Tasted in Lyon 25 October 2021
The chance to meet a few domaines that I don’t know well, plus a couple of old favourites that crept in too! Listed in the order tasted:
Chateau du Chatelard
307 rue de Chatelard
69220 Lancié
Tel: +33 4 74 04 12 99
www.chateauduchatelard.com
24 hectares of which 3 are white. Their range includes Moulin à Vent and Morgon. Mainly a ‘Burgundian-style’ vinification – ie all destemmed:
2019 Chateau du Chatelard, Fleurie
This the blended cuvée of the domaine, all destemmed with a long maceration. Bottled in March. ‘2019 a less generous vintage between 2018 and 2020.’
A nose of fresh red berry fruit – quite attractive. Open, good acidity. Direct in style but I like! Vibrant finishing. Nice finishing with a little perfume, that’s lovely.
2016 Chateau du Chatelard, Fleurie Monthenas
A single parcel of over 60-year-old vines. 18 months elevage in barrel.
This nose a little less open, slightly floral. A wine thats also got plenty of freshness, better definition and just a twist of extra maturity yet still a baby. More floral finishing – another good finish.
Chateau de Fleurie
62 rue du Beaujolais
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 6 03 34 59 92
www.loron.com
A property of the Barbet family.
2018 Chateau de Fleurie, Fleurie La Madone
A ‘reserve caveau’ style label, but not…
A narrow nose, slightly savoury and sweet together. This is quite mouth-filling, but with driving energy and a faint accent of tannin. Vibrant finishing with a little extra floral perfume but still with a framework of slightly drying tannin. But no problem, give it another year or two.
2019 Chateau de Fleurie, Fleurie
This their blend of parcels.
A redder width of aroma. More overt fruit and berry flavour. Nice shape in the mouth with lots of energy. Again a faint frame of tannin – I like the extra depth, the vibrancy of flavour in the middle and finishing flavours too – of the two I’d certainly take this one today. Very tasty.
Chateau de Rougeon
Rougeon
71390 Bissey-sous-Cruchaud
Tel: +33 3 85 92 02 54
www.chateauderougeon.com
2019 Chateau de Rougeon, Fleurie Poncié
The first vintage, actually already tasted this at home once.
This has a fresh width of aroma – in this case, some herb component at the start too but becoming redder and warmer with air. Ooh, silky and floral – the most cliche Fleurie so far. The middle and finishing flavours are intense too – really excellent wine.
Domaine des Marrans
109 Route des Marrans
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 4 74 04 13 21
www.domainedesmarrans.com
A domaine in Fleurie with 5 hectares in Marrans from 19 hectares in total. 11 are in Fleurie but there’s a bit of Chiroubles and Beaujolais – parcels that are quite close together. I enjoyed these wines and plan to visit!
2019 des Marrans, Fleurie Les Marrans
That’s nice, a faintly spiced accent to the fruit, made with whole clusters and a bit of remontage, the elevage quite long and in foudres. A round, red nose but not so forward. A little touch of tannin frames the flavours though no grain is visible. Open then a bit more intensity to the finishing flavours – it’s very nice here and it’s the best part.
2019 des Marrans, Fleurie Lieu Dit ‘Champagne’
More intense, more floral too – lots of depth to the aroma here. More concentrated with more clarity of fine fruit. Slowly arriving tannin that recalls the Marrans too. Lots of energy here but more-so there’s concentration. That’s a super wine and my favourite of the two. ‘The only real difference here (aside the 500 metres between them) is that the vine age is older for this so the yields are lower.
Domaine Marc Delienne
196 rue de l’Abbaye d’Arpayé
69820 Fleurie
Tel: + 33 6 08 61 08 63
www.domainemarcdelienne.fr
2019 Fleurie, Greta Carbo
This won’t be bottled until August as Marc does 2 years of elevage. These vines in Les Deduits and like most of the vines across the domaine, were planted in the 1950s.
A forward and quite airy nose – more and more floral perfumed with air. Hmm, thats a lovely relaxed wine over the palate – I love the combination of depth of flavour and the texture. Long, long – really excellent wine.
From La Madone – it’s really steep so use a troye – ‘it’s not possoble to mechanise.’
A deeper, seemingly more concentrated nose, here a bit more herb complexity too. More direct – Here’s super flavour complexity. So mouth-watering – thats a potentially great wine – top.
Domaine de la Madone
1230 route de la Madone
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 6 80 90 87 80
www.domaine-de-la-madone.com
A domaine with 18 hectares, including some Grille-Midi but most is on the hillside of Madone. They have 7 different cuvées of Fleurie, 2 with barrel elevage and even have a vin de pays from viognier planted on the hill of Madone. The first wine is ‘nature:’
2019 Fleurie ‘La Dame Nature’
Plenty of colour, this made each year except 2021 because of the very low yields (about 30 hl/ha) as the top of the hill was hit by the frost but the resulting lower volume crop could ripen pretty well.
This has a slightly meaty nose – but there’s freshness and slightly saline quality too. Hmm – really mouth-filling with a fine sweetness to the fruit and really attactive flavour. Just a nose short of really excellent wine. Finishing really well too.
South, south-west facing vines just below the summit.
Lots more colour here. Not so wide a nose but deeper and more fruity – darker fruit in this case. A big wine in the mouth – structural – I like the shape of this. Lots of flavour dimension and great length – that really is an excellent wine, it could be great – bravo!
Domaine Chaffangeons
475 route de la Chapelle des Bois
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 6 87 56 44 80
www.domainedeschaffangeons.com
The domaine name is that of the lieu-dit where the domaine is situated. Exploiting 16 hectares of vines, mainly in Fleurie, but there’s also a bit of Morgon and Moulin à Vent – even a little Beaujolais Blanc too. But 12 of their 16 hectares are in Fleurie, 2 on the slopes of La Madone.
2019 Fleurie, La Madone
All destemmed, a bit lighter colour, ‘looking for finesse from the fruit.’
A different nose, fruity but also a little spicy. More concentrated than the nose suggests – an enveloping fine texture, just faintly tannic at the end. A really vibrant, really engaging finish – very good wine and great finishing.
2019 Fleurie Vieilles-Vignes
A mix of the ‘best parcels based on wine quality, so not always the same parcels.’ This with about 50% elevage in wood.
More colour here. Not a forward nose but one that shows a nice freshness. Lots of volume – mouth-filling. Supple fruit of fine clarity, faintly tannic – I love the vibrancy of this baby finish – only a baby because of the structure it’s also showing. Simply delicious though.
Domaine du Clos des Garands
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 6 31 71 88 30
www.closdesgarands.fr
Here’s a domaine of 6 hectares and three cuvees – usually by vine age. They have 3 hectares in a clos and the rest just below but in the same lieu dit.
2019 Fleurie Les Garands Vieilles-Vignes
About 1/3 destemmed in this vintage but with much more destemming in the more difficult 2021.
Medium-plus colour. Quite a high-toned nose. Silky in the mouth, layered, actually really good, with a discernable Fleurie flavour. Delicious – the nose needs a little work, but this is tasty wine.
Domaine Les Gamaylinand
305 route d’Eloi
69220 Belleville-en-Beaujolais
Tel: +33 6 99 94 06 25
www.lesgamaylinand.wordpress.com
In the lieu-dit of Champagne. A 22 hectare domaine with 8 hectares in Fleurie.
2019 Fleurie
Usually some destemming – half in this vintage.
Hmm, that’s really floral. Lots of height and also depth to this nose, plenty of energy here. A slightly roast style to the fruit, but plenty of energy and concentration. Tasty, not the clarity of many but tasty, tasty…
Domaine Jean-Louis Dutraive
156 route de la Grand’Cour
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 4 74 69 81 16
www.domainedelagrandcour.fr
Recently bottled, 8 months elevage in 2020 for this.
Only ‘an infusion’ but there’s still plenty of colour. A floral and slightly spritzy nose but this is very attractive indeed. Sweet, supple, layered, mouth-filling – great texture – thats a super wine that grows further in the finish. Really excellent, possibly great!
A broader, slightly more intense nose. Some structure here but more about an intensity of flavour – thats top! The finishing tannin really sticks the flavour to the palate – bravo!
Domaine Lathuiliere-Gravallon
52 chemin de la Gravelle
69910 Villié-Morgon
Tel: +33 4 74 04 23 23
www.lathuiliere.fr
A domaine with 10 hectares and HVE3 – 2 hectares in Fleurie.
2020 Fleurie La Madone Vieilles-Vignes
60% destemmed, semi-carbonic
A wide, high-toned nose, floral with an accent of pyrazine. Ooh – thats a luxurious deth of flavour and velvet texture – lots of concentration here. Thats very good wine.
2019 Fleurie La Madone Vieilles-Vignes
12 months elevage in demi-muids
A little less colour. A rounder nose but no obvious wood notes – only the rounding of the aroma. An extra freshness, more direct, very melting with fresh almost cool-fruited flavour with a faint floral accent. For a wood elevaged wine that’s really excellent.
Domaine Des 2 Fontaines – Sylvain Paturaux
777 route des Raclets
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 6 62 61 80 24
www.domaine2fontaines.fr
Sylvain took on the domaine in 2020 from a retiring family member. There are 10.5 hectares all of which are in Fleurie – the west side of the appellation on the hills. Terra-Vitis here, starting in 2021. Already with HVE and an all-manual approach in the vines.
2020 Fleurie
Vinified with whole-clusters and a grill – elevage in tank.
Thats a nice nose, vibrant at the top, quite high toned but also quite Fleurie! Mouth-filling, with plenty of concentration here, framed with some dryness of tannin but lots of good flavour complexity. That was lovely
2020 Fleurie La Presle
Lots more colour to this one. A deeper, more concentrated, inky nose – accented with barrel cream. More direct, fresh concentration, no fat. Plenty of barrel here in the flavour too. The quality is excellent but I’d be waiting at least 4-5 years in the hope that the barrel note has departed.
Domaine Lionel Despress
376 rue du Beaujolais
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 6 32 27 88 77
www.lionel-despres.com
The domaine in Fleurie. They have 5.5 hectares of Fleurie plus one more in Chiroubles – ‘It’s sized for a human,‘ smiles Lionel!
2019 Fleurie Madone
Lighter colour – for BJ – this a very attractive nose of pretty red fruit with just a modest cushion. Mouth-filling, round, a faint salinity but this wine majors on its core of sweet fruit – holding well in the finish while focusing on the red fruit. Lovely wine.
2019 Fleurie Cuvée Albert
12 months in barrel for this, the previous was in concrete.
This is a small, quite compact nose. Nicely structural in the mouth – no hard edges but the wood hasn’t rounded the wine too much. Pretty, mouth-watering flavour in the middle and finish. A lovely fading finish – yum!
Chateau de Juliénas
337 route de Vaux
69840 Juliénas
Tel: +33 4 74 04 49 98
www.chateaudejulienas.com
Their Fleurie in HVE conversion since 2019
2019 Fleurie Les Moriers
This cuvée only sees sulfur at bottling, a mix of old barrels and stainless steel.
Quite a pale colour. An airy nose, slightly saline, but also with an attractively perfumed red fruit. Mouth-filling but also full of freshness – the salinity on the nose is reflected in the flavours too, but always in the background to a fine and sweet fruit. A finish of energy here too – that’s nice – with a little furry tannin but no grain. Lovely.
2020 Fleurie Les Moriers
This is different; there’s much more sun in this bottle – you can see that from the start with the deeper dolour. Bottled early September. A more profound and enveloping nose, almost inky deep. More mouth-filling but with no lack of freshness – it’s just that the fruit is darker coloured – obvious Fleurie? Maybe not, but obviously very tasty Beaujolais.
Bret Brothers
Domaine la Souffrandière
125 rue aux Bourgeois
71680 Vinzelles
Tel: +33 3 85 35 67 72
www.bretbrothers.com
2019 Fleurie Climat Les Ponciés
This from magnum, vinified without sulfur, just 10mg added for the bottling. More northeast-facing not too sunny – ‘this makes the wine easier to drink.’
Modest colour. The nose is airy and saline. The depth of flavour is lovely here – airy up top more concentrated and saline accented below. This is long too!
Cave des Producteurs des Grands Vins de Fleurie
213 rue des Vendanges
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 6 79 81 22 76
www.cavefleurie.com
2019 Fleurie AB
‘A very small parcel.’ Organic, AB on the label
A salty first impression to this nose but one that grows and grows – becoming very inviting. Nice shape in the mouth, a little structure and properly mouth-watering too. That’s rather lovely. I find it, as a package, excellent, despite a final impression with some dryness but not drying…
Domaine de Fa
974 route de Vers
717 Boyer
www.domainegraillot.com
A producer with 3.25 ha in Fleurie, a big parcel in St.Amour and plenty of Beaujolais too – though this is really a domaine of the Rhône.
2019 Fleurie Roche Guillon
Lots of colour here. Dark fruit with a fresh, attractive spice. No destemming. Supple, concentrated, a tannin but here there’s no grain just a small drag to the texture. Dark flavours but really super flavours. This is another excellent wine – thanks!
Some Magnums!
I do love magnums and would happily drink any of this small selection that follows – but in terms of the sophistication of their structure/texture it’s the wines of Bachelards, Lafarge-Vial and Château Poncié that stand out from the crowd:
2011 Jean-Marc Despres, Fleurie La Madone
Here is plenty of complexity and no small measure of spicy maturity. Mouth-filling lots of intensity and still a vibrant acidity. A long finish and very, very, tasty. This is a structural wine rather than a soft, cosseting, one but yum!
Hmm – that’s very inviting – a rounder nose, faintly accented with mushroom de Paris but also tobacco and a suggestion of barrel. This is broad over the palate with beautiful definition and texture – much less ready than the last. Narrow but fine and long finishing – still a baby.
2015 Cave des Producteurs des Grands Vins de Fleurie
Now thats deeply coloured! An inky deep nose with that faint marsala accent of impending maturity. Big, structural, still lots of drying tannin – some nice flavour complexity in the finish, but this structured wine begs at least 2 or three more years in the cellar.
2015 des Marrans, Fleurie Clos du Pavillon
Also deeply coloured. A more compact nose with a faint pepper spice. A good width of chunky flavour here but melting and mouth-watering too – this is almost a 2015 that you can start drinking. Long finishing through a little tannin and a floral accent…
2015 Chateau de Fleurie, Fleurie La Madone Réserve Caveau
Lots of colour – of course! Quite a silky nose, faintly spiced and wide. Supple but growing massive and with plenty of tannin in the background. Wide, modestly intense but long finishing. Very good!
2015 Thierry Condamine, Fleurie Les Moriers
Deeply coloured but still transparent. The nose, like most here, faintly spiced, less faintly with pepper. Here is lovely energy, concentration and structure but neither impose themselves too much. The finish is delicious – less dense – but the most approachable of all these 2015s so far. Lovely wine.
Plenty of colour – a little younger looking than some. Round, fresher, sleeker, lots of flavour energy too. The textural drag from the tannin – there’s no grain. I suggest waiting but this is, frankly, already great!
The darkest, deepest, colour of all – almost saturated. A nose of some roundness and a slight mushroom de paris accent again. Full, mouth-filling – but so fresh – saline accented. The tannin is beautifully fine and practically with no dryness. Only a suggestion of oak to be seen right at the end of the finish. Also great, but very different.