Jean Paul Brun Beaujolais L’Ancien (750ml)

Jean Paul Brun’s L’Ancien Beaujolais comes from his home village of Charnay in the southern Beaujolais cru of Cote de Brouilly.  The vines range in age from 40 to 60 years old and are planted on slopes with the area’s signature sandy clay-limestone soils, featuring the particular local “dorée” (golden) iron rich limestone.  These older vines are farmed organically, harvested by hand and yield small, thick-skinned Gamay berries. 

Brun is a firm advocate of old vines and low yields, natural yeast ferments and minimal SO2.  L’Ancien is from vines 50-80 year old vines, the hand harvested grapes  was destemmed and wild yeast  fermented on skins for 4-6 weeks in concrete or neutral wood.  

You might note a slight livelyliness on the palate when you taste his wine’s as he choses to leave some CO2 (a natural bi-product of fermentation) in the wine at bottling as it naturally protects wines from oxidation and brings freshness.