Country: | France |
Region: | Beaujolais |
Winery: | Descroix |
Grape Type: | Gamay |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Redolent of strawberries and roses, fragrant and medium bodied. Refreshing, tart finish.
Average age of the vines: 30 years old (between 20 and 60 years old). Skin contact maceration: between 2 and 5 days depending on the parcels.
Beaujolais-Nouveau has been very popular with almost every Thanksgiving dish - from turkey to ham, green beans to mashed potatoes, and gravy to cranberry sauce.
Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Cru Fleurie Vers le Mont is made from 100 percent Gamay.
Intense red color, subtle fruity and floral aromas of violet, berry and cinnamon. It also has a distinctive aroma of Peony and Lily flowers, typical of the "Sur le Mont" terroir.
It is ample in the mouth and has a lot of ripe red and black fruit flavors. The structure is full and the tannins are round and elegant.
Even better after a few years of cellaring.
Excellent with red and game meats, and cheeses.
Review:
"High-density planting adds to the concentration of this ripe wine. Black-cherry flavors burst from the glass to give both richness and a structure that will allow the wine to age. Drink from 2021. - Roger Voss"
- Wine Enthusiast (January 2020), 91 pts
Anne Delaroche Cotes du Rhone Blanc is made from 70% Viognier, 30% Roussanne
Anne Delaroche Cotes du Rhone Rose Bejot is made from 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah.
Very charming pale rosé color. The wine displays lots of fresh fruit aromas such as strawberry and watermelon. The palate is focused and very well balanced with again some strawberry and ripe red fruit notes. The finish is quite pleasing and long with a little spiciness and freshness to it.
Babylons Peak Chenin Blanc is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
Babylon's Peak winery, situated on the highest weathered granite slopes of the Paardeberg Mountain, is privately owned by the Basson family who has passed down the tradition, passion and art of winemaking over four generations. Predominantly low-yield dryland bushvines are selected to produce these excellent wines with distinctive character.
The Chenin Blanc grapes were picked from very old dryland bushvine vineyards. The vineyard grows on weathered granite soils, contributing to the flavor of the grapes and mineral character of the wine. Production is limited to 5 tons/ha.
The grapes were harvest by hand at 22.1°B. The grapes were destalked and lightly crushed. Only the first 450 litres free-run juice per ton were fermented in stainless steel tanks at a cold temperature (10-12°C) for 21 days. The wines was left on the fermentation lees until bottling.
A crisp, fresh and fruity Chenin Blanc from low-yield dryland bushvines.
Pairs with salads, seafood, chicken and other light dishes. The perfect wine for every occasion.
Castelmaure Corbieres Vin-Gris (Rose) is made from 80% Grenache, 10% Carignan, 10% Cinsault.
Pale pink rose color, a classic gris de gris wine with salmon hues. Delicate strawberry nose, seamless and fine pointed.
Descroix Beaujolais Nouveau is made from 100% Gamay
Light, fresh, fruity wine, easy to drink. Serve chilled.
Nouveau is made with carbonic maceration, or whole-berry fermentation. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the grapes without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins.The result is an easy-drinking, cherry-red, tasty, clean wine that is best served chilled. Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be consumed young, within 5-7 months.
Beaujolais Nouveau cannot be made from grapes grown in the 10 crus (great growths) of Beaujolais; only from grapes coming from the appellations of Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages. Approximately 1/3 of the entire crop of the Beaujolais region is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau.
The Gamay grapes that go into Beaujolais Nouveau are handpicked, as are all the grapes in the Beaujolais. Beaujolais & Champagne are the only vineyards where hand harvesting is mandatory. Gamay (Gamay noir Jus Blanc) is the only grape permitted for Beaujolais.
The region of Beaujolais is 34 miles long from north to south, and 7 to 9 miles wide. There are nearly 4,000 grape growers who make their living in this picturesque region just north of France's third largest city, Lyon.
Beaujolais Nouveau originated about a century ago as a 'vin de l'année' - a cheap and cheerful drink produced by locals to celebrate the end of the harvest season. The Beaujolais AOC was established in 1937, and after WWII, the wine was sold outside of the area. By the 1970's, Beaujolais Nouveau day was a national event.
The Domaine Descroix Estate
Domaine Descroix was founded in 1905 and has been in the family for four generations. Xavier Descroix is the current owner. The winery is located in the village of Lantignie, north of Beaujolais, right next to Beaujeu which is the historic capital of Beaujolais and gave its name to the region. Lantignie encompasses the crus Regnie, Brouilly and Morgon.
The wines are vinified, aged and bottled at the winery combining tradition and modern technologies.
They sell 50% of their production in bulk to négociants, the rest at the property and started to sell to the export market in 2006.
They work in respect of the terroir and the environment and focus on the work in the vineyard and low yields to obtain high quality grapes producing excellent wines. They aim to produce Beaujolais wines that are authentic and true to the appellation.
The Domaine Descroix Vineyard
The vineyard measures 11.27 hectares total (27.84 acres), broken down as follows:
- 9.75 hectares in Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages AOC, located in the towns of Beaujeu and Lantignié. Soils are made of granite and sand which results in fruity wines with character.
- 0.56 ha in Brouilly AOC, located in the town of Saint Lager, at the bottom of Mount Brouilly, on schist based soils. The wines are fruity with good concentration.
- 0.69 ha in Morgon AOC, located in the parcels called “Grand Cras” in Morgon. Soils are made of manganese and granite and produce typical and powerful wines.
- 0.27 ha in Beaujolais Villages Blanc and Bourgogne Blanc planted with Chardonnay and situated in Beaujeu, on very steep slopes made of clay and granite soils, with a southern exposure.
Betz Family La Serenne Syrah is 100% Syrah
La Serenne is the most reflective of the site/vintage dynamic of our three single-site 2012 Syrahs. Lovers of this wine know that its source, the Boushey Vineyard, is the highest altitude of the three vineyards and is typically the latest harvested. This cool site was accentuated by the cooler season and the results reflect the seriousness of this vineyard and its care.
An extraordinary, nearly impenetrable black purple color leads to a concentrated, inky aromatic impression: smoky black cherry and wild blackberry dominate, but a litany of supporting aromas is already emerging: smoke, violet, mushroom, roasted meat, Chinese 5 spice and minerals. It has a full attack on entry and a big, rich mouthfeel that goes on and on.
2012 is our 13th harvest from this site and these rows. We continue to be impressed with the chameleon nature of this vineyard, in cool years and hot, in heat spikes and cool springs: it provides us with surprises and opportunities at every harvest. While the themes of deep black fruits and pliant structure always surface, the nuance of this vineyard and its care (thank you, Dick Boushey) make it some of the most satisfying fruit we work with every harvest.
Review:
"The pure, elegant and textured 2014 Syrah la Serenne offers that classic violet and floral characteristics of the cuvee, as well as medium to full-bodied richness, lots of black raspberry fruit, fine, sweet tannin and a great finish. It’s not as powerful or concentrated as the La Cote Rousse, yet it’s a joy to drink and will cruise for a decade or more on its balance and purity. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #225, June 2016), 93 pts
pale pink color with light orange tones. Bright acidity balanced with perfectly ripe fruit flavors of raspberry, strawberries and cream, and lighter floral notes.