Cuvée La Chapelle Côte de Brouilly Gamay

Apropos, the vines for “La Chapelle” are adjacent to the chapel perched at the very top of the Mont Brouilly where it is quite dry and the soil is very poor. The vineyard is also remarkably steep making manual harvest essential.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three days. Fairly consistent throughout but I felt it was most enjoyable on Day 2 and 3. The 2022 “La Chapelle” pours a deep ruby/purple color; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is youthful and fresh with beautiful notes of tart blackberries, red plum, wet stone, a combination of red and purple flowers, licorice, dried green herbs, some wood varnish. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and has a stiff spine of minerals. This is a cerebral wine compared to “Godefroy” (which is almost quaffable in comparison). Drinking well now to enjoy its freshness but will undoubtedly drink well through 2037+. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass

One of the better 15’s I have had and I really dislike the vintage. The nose is very 15 with sunshine ripened dark cherry fruit that teeters the line but it’s not quite over the line. It’s still all fruit on the nose and not much jf any soil tones. Palate is rich and delicious with decent freshness, good cut and energy and very ripe. Insanely juicy and decadent and still a baby. Needs 10+ years for this to show more Cote de Brouily versus Gamay, which is what it is showing now.

Tart, dusty, puckering. Shaping up nicely then sadly, with air, a touch of mouse. Atypical for this domaine.

One of the the success stories of 15 is Chateau Thivin. This is an excellent La Chapelle. Nose is ripe and plummy. There’s hints of sur maturite but also wonderful driving granite tones as well. Black Cherry compote. So intense but also a lovely sense of freshness. Palate has superb fruit of the tiny berry kind and it’s painfully intense and concentrated. Black fruits all the way. Just explosive. Really impressive. The freshness is terrific especially in 15. Just awesome and has decades to go.

Res fruit and forest floor. Restrained at first. Thin bodied, some firm tannins. Well made and elegant. Probably drunk too young (2018 drunk in March 20)

A great La Chapelle. Blueberry, smoke, spice, dark cherries, loads of earth and mineral. Spicey granite. Lovely floral top note as well. Palate is ripe and so so juicy, incredible freshness and purity and shockingly mineral. The fruit is in background. Has a red Riesling quality to it this year. Fruit is more fruit skin than flesh. Cherry, blueberry, cassis and super concentrated but so nimble. Absolutely delicious. Long mineral finish with floral and fruit sneaking in as it airs. Great stuff.

Insane nose. Huge berry fruit. Blackberry, raspberry, super complex. Granite. Earth and mineral. It’s just stunning. You gotta pay $150 for this in Côte de Nuits. Spice. Clove. Herbs. Just insane. Soil tones. What a palate. So so refined. So elegant. So pure and fresh. Huge blackberry and cherry fruit that is just crackling with wonderful velvety like tannins and stellar purity. This needs age but oh man bojo does not get much better. Amazing length. So complex but this baby will slay in 10 years. So juicy and with a wonderful structure and freshness. My god this is deep with such an insane hit of opulence. Stunning in every way.

Slammed shut. When this wine is open it’s a 9.7. Avoid for 2-4 years. I believe in this wine. Just not today.

From Beaujolais Thursday

Mega grapey nose off the bat. But also tons of crushed granite. Tons of soil inflected aromas. Smells like fresh potting soil and black fruits. Stunning nose once it gets going and shakes off the grapyness. Palate is dense and packed and I mean packed with pure black cherry and blackberry fruit. But then it finishes elegant and granite infused with some firm tannins and terrific freshness. Graceful, vividly fruity, transparent and structured. What more can you ask for? Amazing wine