An iconic castle in Brouilly appellation, which range expresses
the richness, diversity and uniqueness of this terroir through parcel selection.
BROUILLY 2018
GRANDE RÉSERVE

click on one of the vintages below for further information

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The vineyards of the Beaujolais region are very hilly. They are delimited on one side by the foothills of France’s Massif Central mountain range and overlook the Saône River’s floodplain between Mâcon and Lyon. Nestled at the foot of Mont Brouilly, Château de Pierreux is one of the most beautiful residences in the Beaujolais region.

Several centuries of history have shaped this ancient 13th-century fortified house of which two towers still stand today. The castle was renovated several times over the centuries. Its vaulted cellars date back to the 17th century while the current building was erected in the 19th century.

Château de Pierreux’s 110 hectares of vines are planted in shallow, well-drained pink granitic, schistous, and siliceous soils which contain deposits of blue porphyry from the volcanic eruptions of Mont Brouilly that date back millions of years.

The estate was certified High Environmental Value (HVE) in 2020.

Planting density: 10,000 vines/ha
Age of the vines: 83 years
Yields: 35 hL.
Pruning: goblet

Work philosophy: Growing methods are decided upon vineyard by vineyard according to lutte raisonnée, an environmentally friendly approach. Everything is analysed in detail: risk of disease, the number of harmful and beneficial insects that can be found in each vineyard, the size and number of bunches of grapes per vine, problems with weeds, the health of the vines’ leaves, etc.
Working of the soil: de-earthing, scraping, hoeing between the vines.

This philosophy has 3 objectives:
     - limiting the use of chemicals in the vineyards,
     - re-establishing the vines’ physiological balance,
     - protecting the environment.

100% Gamay

Color: deep garnet.
Nose: very intense, it reveals subtle and varied scents. Forest fruits blend wonderfully with notes of pepper and liquorice which complicate this aromatic panel.
Palate: fleshy and warm, powerful and smooth. A palette of fruits invades our senses to reveal a beautiful length.

The harvest took place under unusual heat and magnificent sunshine, which allowed us to obtain a good concentration of sugar and polyphenols.
The harvest is destemmed 100%. We applied a slow fermentation between 22 and 25°C and a maceration of 28 days. The juices were thundered.
This cuvée will age on fine lees, in the vaulted cellars of the castle, for 29 months.
13,330 bottles were bottled in April 2020.

Better to wait 5 years to fully appreciate it. Aging potential 15 to 20 years.

January was mild, but February and March were cold. Then came April, which was hot, dry, and fairly sunny; and May, which was rainy with normal levels of sunshine. June was hot and stormy, but the vines remained miraculously healthy. Summer was very hot and dry. Despite the drought and high temperatures, the vines withstood the weather very well.
Harvesting at the Château took place from 3 to 21 September.
The 2018 vintage is already being described as incredible and aromatic, dominated by notes of black berries and raspberry, with a touch of spice, and remarkable structure and balance.