Domaine St-Cyr Beaujolais Terroir de Bellevue, 100% Gamay, France
What a gem of a wine this is- literally, it's like a glass of liquid rubies. Whole bunches of Gamay undergo a semi-carbonic maceration- the weight of the grape clusters crushes the grapes so there is no pressing. The result is wine that's playful and fruit forward, but with an elegant tannic structure. I get violets and a touch of cinnamon on the nose, and classic Beaujolais flavors of brambly blackberry and cherry ring like a bell.
From Paris Wine Company:
Raphael Saint-Cyr is the fourth generation vigneron at the Domaine Saint-Cyr, which was created by his great-grandfather, Pierre Saint-Cyr. The estate is located in Anse, found at the southern edge of the Beaujolais. Having seen his grandfather and uncle get sick from the chemicals used to treat their vines, Raphael was immediately convinced to convert the entire 23 hectare domaine to certified organic viticulture, making Domaine Saint Cyr one of the largest organic domaines in the Beaujolais.
Beginning in 2017, Raphael began to experiment with cold carbonic fermentation and shorter aging for a cru Beaujolais with the single-vineyard Chénas Les Journets. Following the successful reception of this wine, all of the red wines today are vinified using cold carbonic fermentation since 2019. Always searching to improve his work in the vineyard and the quality of his wines, in 2020, Raphael began plowing his own vines with two Comtois drafthorses, Samba and El Suegno. Domaine Saint-Cyr represents the very best of the Beaujolais - joie de vivre and generosity above all, backed up by good people and solid work in the vineyards and cellar.
Terroir de Bellevue comes from a single old vine Gamay parcel in Anse planted by Raphael's grandfather in the 1950s. It's vinified in the semi-carbonic style of the Beaujolais, but the limestone terroir gives it a unique quality. If any wine from the Pierre Dorées could argue for its own cru, this would be it.
