2014 Dominique Piron Brouilly, Domaine de Combiaty

Region: Brouilly < Beaujolais < France
Grapes: Gamay
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming, 50 year-old vines, granitic and schist soil, aged in foudres and neutral barrel; unfined/unfiltered
Winemaker: Dominique Piron

Dominique Piron’s family has farmed grapes in the Morgon area of Beaujolais since 1590, and he’s the 14th generation in his family to make wine. Which makes sense, as his wines possess character, personality and elegance that come from decades upon decades of walking vineyards, methodical tastings, cellar tweaking and everyday hard work – Dominique understands the nuances of his terroir and knows what to do with them. He produces wine from many of Beaujolais’ ten crus, and each is distinct. This Domaine de Combiaty is Brouilly to T – masculine, almost burly, with blackberry and cherry dancing with that awesome peppercorn note that is unmistakably Gamay, and it is sooo silky in the mouth. There is no carbonic fermentation here – he ferments and ages in the Burgundian style – so this is a more structured wine, one that can age. Try it next to La Mule for a fun comparison of different French Gamay styles and terroirs.