Manoir du Carra Bistrot Beaujolais-Villages 2021

Manoir du Carra Beaujolais-Villages is 100% Gamay. Wine is produced from a selection of old vines (70 to 100 years old). Yield: 40-45 hl/ha
Manual harvest; selection of the best grapes using a sorting table; semi-carbonic maceration for 10-12 days.

Ruby red color, it has a caressing nose of pure strawberries and cream that is very defined and seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, lively red cherry fruit and pleasing weight on the tense finish.

Aged in large oak barrels (foudres) for 3-4 months. No filtration. Egg white fining.

Manoir du Carra Beaujolais-Villages presents with ruby red color, black berry and cherry aromas. Ample in the mouth, very elegant and long lingering finish.

Great with coq au vin (Chicken cooked in a red wine sauce) or charcuterie (garlic sausage, dry sausage).

Review:

"The structure of Juliénas is very apparent in this wine with its dry core. Density vies with the black fruits to make a balanced wine, ready to drink from 2024. - Roger VOSS"

- Wine Enthusiast (April 2023), 91 pts

Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Cru Moulin a Vent Les Burdelines is made from 100 percent Gamay,

Cru Moulin-à-Vent is called the “King of Beaujolais” and is known to age the longest and be the most tannic.  Measuring 660 hectares (1,630 acres) in size, there are 280 examples of this AOC on the market.

The wine is produced in the lieu-dit “Les Burdelines”, which belongs to the 18 'climates' registered by the National Institute for Designations of Origin.

Intense color between garnet and deep ruby. Red fruit nose with floral, smoky and forest notes. The mouth is rich and well structured. In a few years the aromas will evolve towards more spice, musk and venison

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. Ample in the mouth with plenty 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.

Of the top ten Cru sites of Beaujolais, Fleurie is one of the top three.  The wines show finesse, fullness, and flavor.  Fleurie does age well for 3-5 years from vintage. The area was named for a Romain General named Floricum, not for the word flower in French.  The size of this AOC is 875 hectares of grapes (2,161 acres) and about 180 examples of this Cru are available on the market.   This Cru is known as the “Queen of Beaujolais” and the earth is slightly unusual for having blue color, due to magnesium in the soil. 

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:

"Bold nose of wild blackberries and black raspberries with notes of wild herbs. Ripe, concentrated and well-structured, this impressive Fleurie is just beginning to show what it’s really made of. Long, moderately tannic finish with notes of black tea and savory. Drinkable now, but best from 2025."

- James Suckling (February 2023); 93 pts

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.

The Beaujolais Villages Nouveau is deeper red, with flavors reminiscent of strawberries and roses, plus a mineral component. Fragrant and medium bodied; refreshing with a tart finish. Beaujolais Villages Nouveau is meant to be consumed young, within 5-7 months. 

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.

he 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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.