Product Review
The Cuvée des Gourmets is produced from parcels with granite soil and the vinification is done using the semi-carbonic technique. The grape bunches are layered into the fermentation tank with only the middle layer being de-stemmed. Jacky Logel likes to call this the “sandwich” method. The maceration lasts 8/9 days and there is a short maturation in tank that follows before the wine is bottled.
"This blend is remarkable for its fruitiness which, evolving from fresh to ripe depending on the vintage, remains centered on blueberries. The intensity of the fruitiness is confirmed on the palate; the wine is lively but without aggressiveness thanks to its flesh which comes to coat the structure."
Gamay is one the lightest dark skinned varieties synonymous with the French region of Beaujolais in the Rhone department. A typical Beaujolais is light bodied and displays aromas of freshly picked red fruit with a bright acidity on the palate. Although the finest can age gracefully, most of what is produced is for early consumption. Carbonic maceration is a popular technique used which tends to overlay distinctive aromas of banana and gum. Outside of Beaujolais it is grown in the Savoie region and bordering country, Switzerland. Gamay is best enjoyed chilled or slightly below room temperature and makes a great accompaniment to cheese and charcuterie.
Two hundred miles south east of Paris lies the famous and historic wine region, known in French as Bourgogne. The Cote d'Or, the heartland of the region, consists of two distinct sub-regions split on either side of the town of Beaune.The Côte de Nuits to the north, includes the famous villages of Vosne-Romanee, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Nuits-Saint-Georges and are known primarily for making red wine from Pinot Noir.Although The Côte de Beaune to the south still makes some magnificent reds (see Volnay and Pommard), white wine made from Chardonnay is the main focus. The most famous villages are Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Burgundy has three other important regions. The village of Chablis (exclusively Chardonnay) encompassing the region's most northerly vineyards. The Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais to south are quantitatively speaking more important. Agriculture is more diverse with a significant portion of the land devoted to livestock and arable farming.
Locate southwest of Lyon at the head of the Loire River, politically, this appellation is part of the Rhone department. The appellation is based on Gamay grown on both granitic/sandy and volcanic/basalt soils. The wines tend to be very light bodied, with higher acid and fresh fruit character.The nearest town of note is St. Etienne which was significant to the booming mining industry that dominated the region through the nineteenth century. The miners required a lot of wine to quench their thirst and as late as 1930 there were 5000 hectares planted in Côtes du Forez. Today, there are less than 200. The importer shared that stories about the old days said miners drank, on average, 3 liters of light red wine a day (around 7.5%)...
