Tasted with David Béroujon in Salles-Arbuissonnas-en-Beaujolais, 02 February 2021.
Domaine David Béroujon
88 route du Tang
69460 Salles-Arbuissonnas-en-Beaujolais
Tel: +33 6 86 76 04 96
I came to visit David because, just I was finalising my list of visits for this tour, David had won the ‘Best Gamay in the World’ Trophy. It was a sign!
David is the 4th generation of his family in the area here, working the vines – three generations of whom have been selling the domaine’s wine in bottle. The exploitation began with his great-grandfather. It’s a domaine of 10.5 hectares – mainly with vines in the AOC of Beaujolais Villages, but there’s 1.5 hectares of Brouilly too. David’s main market is France with a little export in Switzerland and Belgium – his main outlet would be restaurants – so that’s complicated right now – but given that he won his small prize two weeks before I visited – that will surely help!
David’s trophy also far from a one-off: he’s previously won silver and gold medals at this tasting (in Lyon) but this time he won the whole thing – from the 879 samples that were tasted – all with covid-compatible distancing. So now everyone, including me, is knocking at the door asking to taste – and with cellar-door prices of €6 for Beaujolais Villages or €8 for his Brouilly, why not indeed!
David on 2019:
“2019 was a good vintage for us – we didn’t have any frost and it was a good volume too. We are very happy with the result – I think it’s very Beaujolais. We had a nice amount of rain in the villages which helped the maturity – we didn’t have any in Brouilly!”
The wines…
An accidental but completely worthy discovery – there are some great wines here.
2019 Beaujolais Villages
This won a silver medal last year. A large part of the vines are around the house and domaine here, whereas the Brouilly is in Odénas
It’s an airy, very perfumed nose, floral and of good fruit – a fine invitation. Round, supple, energetic – that’s got a beautiful shape and very nice energy – nicely long too with a proper finish of graphite minerality – excellent wine.
2020 Beaujolais Villages Rosé
It will be bottled next week.
Again quite a vibrant nose but there’s more weight, more concentration showing here too. Despite the nose, this is fresh, direct and energetic – that’s really very tasty.
2019 Beaujolais Villages Blanc
All tank elevage, there’s a mix of clay in the sandy soil here.
Hmm. That’s another nose with concentration and in this case some ripeness of fruit. Yes some fat, but here is a ripe, easy and forward-flavoured wine. Wide finishing and very tasty, not even a suggestion of rigour. That’s an impressive wine.
More colour here. Deep and fresh – that’s a fine nose – very attractive. Drive, energy, wide – completely delicious wine – a great Brouilly! Love that!
2018 Beaujolais Villages Fut de Chêne
10 months in barrel then around a month in tank before bottling.
For this nose there’s a freshness above but it’s clearly quite oaky below. Great shape in the mouth and plenty of tannin too – but very well managed. Always with the creamy barrel present but also very 2018 with the depth of flavour, concentration and a bit more tannin. – A super length of finish.
And the winner was – presented in the competition as a tank sample:
Bottling is planned for June, this is the first time that a wine in tank has won the competition.
Great depth of colour – almost saturated. Lots of fresh and silky depth to this nose – high tones and complexity. That’s very silky – many, many directions of flavour here – an almost sweet cordial fruit but very complex, fresh and appealing. Easy finishing over the palate – long. Supple and, as you will have already guessed, completely delicious wine! Bravo!
