Traditionally made, glorious brambly Beaujolais.
Beautifully perfumed on the nose this is juicy and lively with cherries, fresh strawberries and ripe bramble fruit. Some pleasant pepper notes linger on the finish. The tannins are smooth, lending structure but are not overly textural and there is real depth, which balances with the freshness of the style.
Meet the ProducerJean-Pierre Large has an old poster in his tasting room advertising Chiroubles ‘Vin de Copains', a wine for sharing with friends, joyful and not too serious. With 36 years at the helm of this family Domaine, his experience is valid and extensive and his wines are meticulously made but remain joyful and very drinkable. The vines cover 26 hectares and are spread over 100 parcels in this famously hilly and very beautiful Beaujolais Cru, all with the granite soil which suits Gamay so well producing a juicy yet nervy and expressive style. The main house is set in the heart of the village of Chiroubles, on land that was originally cleared to make way for vines by the Monks of Cluny in the 17th Century. They built a priory on the site and remains of this monastic history can be seen in the ancient cellars which are still used to age and store the Domaine's wines today.
Produced from 24 hectares on south and south-east facing slopes with mainly granite soils.
Winemaking for this signature cuvée is traditional with a third of the grapes being de-stemmed then whole bunch fermented for ten days with regular pigeage and followed by natural malolactic fermentation and four months ageing in stainless steel tanks.
Serve lightly chilled at between 12 and 13 degrees Celsius, this is the ideal “vin des copains†- a convivial wine to share easily with friends with or without food. It will pair beautifully with rounds of saucisson and other charcuterie, chicken dishes with tomato sauces or crumbly, rich goats cheese such as Charolais.
