BRAILLON, REGNIE AC

Jean-Charles took the reins of the 5-ha family estate in 1984. His father was one of the first growers to bottle and market his wines rather than simply sell in bulk to the local cooperatives. Quality and tradition are the key words Jean-Charles uses to describe his work, to which we would add authenticity. The high density vineyards lie on poor granitic soils, “lutte raisonnee” methods are used, the grapes are hand-harvested and strictly selected.

The full grapes are macerated and fermented in tanks for a week then gently pressed in an old wooden pressoir. The wine is then left in large foudres for up to three years before bottling.

Regnie wines were long time favourites in Lyon’s famous bouchons (restaurants) but amazingly, they didn’t make it in the original 1936 cru Beaujolais classification. In 1988, this anomaly was corrected when Regnie officially became the 10^th Cru Beaujolais. Deliciously ripe and aromatic, light to medium-bodied, with strawberry and raspberry flavours leaping out of the glass, more gorgeous fruit and grape character on the palate, with hints of Kirsch, ending with silky tannins and perfectly balanced acidity.