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George Descombes

Beaujolais Brouilly 2018

Price: $32.95
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Tasting notes

Descombes uses a 30-day cold carbonic maceration, longer than most of his peers, which draws out extra florality and mineral depth without adding weight. The Brouilly's granite soils give the wine a gravelly tension that keeps cherry and raspberry fruit from ever feeling soft or slack.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
CherryRaspberryVioletGranite Mineral
  • Style: Light-bodied natural red; pale ruby; cherry, raspberry, violet, granite minerality; 12.5% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Gamay; organic farming; decomposed granite soils; hilly sites around Mont Brouilly, Brouilly AOC
  • Winemaking: Whole-cluster semi-carbonic maceration, 30 days cold; native yeasts; no SO2 during fermentation; aged ~1 year in vat and large foudres; trace SO2 at bottling
  • Serving: Serve at 54-58F; no decanting needed; enjoy within 3-5 years of vintage
  • Pairing: Charcuterie, roast chicken, pork, mild washed-rind cheese, lentil salad
  • Similar To: For fans of Pinot Noir and lighter Grenache who want Gamay's juicy red fruit with real mineral backbone

Georges Descombes' Brouilly is 100% Gamay sourced from 3.5 hectares of organically farmed vines on hilly sites of decomposed granite soils surrounding Mont Brouilly. Descombes makes two Brouilly bottlings; this is the younger-vine cuvee, from vines ranging up to nearly 50 years old, plus some purchased Brouilly fruit. All vineyards are harvested by hand in whole clusters.

In the cellar, Descombes uses whole-bunch, semi-carbonic maceration in large vats over roughly 30 days at cold temperatures with native yeasts and no added sulfur during fermentation. After fermentation, the wine is aged for approximately one year in a combination of inert vats and large wood foudres. A minuscule dose of sulfur is added at bottling, far below the legal limit for certified organic wine, followed by a light, non-sterile filtration.

The result is a light-to-medium-bodied red with a pale ruby color, bright red fruit aromatics of cherry and raspberry, violet florals, and a mineral undercurrent that reflects the granite soils of Brouilly. Tannins are silky, acidity is lively, and the finish carries a subtle savory, peppery note. Descombes typically releases his wines later than peers to allow for extra bottle stabilization.

Serve with charcuterie, roast chicken, or pork tenderloin. The wine's bright acidity and low tannins also make it a natural match for mild washed-rind cheeses. Chill slightly to around 55F for best results.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Gamay
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2018
Alcohol:, 12.5%
Country:, France
Region:, Beaujolais
Appellation:, Brouilly AOC
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

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Producer profile

George Descombes

Georges Descombes is based in Vermont, a small hamlet in Villié-Morgon in the heart of Beaujolais cru country. He took over the family estate in 1988 with barely half a hectare to his name and built it up to approximately 15.5 hectares across five appellations: 7.5 hectares in Morgon, 3.5 hectares in Brouilly, 2 hectares in Regnié, 0.5 hectares in Chiroubles, and 2 hectares in Beaujolais-Villages. He is widely regarded as the unofficial fifth member of Beaujolais' 'Gang of Four,' alongside Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Guy Breton.

As a teenager, Descombes worked alongside his vigneron father and at a local bottling company, where tasting Marcel Lapierre's wines shaped his entire direction. He began practicing organic viticulture from the outset, certified by Ecocert for many years, and now farms organically without formal certification. Copper and sulfur are his only vineyard treatments. No synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers are used.

In the cellar, Descombes ferments whole clusters in a cold semi-carbonic maceration for approximately 30 days using only native yeasts, with no added sulfur during fermentation. After aging in a mix of inert vats and large wood foudres for roughly one year, the wine is bottled with a trace amount of sulfur well below organic legal limits. Descombes consistently releases wines later than his peers to allow additional bottle stabilization.

Wine region

Beaujolais, France

Brouilly is the largest and most southerly of the ten Beaujolais crus, with vineyards spread around the base of Mont Brouilly, a conical hill rising to 484 meters. Pink granite accounts for nearly 47% of the appellation's soils, concentrated in the northern and central sectors, while decomposed granite, sand, and silt dominate the foothills. These poor, well-drained granitic soils are ideal for Gamay, limiting vine vigor and concentrating flavor. Most vineyards face roughly east, catching morning sun from the Saone River valley.

Beaujolais operates under a semi-continental climate with moderate oceanic and Mediterranean influences. The hills to the west shelter vineyards from Atlantic cold, while the southern exposure of Brouilly moderates extremes. The ten Beaujolais crus, all located in the granite-dominant northern half of the region, produce wines of greater structure and aging potential than the clay-based southern areas. Brouilly AOC produces exclusively red wine from Gamay, yielding wines known for fresh red fruit, floral notes, and light-to-medium body.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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