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Domaine des Braves, Régnié

Beaujolais, France 2015 (750mL)
$19.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol
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Domaine des Braves, Régnié

Our love affair with cru Beaujolais shows no signs of abating, especially not with the ripe and fleshy 2015s starting to arrive on our shores. This is one of those vintages that’s sparked a lot of conversation (and anticipation) in the trade, and in our experience so far, there’s a lot to be excited about—especially if a richer breed of Cru Beaujolais is your cup of tea.
Whatever your favorite producer’s house style, imagine it writ large in 2015: this was our experience in tasting the 2015 Régnié (ren-YAY) from Domaine des Braves, perhaps the best-known producer of this lesser-known cru. Plump, plush, darkly fruited, and downright exuberant, this is a wine to consider purchasing by the case; I can’t think of a more versatile and straightforwardly delicious red wine to have on hand in quantity.
As legions of Beaujolais makers have noted, 2015 was a hot, dry vintage known for exceptionally concentrated wines. Some of them, as we’ve experienced, are a little over-the-top, but one of the saving graces of 2015 (as opposed to ‘heatwave’ years like ’03) was that it cooled down during harvest time. This allowed for the crucial preservation of acidity in wines that might otherwise have turned jammy and flabby. Acidity is key in this Régnié from Braves: While it is bigger and bolder than any previous version we’ve tried, it stops well short of overblown. You get all the purple-hued Gamay fruit you could ask for, but also enough acid (and a subtle kiss of tannin) to keep the fruit in check. It’s kind of amazing, actually, how this wine manages to be so ‘big’ and ‘bright’ at the same time.

Régnié, like its southern neighbor, Brouilly, is traditionally thought of as one of the more forwardly fruity crus, a touch gentler than its northern neighbor, Morgon, in terms of minerality. Domaine des Braves acquired most of its 42 acres of vines in this village in the 1970s; most of their vineyards sit on a high plateau of about 300 meters elevation, with full-south expositions and soils that mix sand with pink granite and limestone. Now run by the fourth generation of the Cinquin family, the wines are sustainably farmed, minimal-intervention expressions of place—this wine was fermented using indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, where it remained for aging, and it was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The 2015 announces itself with a full-throated roar of concentrated Gamay fruit. In the glass it is a very dark ruby-red leaning toward purple, and its aromatics are similarly dark-toned: black plum, black raspberry, currant, cherry compote, wet violets, and a hint of pepper, then a refreshing blast of pomegranate. On the palate it is round, juicy, generous, and yet neither sappy nor ‘hot’ with excess alcohol. It’s a testament to Gamay’s balanced acidity that a wine so juicy and deep is in no way ponderous. Rather than devolve into some sweet confection, it remains poised and focused—ready to take on burgers, steaks on the grill, and any number of other foods you might throw at it. It is quite enjoyable to drink now, but there’s enough structure here for short-term aging; I’d be curious to see what it becomes with about five more years under its belt, and at this price, I can afford to forget a few in my cellar. If enjoying now, give it maybe 30 minutes in a decanter before serving in large Burgundy stems. A cooler temperature, say 60 degrees, will modulate some of the fruit concentration and heighten the acid/mineral component. It’s lush and showy enough to make a yummy ‘cocktail’ wine, but then again, I usually drink cocktails during the cocktail hour. Check out this recipe in which salmon is ‘lacquered’ with red wine. I like the sound of that, especially after having my palate lacquered by this Régnié.
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Country
France
Region
Beaujolais
Sub-Region
FranceRégnié Cru
Soil
Sand with Pink Granite & Limestone
Farming
Lutte Raisonnée
Blend
Gamay
Alcohol
13.0
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2020
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Red Wine-Lacquered Salmon

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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