Jean-Claude Lapalu 'Côte de Brouilly' Beaujolais, France 2021

Style: Red Wine 

Vintage: 2021

ABV: 12%

Region: Beaujolais  

Country: France   

Varietals: Gamay  

WHY BE CURIOUS? 50+ year old vines growing in clay-centric soils with blue stones on granite bedrock. 

WHO: Jean-Claude Lapalu is among the most respected and revered growers in Beaujolais, a darling of the Paris wine scene, and a leader in France's so-called Natural Wine movement. He was a bit of a late-comer, assuming his unique place in the Beaujolais nexus between the generation of his peers (Breton, Dutraive, Foillard, Métras, Thevenet) and the young generation today. He farms the same vines that were once farmed by his father and grandfather. Though, as was common back then, they sold their wines and/or grapes to the local cooperative. In 1995, at the age of 33, Lapalu’s inquisitiveness and desire to try new things led him to bottle his own wines.

WHERE: Côte de Brouilly! 

TASTING NOTE: Indigenous yeast fermented, Lapalu’s Côte de Brouilly is a more structured, mineral-driven, and concentrated Cru Beaujolais. With smoky aromas and a dense fruitiness on the palate, this is a bit more rustic on the Gamay spectrum.

PAIRING IDEAS: Beaujolais might be my go-to red for a desert island. It's a versatile wine that pairs well with salmon, chicken, pork, and even beef. I also enjoy sipping this wine on a cool evening by itself. I recommend serving it slightly chilled for the best drinkability. I know I am not the only one who loves Gamay as a red varietal.  

ANNUAL PRODUCTION:  300 cases.