2022 Jean-Paul Brun - Domaine de Terres Dorees 'L'Ancien' Beaujolais Vielles Vignes

L'Ancien comes from Jean Paul Brun's home village of Charnay in the southern Beaujolais. The vines range in age from 40 to 60 years old and are planted on slopes sporting the area's signature sandy clay-limestone soils, featuring the particular local "dorée" or "golden" limestone that is laden with iron. These older vines have always been farmed organically and harvested by hand and yield small, thick-skinned Gamay berries. As for all Terres Dorées reds, the vinification is traditional Burgundian rather than the normal carbonic maceration in Beaujolais. The 2022 shows a bright deep red color. The aromas are high-toned and ripe with red currant, raspberry and wild strawberry, quite bright and floral. The palate shows lush, ripe berry fruits backed by citrusy acidity, quite refreshing. The finish is long and sappy with bright red fruits and tart acidity - stock-up on this crowd-pleasing Beaujolais!

Founded in 1979, Jean-Paul Brun’s Domaine des Terres Dorées has grown from a tiny cellar in Charnay into one of Beaujolais’s most respected independent estates, now farming roughly 45 hectares across both southern Beaujolais and top crus such as Morgon, Fleurie, and Moulin-à-Vent. Brun champions traditional, Burgundian-style winemaking—hand harvesting, native yeasts, gentle pressing, and long fermentations—to highlight Gamay’s natural finesse rather than carbonic-driven fruitiness. Known for pure, mineral-driven reds and expressive Chardonnay from limestone-rich soils, the domaine’s low-intervention, sustainably farmed vineyards yield wines prized for their elegance, clarity, and unmistakable sense of place.