2022 Côte de Brouilly, Domaine Lafarge Vial, Beaujolais

A French variety planted predominately in Beaujolais where it is the grape behind everything from light and often acidic Beaujolais Nouveau through to the more serious and well-structured wines from the 10 cru villages. It takes its name from a hamlet just outside Chassagne-Montrachet and was at one stage widely planted on the Côte d`Or. However it was gradually phased out due to its poor yield and supposed poor quality of its wines.

The Côte de Brouilly, one of the ten Beaujolais Crus, is renowned for its unique terroir with volcanic and granite soils. It is situated on Mont Brouilly's slopes and produces structured, concentrated wines primarily from Gamay grapes. The region's early-ripening fruit and diverse microclimates result in fresh wines that age well, gaining complexity over time.

Domaine Lafarge Vial is a well-established winery in Beaujolais, founded by Frédéric Lafarge and his wife Chantal in the spring of 2014. Situated in the commune of Fleurie, the domaine owns several vineyard parcels in Fleurie and one small adjoining parcel in Chiroubles within the lieu-dit Bel-Air.