Côte de Brouilly
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Accessory grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- Distinctive geology: metamorphic porphyry ('pierres bleues') and granite on the west- and north-west-facing slopes
- Thin, very stony and clayey soils over the 'pierres bleues'; sandy and very free-draining over the granite
- 4 communes in the Rhône: Cercié, Odenas, Quincié-en-Beaujolais and Saint-Lager, on the slopes of Mont Brouilly (485 m)
- More than 80% of the vineyard faces east and south, sheltered from westerly winds by the Monts du Beaujolais
- Degraded oceanic climate with continental influences (thunderstorms, freezing fogs) and Mediterranean influences (summer heat, autumn and spring rainfall) (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Human factors
- The chapel 'Notre Dame du Raisin' was erected in 1857 at the summit of the hill to protect the vineyard from powdery mildew; an annual pilgrimage is held on 8 September
- Gamay trained as gobelet-pruned bush vines with short spurs and high planting density; pigeage, pumping-over or 'grillage' techniques are used to extract aromas and polyphenols
Product characteristics
- Deep violet-red robe evolving toward garnet; floral and fruity nose, developing spice notes with age
- On the palate: fruity and full-bodied, with a distinctive mineral character
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.