspberry and cherry with floral notes on the lingering finish. It is medium-bodied with a soft texture, approachable and enjoyable.

Importers Liberty tell us that Frédéric set up his own vineyard in 2013. Inspired by the diversity of the granite soils in Lantignié (close to the crus of Régnié and Chiroubles), Frédéric established himself in the heart of the village on the grounds of Château de Vergers. He is firmly committed to highlighting what he calls “the many faces of Gamay” in his wines..

The 10 Crus of Beaujolais refer to the ten specific wine-growing regions within the Beaujolais Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée. Each cru has its own distinct characteristics, influenced by the terroir, climate, and winemaking techniques. These wines are typically made from the Gamay grape. The ten are: Juliénas,  Saint-Amour, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Côte-de-Brouilly and Brouilly.  M. Berne strongly believes that Lantignié has the potential to become the eleventh cru of Beaujolais. 

"Why don’t we see more Chardonnays from Beaujolais?" Dominique Morel Beaujolais-Villages Blanc.

Dominique Morel Beaujolais-Villages Blanc (AC) Chardonnay 2022, 12.5% ABV, 

RRP €23.95. Stockists: The Cinnamon Cottage; JJ O’Driscoll Superstore Ballinlough; Higgins Off Licence; wineonline.ie

"Why don’t we see more Chardonnays from Beaujolais?"

The colour of this Beaujolais Chardonnay is a lovely mid-gold, pristine in the glass. The vibrant aromatics feature blossom and citrus. On the palate, it is sprightly and crisp, light and fresh, nicely acidic. 

This fresh unoaked beauty is a wine with much to offer, including an elegant finish. With good fruit and acidity and moderate alcohol, it is quite versatile at the table, well endowed with the potential to feature as a terrific house wine in a restaurant.

One of the best Chardonnays around and Very Highly Recommended.

So why don’t we see more Chardonnays from Beaujolais? Mainly because the growers concentrate on the Gamay grape whose red wines are so much sought after. 

At the same time, there is a fair bit of Chardonnay grown here. Indeed, Jean Bourjade, then MD Inter Beaujolais, told a Cork audience in 2016 that as the Macon overlaps Beaujolais, many white wines made in northern Beaujolais are sold under the better-known Mâcon appellation.” Just to underline the point, Mâcon is less than a 25 minute drive from Émeringes where Morel ia based.

Ten years ago Christine and Dominique started on the adventure of exploring the possibilities of white in a region that is devoted to red. Importers Liberty tell us that the Blanc is made from Chardonnay planted on granitic-clay soil, producing a wine with distinct freshness and excellent fruit concentration. 

The grapes are gently pressed and fermented in stainless-steel tanks, to preserve delicate fruit aromas. All work in the vineyard, including harvesting, is done by hand. The vines are an average of 15 years old. The resulting wine then undergoes lees-ageing for four to five months, lending texture and roundness to balance its vibrant acidity.

Morel’s Recommended pairings: Avocados stuffed with prawns, scallops, fish and chicken vol au vents, fish mousse, frogs’ legs, mixed salads, button mushrooms in cream, andouillette with white wine, veal curry, chicken curry. As an aperitif with appetisers. Serve at 10 degrees.

‘Natural and unpretentious’. This beautiful Beaujolais is just like winemaker Karim Vionnet!

‘Natural and unpretentious’. This beautiful Beaujolais is just like winemaker Karim Vionnet!

Vionnet “Du Beur Dans Les Pinards” Beaujolais Villages (AC) 2020, 14% ABV, 

RRP €24.95. Stockists: Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

The fruit for Du Beur dans les Pinards comes from a parcel which belonged to the late Jules Chauvet and the cheeky label is a Michel Tolmer /  Philippe Quesnot creation. 

“Who is Jules Chauvet?”

Chauvet was a Beaujolais wine dealer, winemaker, and wine scientist, who throughout the 1980s mentored the Morgon vigneron Marcel Lapierre and his collaborator Jacques Néauport, prefiguring many of today’s ideas about natural wine. 

From the 1980s, other natural wine heroes such as Breton, Lapierre, Foillard and Thevenet emerged. Our winemaker here Karim Vionnet learned from them and especially from Breton with whom he worked. And he learned well. 

Very Highly Recommended.

I didn’t have to get it into the glass to get the amazing aromatics. They can't wait to meet you and make a merry dancing impression immediately the cork is removed. The colour is a little darker than normal though not around the rim. The juicy red berry character continues on its merry light-footed delicious way across the palate before a long and refreshing Beaujolais finish.

Karim Vionnet started his own production in 2000. He farms his parcels without chemicals and makes his wines without additives and jokes that he makes wines that look like him: ‘Natural and unpretentious’

He certainly learned well from Breton and company and fully deserves a bit of butter on his spinach (Du beur means a North African and there is a bit of wordplay going on with beurre the French for butter and Vionnet’s first name). Must get Pascal at le Caveau to explain it better when next we meet.

Karim’s parcels are located in the villages of Quincié, Beaujeu and Lantignié, on very varied types of soil, ranging from marls, schists, granite and sand. Since 2020, his daughter Noemie has joined the estate, and proud dad Karim hasn’t stopped smiling since. Thanks to Le Caveau for much of this info!

La Cuvée Du Chat Is A Super Beaujolais. "Top notch Beaujolais at its most gluggable"

 La Cuvée Du Chat

 Is A Super Beaujolais

JC Chanudet La Cuvée Du Chat, Vin Du France, 2020, 12%, 

€28.95 Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

"Top notch Beaujolais at its most gluggable"

There is a perceived wisdom that it is good idea to rub a furry animal a day, that owning a pet reduces your risk of heart disease. You may not be able to get your hands on a cat or a dog that quickly - you may not want to -  but this gorgeous wine with its smooth silky mouthfeel could well have an even better outcome for you!

Baudelaire’s cat, the one in the poem, may well have had  “un dangereux parfum” but, while nasally and orally tempting, Chanudet’s La Cuvée du Chat has nothing of menace about it at all. Jean-Claude and Marie Lapierre are highly regarded in organic and natural wine circles (if not necessarily in the wine administration circles) and this bottle shows exactly why.

One word you don’t see on the label is Beaujolais even though this 100% Gamay comes mainly from a cru area. Vin de France indeed! Some table wine for 29 euro, this super Beaujolais.

Colour is the typical light ruby. Pleasant, even modest, aromas of cherry and raspberry. But, like the cat of the poem, it does have something of a sexy backbone. Life in the old cat yet, the fruit harvested from vines of 80 years of age.

Superb soft and deep flavours, nice acidity too and a persistent finish. Eminently digestible, easy drinking, full of palatable pleasure and Very Highly Recommended. 

Sediment noted by the way, so might be worthwhile decanting as young wines often are. As it turned out, the sediment was practically negligible.

The label illustration by Maurice Sinet (died 2016, aged 87) always brings a smile. He was better known as Siné and was a columnist for Charlie Hebdo. 

The beautiful Gamay grapes from these venerable vines are handpicked in October, after which carbonic maceration with natural yeasts occurs in an enamel tank with some pumping over to stimulate activity. The wine is then moved to foudres to rest on lees before finally being bottled with minimal SO2.

Importers Le Caveau continue: After all of that effort we end up with a super supple and velvety wine on the palate with juicy fresh red berry, cherry and blackberry dancing on the tongue. Top-notch Beaujolais at it's most gluggable.

And why no Beaujolais on the label. Because the winemaker Chanudet, like his late father-in-law, has never bothered to obtain “biologique” certification, even though he operates his vineyard organically. He has said that it is not up to the organic winemakers to write “Organic wine” on their labels, but rather to the others to indicate “Chemically-produced wine.”

A Champion Morgon By Chamonard. Opening "always a precious moment"

Champion Morgon By Chamonard

Chamonard Morgon Le Clos de la Lys (AC) 2017, 13%, 

€27.95 Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork 

Domaine Chamonard is a small winery located in the heart of Beaujolais. It produces organic and natural wines from the vineyards it cultivates in Villié-Morgon. I first came across this one at the Le Caveau Portfolio tasting in early 2020. If I had to pick one from the lot that day,  this would have been it!

It comes in the expected pale colour. Aromas are both floral and fruity (raspberry, plum) and a little earthy. It ambushes you on the palate, so rich and intense, the flavours of one of the most fruity of wines and the characteristic acidity going toe to toe and a pleasing balance emerges and the velvety wine heads to a refreshing and lasting finish.

Enjoyed it three years ago and happy to have it now. No dinner this evening (had a big lunch earlier) but the Chamonard is going down well with a simple (lazy!) supper of cheddar and sourdough (from Vinilo of Lismore).

Wine Folly says Gamay is often compared with Pinot Noir (they are related!). “Gamay wines are loved for their delicate floral aromas, subtle earthy notes, and surprising ability to pair with food (even fish!). The best part is, you can find high quality Gamay at a much better price than Pinot Noir.” In the book, they underline its versatility at the table with suggested pairings from “sweet and sour salmon to beef stroganoff or even sesame tempeh”.

Very Highly Recommended.

The Gamay grape, outlawed by Royal decree in 1395  for being “a very bad and disloyal plant”, is now one of the most respected, at least when grown in the Beaujolais region. Morgan is one of ten cru areas here and one of the better known ones. The full list is Chiroubles, Saint Amour, Fleurie, Régnié, Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Juliénas, Chénas, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent.

Importers Le Caveau are big fans of Chamonard: “Opening a bottle of Morgon from Domaine Chamonard is always a precious moment…. From 4 hectares of vines averaging 60 years old, mainly from the best parcels ……..the grapes are hand-harvested in late - October to maximize ripeness and in order to make an intensive selection of only the best fruit. The results of all of this effort is in the bottle, you just need to pull the cork to see for yourself.”

Beaujolais and Vouvray from Barton & Guestier

Beaujolais and Vouvray by Barton & Guestier

The company’s founder Thomas Barton left his native Ireland in the beginning of the 18th century and emigrated to Bordeaux when he was 30 years old. A true adventurer, he founded his wine shipping company in 1725. In 1802 Hugh Barton, his grandson and successor, teamed up with Daniel Guestier, a French trader to create Barton & Guestier, which is today the oldest wine merchant established in Bordeaux. With over three centuries of experience in the wine business, Barton & Guestier is the 1st French brand name known to millions of consumers worldwide.

From the Chartrons area in the center of Bordeaux, barrels and bottles were loaded on board of ships that sailed via the Garonne river to numerous countries, starting with Ireland, England, Holland and the USA to reach over 130 countries at present.

B&G releases wines from across France, produced in partnership with almost 150 winegrowers. It operates on a négociant basis and wines are made at various locations, and are overseen by B&G winemakers. They are very much hands on with their partner winemakers. B&G winemakers monitor all the steps of the process including pruning, harvesting, vinification, ageing, blending and bottling. Of course it has its own vineyards and makes its own wines, most notably at headquarters Chateau Magnol.

Geek Bits

Export to 130 countries;

Bottles exported annually: 16m

Over 150 partner winemakers;

Wines from 23 appellations;

From 20 grape types.

Barton & Guestier “Grand Bouquet” Gamay Beaujolais Villages (AC) 2020,

€16.95 (Findlaters are the importers, the wines are widely available including at Bradleys)

Colour of this Beaujolais Villages from Barton & Gustier is a mid ruby. Aromas are of ripe red fruit (cherry, wild strawberry) with hints of spice and violet in the background. It is also true to type on the palate, juicy and well structured, excellent acidity, those fruits flavours again, and a long finish with liquorice notes. Highly Recommended.

Serve at between 14 and 16 degrees and you’ll find it very versatile. The label recommends pairing with cold meats, grilled poultry and cheese, the winery goes for salads, cold meats, grilled poultry. Fine with steak too by the way. Wine Folly has “all manner of dishes from sweet and sour salmon to beef stroganoff or even sesame tempeh”, on its list.

Beaujolais is just south of Burgundy and the Gamay grape grows well on its decomposing pink granite soils. The crus share most of the granite and their wines (eg Morgan, Fleurie, Saint Amour) are normally best but Beaujolais Villages is often of a very good standard, as you may taste from this one. The fruit for our bottle is from Northern part of the Beaujolais region between Villefranche and Mâcon (about 35 minutes by car), more or less exactly where the crus are.

Barton & Guestier Les Petites Parcelles Vouvray (AC) 2019, 12%, 

€16.95 (Findlaters are the importers, the wines are widely available including at Bradleys)

Very light and bright yellow is the colour of this Vouvray; it is, of course, 100% Chenin Blanc. Delicate aromas of pear and apple as well as even more delicate floral notes. The palate, with fruity flavour (quince and pear), starts a little on the sweet side before finishing closer to dry and reasonably long. A refreshing wine and Highly Recommended.

The makers suggest it as an aperitif and pairing it with smoked fish, Asian dishes, creamy cheeses,  at a temperature between 8 and 10 C. By the way, Wine Folly endorse the Asian tip saying “you cannot failing pairing Chenin Blanc with Thai or Vietnamese cuisine”.

A vineyard in Vouvray (Clos d'Epinay)

The fruit comes from small plots (the parcelles of the name) located on the hillsides and plateau overlooking the Loire, long known as the royal river as the valley (and its chateaus) was a favourite of the royal family.

Quite a lot of Chenin Blanc its grown in Northern France (from Vouvray to Saumur) but South Africa (in Stellenbosch and Paarl) grows more than any other country with the French second and the USA third.

 

Frédéric Berne's Superb Beaujolais From Lantignié

Frédéric Berne's Superb Beaujolais From Lantignié

*********

Frédéric Berne Beaujolais Lantignié 'Granit Rose' 2019, 13% 

RRP €23.99 Barnhill Stores, Ely Wine Store, Redmonds of Ranelagh, Station to Station Wine, The Corkscrew, Townhouse Doneraile, Cork, wineonline.ie

This Lantignié ‘Granit Rose’ is a blend of different parcels grown on granite soil in Lantignié, close to the crus of Régnié and Chiroubles. Made in a fresh, vibrant style, with 100% whole-bunch fermentation in stainless steel tanks, it has an exuberant red fruit character with fine tannins from the granite.

It is a bright red in colour. Red berries and floral notes in the aromas. The purity and elegance influence from the granite is immediately obvious on the palate, floral at first, then an exuberant fruit flavour take centre-stage, the balance provided by an equally exuberant acidity and fine tannins.  The fruity finish to this distinctive Beaujolais lingers pleasantly. You can taste why wine-maker Frédéric says that Lantignié has the potential to become the eleventh cru of Beaujolais. 

This Lantignié may not (yet) be regarded as a Beaujolais classic but it is highly sophisticated and I’m more than happy to include it in the Very Highly Recommended listings.

Importers Liberty tell us  that Frédéric finally set up on his own vineyard in 2013. Inspired by the diversity of the granite soils in Lantignié (close to Régnié and Chiroubles), Frédéric established himself in the grounds of Château de Vergers, in the heart of the village. Firmly committed to highlighting what he calls “the many faces of Gamay” in his wines, Frédéric also strongly believes that Lantignié has the potential to become the eleventh cru of Beaujolais.

This vintage worked out pretty well on the phenomenal terroirs of Lantignié, rich in pink granite and blue stones. Frost in spring reduced yields in Beaujolais, as did hailstorms. However, hot weather followed and lasted throughout the summer. Rain towards the end of August prevented the vines from suffering from hydric stress after this long dry spell and allowed the grapes to reach perfect ripeness in excellent conditions. The fruit showed excellent concentration and quality.

A selection of different coloured rocks from Beaujolais.

Frédéric Berne Beaujolais Lantignié 'Pierre Bleu' 2019, 14%

RRP €23.99 Wineonline.ie, World Wide Wines

From the Eastern side of Lantignié, where the soils are predominantly clay on a base of blue stones, like Juliénas or the Côte de Py in Morgon, this Beaujolais wine is elegant and fragrant, with notes of blackberry and cherry compote.

It is a somewhat deeper red than you’d expect, close to purple. And yes you do get the berry and cherry compote aromas that they mention. In the mouth you’ll note subtle and ample tannins and minerality. Perhaps the most striking element on the silky palate is the generous acidity that balances the fruit flavours. Another terrific and characterful Beaujolais from Frédéric Berne and Very Highly Recommended.

All the grapes were hand harvested. Whole bunches were placed in stainless steel vats and underwent semi-carbonic maceration for one day. Following this, the grapes were pressed in a traditional wooden, vertical press. Frédéric follows a policy of minimal intervention in his winemaking and uses only natural yeasts. Fermentation took place in concrete tanks, where the wine aged for six months prior to bottling.

Berne has done much for the recognition of Lantignié wines and is spearheading a group effort among young winemakers to obtain cru status for the area.