Domaine de Colonat

The best recommendations always come by word of mouth, and we were introduced to Bernard and Christine Collonge at Domaine de Colonat by Jean-Marc and Maryse Desprès, our winemakers from Fleurie. The domaine is in the hamlet of St Joseph in the hills above Villié-Morgon, and the scenery is spectacular. Les Charmes is the best area within the Appellation and not only is our wine a Morgon Les Charmes, but it is also an exclusive cuvée, named Roche-Briday after the site where the vines grow.

So different are the wines of Morgon from the other Beaujolais Crus that the French created a verb - morgonner - to describe how, during ageing, their characteristics change to resemble those of a wine made from Pinot Noir. Delicious in their youth, after four or five years the soft fruit flavours are enhanced by more earthy and gamey tastes and the wine develops a rich aroma and a long, smooth flavour with a velvet-like texture.