Cote de Brouilly 2020/21, Domaine de la Voute des Crozes

Black cherry and raspberry with just a hint of herb on an attractive nose. On the palate this is bright, juicy, fresh and crunchy, yet with a richness of fruit that sets this apart from many.

This is a charming 7 hectares Domaine owned and run by Nicole Chanrion, who is a star grower. Nicole studied viticulture in Beaune at a time when there were not many women doing so. She is delighted that there are more female winemakers nowadays. The Domaine was started by her grandfather, but she can trace her family roots in viticulture back to the 1840s. Together with her son Romain, they produce delicious, pure Côte de Brouilly.

Vineyards are on the east- and northeast-facing mid-slopes of the Côte-de-Brouilly, planted to a density of 10,000 to 12,000 vines per hectare. Grapes are hand harvested, techniques in cellar are purely traditional. Fermentation is 100% whole cluster (and does a full carbonic maceration) with natural yeasts. The whole clusters are put into 65-HL stainless steel cuves and then are filled 2/3 of the way full to leave room for the CO2 to release from the grapes to form a natural cap over the must. The grapes are removed from cuves and pressed, and the juice is put back into the cuves to finish alcoholic fermentation (15-20 days). The wine is then racked into foudres where the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation, and then ages for at least nine months before an unfiltered bottling. “Effervescence” is a vintage sparkling wine, although Nicole uses a non-vintage label.