Tasted with Raphael Saint-Cyr in Anse, 15 February 2023.
Domaine Saint-Cyr
31 Chemin de Trechen
69480 Anse
Tel: +33 4 74 60 23 69
www.beaujolais-saintcyr.com
More reports with Domaine Saint-Cyr
Raphael on 2022:
“Here in the south of Beaujolais, 2021 was a decent volume – it was more catastrophic in the crus. In 2022, in general, there was more due to the crus. Most of 21s are sold certainly all the Beaujolais – so a number of bottlings are previewed for the next 2 months – so we taste some 2022 wines from tank. I’m satisfied – the challenge was to keep the drinkability in this warm vintage and I think we managed it. We now work 6 hectares by horse”
The wines…
An early look at some 22s as the 21s are all gone. Tasty wines – particularly the long elevage whites are super…
2022 Beaujolais La Galoche Blanc
Bottling planned in about 3 weeks – still zero added sulfur but will add 10mg when it’s bottling time. Starting to make some elevage in Alsacienne foudres. Full malo of course as no sulfur!
That’s got a very attractive nose – ripe citrus but with tons of appealing energy. Supple, energetic wine with a core of ripe fruit – that’s just a very easy, rewarding, drink.
2022 Beaujolais La Galoche
Carbonic maceration, starting cold, at 9°C. Galoche is the name of the river close to the domaine. This is also for bottling in mid-March – the assembly also done. A long cool maceration before fermentation this year. 6 different parcels on clay and limestone.
Light of colour, elegant of aroma – fine red. A little gas today but this has more energy and cut over the palate than the white. A fine and perfumed red fruit finish – that’s really lovely. Far too attractive!
2022 Mélo
VdF. The blend of layered chardonnay, pinot and gamay with carbonic maceration.
An airy nose, red-fruited. There’s some punch to this flavour. A modest tannin too. But this has both a punch of flavour and finishing intensity too – a great finish – excellent wine!
The following from barrel:
2022 Beaujolais Terrior de Bellevue
A parcel selection from near the domaine – this the black label which indicates a cuvée of ‘distinction’ here. 70 year-old vines argilo-calcaire too. 10 months half barrel half tonneau – for bottling in June.
Fuller, broader, creamier nose. Rounder in the mouth too but nicely incisive. Extra sweet – and long.
2022 Moulin à Vent Les P’tits Bois
Two parcels this and La Bruyère – depending on the vintage volume they are blended or in 22 separate. This on a deeper alluvial soil
Clean pure colour. The nose is shy but with a small perfume. In the mouth too – perfumed red fruit with finesse and a little creamy oak – super again.
2022 Moulin à Vent La Bruyère
Black label. Like the last wine, with 24 days of maceration. Here with 60% barrel elevage unlike the Morgon which was 100%. Almost a ha of this on classic pink granite
More open and much more perfumed nose – that’s really lovely! More scale – some architecture behind this. Concentration behind this structure. Full-flavoured finishing. Simply super again!
2022 Chénas Robert
A blend of three parcels in the village.
Narrower but with lovely, pure, high tones – super red fruit here. Direct, modestly tannic but with hardly any grain – open and easy red fruit is the main theme – again very well finishing
2022 Chénas Les Journets
Like the MaV – ‘one wine of fruit and the one of terroir’ – here we have the same with the Chénas, the previous being the fruity wine, this the more ‘serious’ wine.
An extra width of red fruit aroma – fine focus too. More direct, more structural wine – broadening in the finishing flavour – more clack for the tank. All these wines are made the same – half barrel and half tank.
2022 Morgon Les Charmes
A little shorter elevage, vines near St.Joseph at nearly 500m altitude.
Not a fully open nose but one of fine red-fruit precision and slowly an even finer floral perfume too. Direct – as it should be – cool, pure wine. Properly Morgon but with just enough cushion to add enjoyment to the ride.
Les Whites:
2021 Alien
An aligoté with 2 years elevage – not touched in 2 years – from old, 80 year-old, vines on a clay soil.
A slightly savoury width of aroma with a suggestion of creaminess. Ooh – more electric and direct – mineral but nothing of rigour or harshness. A vibration to this finishing flavour too – completely offsetting/balancing the modest cream accent from the (100%) barrels – simply an excellent thing!
70-year-old Chardonnay – marne and limestone – a west-facing hillside – again 2 years of barrel elevage – so not yet finished.
Starts with a similar vibration but then there’s a little more white-flower perfume – nice! Yes – open, mineral, achingly pure and delicious shaped and textural. That’s a great one! Long into the finish some chalky texture too – super wine…
Sauvignon blanc – domaine vines ‘of a bit more than’ 10 years old – east-facing with lots of red clay.
The nose is calmer and has the mint leaf of the sauvignon. Not particularly calm in the mouth – this is complex, beautifully pure wine – actually my favourite of all these three – and it’s very long too – a great trio of wines!
2022 Saurange
The orange version of the sauvignon – made just like the reds.
Some with of freshness but no overt sauvignon character. Extra width – some orange bitters – almost an aperol – style to this – large-scale in this finish – that’s a very tasty thing!