2022 Domaine Chardigny, Beaujolais-Leynes “La Croix des Batailles” France.
All new to me, this Chardigny Beaujolais-Leynes, is an exciting new Gamay discovery with expressive fruit and a transparent natural feel to it, showing off dark berry, strawberry, plum and spiced cherry fruits and a delicate floral essence, along with a mix of mineral, wild herbs and subtle earthiness. The soils in this part of Beaujolais are more loamy and there’s a bit more concentration on the palate, but still plenty lively and vibrant and the luminous ruby color is very appealing. Made in the classic carbonic maceration method with 100% whole cluster using a combination of cement and stainless steel vats lasting about 2 weeks, after which it aged just a short time before bottling. Coming from a terroir, as mentioned, I hadn’t had before, Beaujolais-Leynes, which is a Beaujolais-Village appellation according to the winery, sourced from vineyards at the geological convergence between Beaujolais and Mâconnais, this Domaine Chardigny example is a delicious Gamay expression. The cellar at the family owned Domaine Chardigny is led by Victor Chardigny, who who has a degree in Enology and Viticulture, and who oversees all the vineyards and winemaking here, along with his brother Jean-Baptiste, who joined the family estate in 2019, bringing biodynamic experience from his years at Domaine Leflaive. The vineyards straddle the Beaujolais and Mâconnais divide, which historically has been lesser known, but has been getting some more attention with some fabulous stuff coming from here in recent years.
I learned in my research that the Chardigny family has been growing wine for at least 200 years and that the Domaine Chardigny, while a recent addition, as of 2014, with a first vintage in 2015, there is a long tradition behind this label, which is just starting to create a buzz. According to The Source Imports, brothers, Pierre-Maxime and Victor-Emmanuel Chardigny took over their 18th-century family estate located on the geological and appellation border between Beaujolais and Mâconnais. After which they joined by their other brother Jean-Baptiste, who had spent many years as the vineyard manager for legendary Domaine Leflaive, a celebrated biodynamic grower in the Côte d’Or, which significant holdings in Le Montrachet and Puligny as well as the Mâconnais. Together, they now farm 20 hectares of organically certified vineyards in Saint-Amour and Saint-Véran, with Chardonnay grown in Jurassic limestone and clay, and Gamay in the acidic, igneous rock of France’s Massif Central. The Chardigny’s Beaujolais style, as again noted by their importer, is clean and direct, with the idea of balancing between classic Côte d’Or Pinot Noir and softer, semi-carbonic expressively fruity and savory Gamay typical of modern whole cluster Beaujolais, along with fresh, gentle, mineral-driven set of Chardonnays. This Gamay, from the Beaujolais-Leynes zone, is one definitely one to look for and this is a winery to watch, I hopefully with get a chance to taste their Chardonnay bottlings sometime soon and report on them.
($30 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive