Wine Notes. Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Beaujolais L'Ancien Les Pierres Dorées, Jean-Paul Brun 2012

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1 page 1 memberservices@ Fleurie Clos de la Roilette 2012 Lovely fruit here in this fine hand-crafted Fleurie. La Roilette is on the border with Moulin-à-Vent and has a bit more body. Product Code BJ5791 Dominant Grape Gamay Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2016 Origin Beaujolais Alcohol Level 13.0% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Beaujolais L'Ancien Les Pierres Dorées, Jean-Paul Brun 2012 A very pure expression of gamay, fruity, light and delectable. Serve cool. Product Code BJ5921 Dominant Grape Gamay Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2015 Origin Beaujolais Alcohol Level 12.0% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Jean-Paul Brun - See next page.

2 page 2 memberservices@ Producer : Jean-Paul Brun Jean-Paul Brun is undoubtedly the best-known producer in the south of Beaujolais. This is the so-called Pays des Pierres Dorées, named after the golden coloured limestone, much quarried for building material. Jean-Paul is based in Charnay, a village just north of Lyon. Viticulture is important here although it shares the hillsides with other forms of agriculture. Most of the wines are simple and sold as Beaujolais Nouveau, but Jean-Paul is the exception, and aims for a more complex, food-friendly style. He started in 1977 with just four hectares, and now has 30, as well as 15 hectares of vineyard plots on the granite soils of some of the Beaujolais crus Fleurie, Moulin à Vent, Morgon and Côte de Brouilly. The vineyard is in the process of conversion to biodynamic viticulture. Particular specialities include his chardonnay, which accounts for eight hectares of his vines, as well as L Ancien, a gamay made from old vines. Jean Paul s winemaking is much more Burgundian and traditional than most of his neighbours, with wines fermenting in vats before ageing in cement or oak. He believes in minimal intervention, and chooses not to add industrial yeasts, which are often responsible for the bubblegum style of some generic Beaujolais. Nor does he practise chaptalisation (adding sugar to the must to increase alcohol), which explains why alcohol levels are lower.

3 page 3 memberservices@ Fleurie, Domaine Montangeron 2012 Full-flavoured, fruity gamay to serve with steak and kidney pie. Product Code BJ5931 Dominant Grape Gamay Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2019 Origin Beaujolais Alcohol Level 13.0% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Regnie Domaine Jean-Marc Burgaud 2012 I do like big full-bodied wines. Honestly I do, but I m drawn increasingly to wines that say it all without the kick of alcohol. Beaujolais is perfect. It s made from the gamay grape which came from further south, but thrives on the granitic soils in Beaujolais. Wines from Régnié resemble those from Brouilly, and are flavoursome, sappy and gorgeous. Marcel Orford-Williams Product Code BJ5741 Dominant Grape Gamay Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2015 Origin Beaujolais Alcohol Level 12.5% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Domaine Jean-Marc Burgaud - See next page.

4 page 4 memberservices@ Producer : Domaine Jean-Marc Burgaud Jean-Marc Burgaud is a top Beaujolais grower, claimed by many to be the best producer in Morgon. Jean-Marc comes from a family of winemakers, and his own career in the industry began in 1989 after he completed a diploma in oenology. He now owns 19 hectares of vineyards in several appellations, comprising 13 hectares in Morgon where his estate is based, plus five hectares in the Beaujolas-Villages area and one hectare in Régnié. His Régnié grapes are grown on 50-year-old vines in sandy, stony soil. Wines from Régnié the youngest Beaujolais cru are often supple, round, and fruity, and Burgaud calls his own example feminine and cheerful. Harvesting is by hand, as it has been for generations, and tradition prevails in the winery too. Burgaud s aim is always to illustrate his passion for winemaking in the most important place of all: the glass. Perhaps most well-regarded are his two Morgons: the soft, refined Les Charmes and the more meatily-structured Cote du Py, both of which can benefit from time in the cellar.

5 page 5 memberservices@ Chapel Down Bacchus 2012 The bacchus grape is planted extensively in England and produces a crisp refreshing wine with a gooseberry-tinged finish. Product Code EN771 Dominant Grape Bacchus Product Type White Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2016 Origin England Alcohol Level 12.0% Style 2 (of 9): Dry Closure type Stopper cork, ie sherry Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Chapel Down - See next page.

6 page 6 memberservices@ Producer : Chapel Down Chapel Down is one of England s most successful wineries, whose first vineyard in Tenterden, Kent, was planted in It is now the largest UK wine producer, making a range of Champagne-style sparkling wine and aromatic white, red and rosé wines, and has won a plethora of accolades. The Tenterden vineyard is home to its state-of-theart winery, headed by winemaker Josh Donaghay-Spire who gained experience in wineries in Alsace, Champagne and South Africa. The south-east of England is blessed with a cool, maritime climate and a wide varieties of soils and slopes with which the Chapel Down team can match the appropriate grape varieties to their ideal conditions. As well as its Tenterden vineyard, it now also has a large vineyard in nearby Aylesford, but it also sources fruit from trusted growers on the South Downs of Sussex, the chalk downlands of Hampshire and other areas in Essex and Kent. The 9 hectares at Tenterden are on clay loam over sand on south-facing slopes. Here, the team plants pinot noir (used for the red and rosé as well as sparkling wines), pinot blanc, chardonnay and bacchus, a relatively new grape variety perfectly suited to English viticulture, some of which has been planted here since At Aylesford, the Kit s Coty vineyard is planted exclusively with the chardonnay and pinot noir used for Chapel Down s sparkling wine, thanks to its ideal, gentle, south-facing slopes of chalky, well-draining soil. So far 30 of the 45 hectares are planted, leaving room for inevitable expansion. Among the various varieties sourced elsewhere is rondo, another popular grape used in English red wine production. All grapes are harvested by hand before being transferred to the winery, where they undergo a gentle pressing before being fermented at low temperatures in stainless-steel tanks, with the exception of a small percentage of the chardonnay which ferments in barrels. The sparkling wine can spend up to five years ageing on its lees for added depth and texture. The team also produces a range of three popular beers called Curious Brew.

7 page 7 memberservices@ Chapel Down Pinot Blanc 2010 A fine example of English pinot blanc from grapes grown in Kent and Hampshire. Wafts of greengage on the nose, this has a fullness of flavour and a refreshing finish. Product Code EN721 Dominant Grape Pinot Blanc Product Type White Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2015 Origin England Alcohol Level 11.5% Style 1 (of 9): Bone dry Closure type Cork, agglomerate Vintage 2010 Price No longer for sale Producer : Chapel Down - See next page.

8 page 8 memberservices@ Producer : Chapel Down Chapel Down is one of England s most successful wineries, whose first vineyard in Tenterden, Kent, was planted in It is now the largest UK wine producer, making a range of Champagne-style sparkling wine and aromatic white, red and rosé wines, and has won a plethora of accolades. The Tenterden vineyard is home to its state-of-theart winery, headed by winemaker Josh Donaghay-Spire who gained experience in wineries in Alsace, Champagne and South Africa. The south-east of England is blessed with a cool, maritime climate and a wide varieties of soils and slopes with which the Chapel Down team can match the appropriate grape varieties to their ideal conditions. As well as its Tenterden vineyard, it now also has a large vineyard in nearby Aylesford, but it also sources fruit from trusted growers on the South Downs of Sussex, the chalk downlands of Hampshire and other areas in Essex and Kent. The 9 hectares at Tenterden are on clay loam over sand on south-facing slopes. Here, the team plants pinot noir (used for the red and rosé as well as sparkling wines), pinot blanc, chardonnay and bacchus, a relatively new grape variety perfectly suited to English viticulture, some of which has been planted here since At Aylesford, the Kit s Coty vineyard is planted exclusively with the chardonnay and pinot noir used for Chapel Down s sparkling wine, thanks to its ideal, gentle, south-facing slopes of chalky, well-draining soil. So far 30 of the 45 hectares are planted, leaving room for inevitable expansion. Among the various varieties sourced elsewhere is rondo, another popular grape used in English red wine production. All grapes are harvested by hand before being transferred to the winery, where they undergo a gentle pressing before being fermented at low temperatures in stainless-steel tanks, with the exception of a small percentage of the chardonnay which ferments in barrels. The sparkling wine can spend up to five years ageing on its lees for added depth and texture. The team also produces a range of three popular beers called Curious Brew.

9 page 9 memberservices@ The Society s Beaujolais-Villages 2011 The Beaujolais region can be divided into two parts. There is the southern Bas-Beaujolais which tends to produce simple wine that is mostly sold as Nouveau. The northern Haut-Beaujolais produces a style of wine that tends to be fuller flavoured and more structured. All red Beaujolais is made from a single grape variety, gamay, which typically produces a wine that has colour, a lovely fragrance that can be floral or fruity, round tannins, and a sappy, fruit laden acidity that refreshes the palate and which helps make Beaujolais such a perfect wine to go with food. 39 villages in the Haut-Beaujolais are entitled to the Appellation Beaujolais-Villages and this Society own label Beaujolais-Villages represents a blend of four of them including Juliénas in the far north of Beaujolais. Fruity, round and soft tasting with plenty of flavour and a lovely freshness. Perfect for parties and buffet-type meals, or lightly chilled with a good supply of charcuterie. 'The best value Beaujolais in Britain' wrote The Mail on Sunday's Olly Smith. We're not going to argue. Product Code BJ4601 Dominant Grape Gamay Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates Within two years of purchase Origin Beaujolais Alcohol Level 12.5% Style Light to medium-bodied Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2011 Price No longer for sale Producer : Les Vins Aujoux - See next page.

10 page 10 Producer : Les Vins Aujoux This is the source of the bulk of our Beaujolais for the last 50 years, and many members will also have tried the fruits of The Society s work with this excellent Beaujolais-based négoce in the form of our bestselling white wine, The Society s White Burgundy, sourced from the Mâcon. Dealing with a négociant allows The Wine Society to pick and choose, often blending together from different estates in order to end up with a wine that is better than any of its parts. Négoces have had a huge part to play in the recent history of Beaujolais, some of it not so good but some of it very positive. For all its apparent simplicity, Beaujolais is a complicated region that is often the victim of its own capricious climate with late frosts and violent hailstorms a common recurrence. The one name that stands out for us is Dépagneux: Jean Dépagneux was the last of this illustrious merchant family who, with his partners, bought up a list of ailing names such as Aujoux, which had made its name selling Beaujolais to the once profitable Swiss market. Jean retired about a dozen years ago and his place was taken by a young and talented oenologist from Viré called Jean-Marc Darbon. One consequence of the change has been the meteoric rise in the quality of The Society s White Burgundy.

11 page 11 Coteaux du Lyonnais Domaine des Hauts de Chasselay 2012 On the heights above Lyon, a small vineyard has survived the city's expansion. Halfway between Rhône and Beaujolais but a source of very good gamay. Product Code BJ5761 Dominant Grape Gamay Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2017 Origin Beaujolais Alcohol Level 12.5% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Beaujolais-Villages Vieilles Vignes, Ch d'emeringes 2011 Beaujolais should be a delight to drink. At the villages level it should be light to medium-bodied, fresh and juicy, with enough flavour to serve with a steak frîtes or your favourite pâté and cold meat picnic. Bingo! Product Code BJ5671 Dominant Grape Gamay Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2015 Origin Beaujolais Alcohol Level 12.5% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Cork, plastic Vintage 2011 Price No longer for sale Producer : Chateau D'Emeringes - See next page.

12 page 12 Producer : Chateau D'Emeringes Located in the villages, Château d Emeringes borders Chénas and Fleurie, and is just north of Juliénas. Vines have been grown here since the fourteenth century, but Château d Emeringes was formed in the mid-20th century and has been in the same family for three generations. The family vineyards are all on optimum Beaujolais-Villages sites, with sandy granitic soils and south-east-facing slopes. The family grows 15 acres of gamay, with vines at least 40 years old, as well as small amounts of 30-year-old chardonnay vines to make white Beaujolais. The age of the vines, combined with careful vineyard management such as the restricted use of pesticides, ensures they produce grapes of the best possible quality. In the winery, headed by Pierre David, production is very much in line with traditional Beaujolais practices such as semi-carbonic maceration. Their wines are in a classic Beaujolais style, with wonderful full body and an ageing potential that puts them more on a par with cru Beaujolais.

13 page 13 Three Choirs Midsummer Hill 2012 A crisp, dry white from Gloucestershire. A fine accompaniment for chicken and fish dishes or an ideal aperitif. Product Code EN761 Dominant Grape not applicable Product Type White Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2016 Origin England Alcohol Level 10.5% Style 2 (of 9): Dry Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Three Choirs Vineyards Ltd Situated in the English countryside where the three counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire converge, Three Choirs has become one of England s most significant producers. As well as being the second largest wine estate in the country with around 100 acres under vine, Three Choirs is also one of the oldest, having pioneered the English wine movement in the 1970s when the industry was still in its infancy. Award-winning winemaker Martin Fowke has closely studied the techniques of New World producers such as those in New Zealand, working in cooler climate areas and has successfully tailored the winemaking processes to the prevailing English climate. The gentle undulating south-facing slopes here lie within a special microclimate, sheltered by the Malverns and the Brecon Beacons. The conditions are ideal for ripening the grapes, which are kept cool and clean by the breezes coming up the valley from the River Severn. A variety of well-suited grape varieties including pinot noir is planted and each year, red, white and rosé styles are produced along with sparkling whites. Martin has recently started projects with boutique wineries around the world to bottle small amounts of their wines as well as brewing speciality beers and producing a range of ciders. He also makes wines for thirty other vineyards in England and Wales at the modern on-site winery. These ongoing enterprises, as well as the visitors facilities attracting tourists from around the world to this rural setting, look set to keep Three Choirs firmly at the top of its game.

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