Brouilly is Beaujolais’ largest Cru, covering 1,300 hectares in an area surrounding Mont Brouilly. Despite the pandemic, 2020 was an excellent year for Gamay in Brouilly and Beaujolais writ large. Jean-Claude Debeaune’s Domaine de Grand Croix is a nice example with concentrated fruit and balanced earthiness expected from this region. The red and black fruit flavors tend toward jammy without being too sweet or distracting. A nice undertone of leather and flint brings the wine together. Not only will this wine pair with a wide range of winter foods — butternut soup, please — the fruit’s ripeness will help newer wine drinkers venture into a drier wine style.
Jean-Claude Debeaune, Brouilly (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) 2020
By Vince Simmon