Château de Grand Pré Beaujolais Villages 2023

Château de Grand Pré, nestled in the communes of Fleurie and Villié-Morgon in southern Burgundy, is a family estate rich in history and viticultural innovation. Established by Louis and Renée Bertrand in 1972, the estate symbolized the region's progressive viticultural practices. In the 1990s, the Bertrand family continued their legacy and explored low-intervention viticulture, aligning their practices with organic and natural wine production principles.

By the early 2000s, Château de Grand Pré had entirely phased out synthetic chemicals in its vineyards, reflecting the global trend towards organic wine production. A significant development in the estate's journey occurred in 2012 when Romain, Bertrand's grandson, collaborated with renowned viticulturist Jean-François Ganevat. This partnership was fruitful, with Ganevat sourcing grapes from Romain's harvests, attracted by their superior quality.

Château de Grand Pré spans 8 hectares of vineyards in total; it includes 6 hectares in Fleurie, 1.5 hectares in Morgon, and 0.5 hectares in Beaujolais Villages. The estate's annual production, ranging from 30,000 to 40,000 bottles, highlights the consistent quality and market demand of its natural wines.

Romain's dedication to non-interventionist vinification is evident in the estate's philosophy. Manual harvesting and stages of semi-carbonic maceration in temperature-controlled tanks for 8 to 20 days are pivotal to their process. This approach, coupled with gentle pressing to obtain 'le paradis,' ensures the authentic expression of their terroir.

Natural fermentation occurs without external yeasts, and minimal sulfur usage (5-7 mg/L when necessary) underscores their commitment to organic viticulture. The resulting unfiltered and unfined wines stand as testaments to the pure, natural winemaking tradition at Château de Grand Pré​​​​.

The Beaujolais wine region is located south of Burgundy. It stretches for about 50km from the town of Mâcon and its characteristic rolling hills to the flatlands bordering the regional capital and world-renowned culinary center Lyon on the north.

Beaujolais wine region is split in two by the Nizerand River. The north of the river is where we find the Crus and Beaujolais Villages, whereas south of the river is where Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau are made.

Gamay is the dominant grape varietal of the region giving its best when grown on the granite and sandy clay soils north of the Nizerand River and made into Beaujolais Crus and Beaujolais Villages easy-drinking delicious wines.

There are ten Beaujolais Crus where the best Beaujolais are made: Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie, and Saint-Amour.