2009 Domaine "Les Lys Sacrés" Brouilly Beaujolais Bourgogne France

No doubt, 2009 is an excellent vintage across the board in France, but in my opinion more particularly in Beaujolais. It is quite amazing frankly that most, if not all, 2009 Beaujolais that I tasted were ranging from very good to truly fantastic. There must be some bad ones somewhere, but I have yet to taste them. I will write soon about a great one that I loved, but here is one that I really enjoyed too.  

Domaine "Les Lys Sacrés"  

Domaine Les Lys Sacrés is located in the village of Odenas, about 3 kilometers south of Brouilly, in the Beaujolais region, a commune the French "departement" of the Rhône, part of the Rhône-Alpes region.

I know it is a bit confusing to think that all Beaujolais are produced in the Departement of the Rhône, and are not a part of the Rhône valley wines but Burgundy wines; and that most Rhone Valley wines are produced in the departements of "Isere" and "Drome" and not in the "departement" of the Rhône, but in the region of Rhône-Alpes. You may have also notice that certain producers stopped putting the name "Rhône" (for the departement after the village of origin) on their label to avoid the confusion.

However, to go back to our wine of the day, this is a traditional estate, earthy and surely organic,  that do everything the old way, especially the harvest as specified on the label: "Récolte à l'Ancienne" Work in the vineyards is done under "Lutte Raisonnée", which means natural and sustainable methods, adapted to the different vineyards depending on the quality of the vintage, with minimal use of chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, etc..) only when necessary.

2009 Domaine "Les Lys Sacrés" Brouilly Beaujolais Bourgogne France

Suggested retail price $14-$17

Imported / Distributed by Alan Bradley Imports in NYC (with help via Francki Selections)

100% Gamay, 2009 Les Lys Sacrés possesses a light purple-ruby color of medium intensity, with attractive reflects. The fresh and complex nose boasts aromas of cherry, ripe dark fruit, spices and herbs mingled with hints of minerality and smokey notes. Offering the type of flavors, the palate is soft, balanced, well rounded and quite fruit forward due to the ripeness of the vintage, yet it feels summery and crisp due to a good amount of acidity. Overall easy going, friendly and very approcheable. The finish is quite long and juicy with velvety tannins. Somehow thirst quenching I must say. Very nice and versatile, it will pair well with charcuterie, hors d'oeuvres and more complex dishes based with poultry, game and grilled white meat like pork or veal.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

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