2016 Damien Coquelet Beaujolais Village

Region: Beaujolais < Burgundy < France

Grape: Gamay

Vineyard/cellar stats: organic farming; whole cluster, carbonic fermentation; bottled unfined/unfiltered with no added So2; 11.5% ABV

Winemaker: Damien Coquelet

Gamay runs in the blood of Damien Coquelet, stepson of famous Bojo producer George Descombes, with whom he worked alongside since early childhood, learning the ropes in the vines and the cellar.  This experience imprinted a few non-negotiable principles in Damien's work: organic viticulture, hand harvesting, native yeasts, zero intervention in the cellar and little if any sulfur at bottling.  Eventually he struck out on his own, bottling his first vintage in 2007 at the ripe old age of 20.   

2016 was a cold, wet, challenging vintage in Beaujolais, but the resulting wines were epic - lean, fresh, balanced, elegant -- so whenever we find remnants of this vintage, we grab them, as subsequent vintages have been hot and dry, producing bigger, higher alcohol -- not our cup of tea.  Damien's Village bottling is pure, classic and extremely tasty carbo Gamay, with all of the crunchy red fruit, orange peel and fresh, earthy notes.  It goes with everything, and nothing.  Gamay is the ultimate easy-drinking, chillable red.  So yes, CHILL SLIGHTLY BEFORE SERVING.  And try not to guzzle.