1. 2009 Beaujolais Renaissance Press Tasting
The Pickering Cellar
Wednesday 26th May 2010
9.30am – 3.30pm
For further information please contact:-
Vicky Williams
Tel: 01256 340140
Email: vicky.williams@bbr.com

2. www.bbr.com For further information please contact:-
Vicky Williams
Sales & Services: Tel: 01256 340140
Tel: 0800 280 2440 Email: vicky.williams@bbr.com
Fax: 0800 280 2443
Email: bbr@bbr.com
Weekdays 9am to 6pm
Saturdays 10am to 4pm

3. It was not just Bordeaux which enjoyed a superb vintage in 2009. Most of France enjoyed
a fine summer and excellent vintage conditions. Clearly the Beaujolais has made
exceptionally exciting wines, arguably even finer than the 2005s. The structure of a great
vintage is clearly present, allied to an immensely appealing richness of fruit. These are
wines to fall in love with.
Beaujolais is on the brink of a Renaissance. For too long the region has suffered from
post-nouveau depression, which has dampened enthusiasm in export markets and kept
prices down. It is amazing that the fine wines from the top Crus made by conscientious producers who plough their
soil and take the same care and attention as their colleagues in the Côte d’Or, are mostly available for well under £20
a bottle. I sense that prices will soon become more realistic, as they need to do if producers are to be able to reinvest.
The 2009s are not only brilliant wines but absolute bargains.
There are wide differences in wine-making techniques. Some of our producers favour the classical Beaujolais tradition
of packing their tanks with whole bunches which then start to macerate and eventually ferment under a seal of carbon
dioxide. Others prefer whole or partial destemming followed by a Burgundian style fermentation. We eschew those who
practice thermovinification, which gives standardised wines with aromatics which lose the character of grape and
terroir. The choice of élévage – in tank, foudre or barrel, also makes a significant difference.
Cheerful Beaujolais
The wretched Nouveau, such a brilliant marketing idea at the outset, has ended up as a form of homeopathic
inoculation against Beaujolais – one small dose in November and you don’t have to touch the stuff for the rest of the
year. This is a tragedy for those who are still making exciting wines of quality and durability.
There is Beaujolais grown on the flat land near the river Saone which need not concern us. But there is also
Beaujolais grown high in the hills around village such as Bois d’Oingt and Ste Paule, with old vines on steep schist
and granite slopes. Alain Chatoux makes a brilliant example. Theoretically one step up is the appellation of Beaujolais
Villages, but again you need to choose where to source your wine. Some of the best come from around Lantignié, a
stone’s throw from Beaujeu, the town which has given the region its name.
The Crus
Nine appellations, subsequently increased to 10 with the promotion of Regnié, make up the crus of Beaujolais.
Chénas, Juliénas, Chiroubles, Regnié, and St Amour are relatively rarely seen, though we have tracked down exciting
examples of three of the five.
Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly complement each other. The Mont de Brouilly, covered in vines on all four sides rises out
of the undulating patchwork of Brouilly vines.

4. Fleurie, even as its name suggests, is the most charming wine of the Beaujolais, delicious to drink young though the
best examples improve with age. Various different sub-districts are beginning to emerge, but the perfume will remain
the same although the body and structure may vary between La Roilette, les Moriers or La Madone.
That leaves the two big beasts Morgon and Moulin à Vent, the most tannic appellations making wines with a brisk
mineral core. Both repay keeping, the flavours drifting towards notes more familiar to pinot drinkers as they mature.
Look out for wines from the Côte du Py (Morgon) and La Roche, la Rochelle or Rochegrès (Moulin à Vent).
Jasper Morris MW
Berrys’ Burgundy Director

5. Contents Page
Beaujolais 5
Regnié 5
Brouilly 5
Côte de Brouilly 5
Chiroubles 6
Fleurie 6
Juliénas 6
Morgon 6-7
Moulin à Vent 7
Producer information 8-9

6. Beaujolais Single Btl
Beaujolais, Vieilles Vignes, Alain Chatoux (B) £9.95 bottle/£8.95 by the case
Beaujolais Villages, Le Tracot, Jean-Paul Dubost (B) £9.95 bottle/£8.95 by the case
Regnié Single Btl
Regnié, Julien Sunier (C) £14.95 bottle/£13.45 by the case
Brouilly Single Btl
Brouilly, Vieilles Vignes, Alain Michaud (B) £12.95 bottle/£11.65 by the case
Brouilly Vieilles Vignes, Jean-Paul Dubost (B) £13.95 bottle/£12.55 by the case
Côte de Brouilly Single Btl
Côte de Brouilly, Les Sept Vignes, Chateau Thivin (B) £14.95 bottle/£13.45 by the case
Côte de Brouilly, Clos Bertrand, Chateau Thivin (B) £15.50 bottle/£13.95 by the case
(C) - Cask Sample (B) - Bottle Sample (M) - Available in Magnum(s)
M
5

7. Chiroubles Single Btl
Chiroubles, Bernard Métrat (B) £14.50 bottle/£13.05 by the case
Fleurie Single Btl
Fleurie, Les Moriers, Michel Chignard & Fils (B) £14.95 bottle/£13.45 by case
Fleurie, La Roilette, Vielles Vignes, Bernard Métrat (C) (M) £108.00 In bond
Fleurie, Julien Sunier (C) (M) £129.00 In bond
Juliénas Single Btl
Juliénas Les Paquelets, Vieilles Vignes, Eve & Michel Rey (C) £15.50 bottle/£13.95 by the case
Morgon Single Btl
Morgon, Voute St Vincent, Louis-Claude Desvignes (B) £12.50 bottle/£11.25 by the case
Morgon, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Grange Cochard (C) (M) £13.95 bottle/£12.55 by the case/
£29.95 magnum / £26.95 magnum by the case
Morgon, Charmes, Domaine Grange Cochard (C) £15.95 bottle/£14.35 by the case
(C) - Cask Sample (B) - Bottle Sample (M) - Available in Magnum(s)
M
6

8. Morgon cnt Single Btl
Morgon, Côte du Py, Domaine Louis-Claude Desvignes (C) (M) £108.00 In bond
Morgon, Côte du Py, Domaine Grange Cochard (C) (M) £129.00 In bond
Moulin à Vent Single Btl
Moulin à Vent, En Brenay, Jean-Pierre Dubost (B) £15.95 bottle/ £14.35 by the case
Moulin à Vent, Olivier Merlin (C) £126.00 In bond
Moulin à Vent, La Rochelle, Olivier Merlin (C) (M) £159.00 In bond
Moulin à Vent, Les Ruchaux, Thibault Liger-Belair (C) £138.00 In bond
Moulin à Vent, Vieilles Vignes, Thibault Liger-Belair (C) £156.00 In bond
Moulin à Vent, La Roche, Thibault Liger-Belair (C) £189.00 In bond
2009 Beaujolais Renaissance Tasting 7

9. Producer information
Alain Chatoux
It takes time to reach Alain Chatoux’s hideaway in Ste Paule, some 700m above sea-level, near the Bois d’Oingt – this
is where the best ‘straight’ Beaujolais comes from, on steep granitic and schistous slopes, completely different from
the vineyards down in the plain of the Saône. Alain Chatoux’s track record shows that even this simple Beaujolais will
keep for many years.
Jean-Paul Dubost
The domaine is situated in the hamlet of Le Tracot, near Regnié, a noted spot for its Beaujolais Villages. Over the past
decade Jean-Paul has built up his holdings to include cuvées of Brouilly, Fleurie, Morgon and Moulin à Vent.
Julien Sunier NEW TO BBR
Julien has recently established himself in old farmhouse in Avénas, with three small plots of cru Beaujolais to his
name, farmed organically. After fermentation, using the stems and carbonic maceration, the wine is aged in a mix of
tank and barrel for the Regnié, just barrel for the Fleurie. Julien’s plot of the latter is at the top of the La Madone hill,
just behind the chapel, nicely protected from the elements by dry stone walls. The site has never been polluted by
chemicals, so has impressive biodiversity.
Alain Michaud
Alain Michaud is based in the hamlet of St Lager in the centre of the Brouilly appellation, where he makes traditional
old vine Beaujolais eschewing artificial yeasts or thermovinification. His wines have good ageing potential.
Château Thivin NEW TO BBR
The leading property of the Côte de Brouilly appellation has been in the hands of the Geoffray family since 1877.
Today Claude and Evelyne Geoffray produce several different cuvees depending on the orientation of each parcel as
the Côte de Brouilly hill has vines on three of its four sides.
Bernard Métrat
The Métrats are based in the lieu-dit of La Roilette, where there is a shallow layer of clay on top of the granite, giving a
fuller bodied Fleurie. There are two cuvées, with BBR selecting the later bottling made from older vines. In 2009 we
have also chosen an old vine bottling of Chiroubles from the higher slopes above Fleurie.
Michel Chignard & Fils
Cédric Chignard continues his father’s good work with their 8.5ha of Fleurie in and around Les Moriers on the Moulin
à Vent side of the appellation. The wine is made in large wooden foudres, but no barrels for the regular cuvée.
8 2009 Beaujolais Renaissance Tasting

10. Producer information cnt
Eve & Michel Rey
One of our Pouilly-Fuissé suppliers also has a small parcel of vines in Juliénas in the lieu-dit Les Paquelets, including a
patch planted around about 1900. This is vinified with some of the stems, then matured in barrel. The wine from the
ancient vines is bottled separately for Berrys.
Louis-Claude Desvignes
The domaine is now run by Louis-Claude’s daughter Claude-Emmanuelle and son Louis-Benoît. They offer a range of
different Morgon bottlings, from the all purpose Voute St Vincent, via a 2 hectare plot on the granitic Côte de Py, to
their holding of Javernières which usually makes the fullest wine of the appellation.
ade Jean-Paul has built up his holdings to include cuvées of Brouilly, Fleurie, Morgon and Moulin à Vent.
Domaine Grange Cochard NEW TO BBR
James and Sarah Wilding have abandoned St Albans for the charms of the Beaujolais countryside and a delightful
property close to Morgon with some fine vineyard holdings, all benefiting from old vines. Starting in 2009 they will
produce an old vine blend and two single vineyard wines. Whereas Côte de Py is famed for rugged, structured wines,
Les Charmes has more clay in the soil and provides a softer, generous style.
Olivier Merlin
Olivier was like a cat with two tails when he was able to buy a superb plot of vines, planted in 1937 on one of Moulin
à Vent’s top terroirs, La Rochelle. Olivier’s vinification delivers wines without the deepest colour but with exceptional
depth of flavour and amazing persistence. His ‘regular’ Moulin à Vent is a mix from his La Rochelle vineyard and other
well placed terroirs.
Thibault Liger-Belair NEW TO BBR
Thibault, installed in Nuits St Georges since 2002, finished his wine studies at the Lycee Bel-Air near Belleville a few
years earlier. He gained a great enthusiasm for the Beaujolais while he was there, especially the wines of Moulin à
Vent. 2009 is the first vintage of a newly acquired property of 3.20 hectares. Three wines will be bottled: Les Ruchaux,
a vieilles vignes blend (60 years+) and La Roche, a classic terroir with hardly any topsoil and 80 year old vines, almost
next door to Olivier Merlin’s La Rochelle.