The Wine

Morgon La Roche-Briday

Morgon is one of the 10 Beaujolais Crus, all made from the Gamay grape, which has a sublime affinity with the region's schist and granite soils. The real secret however behind the fresh grape fruitiness of Beaujolais lies in the way the grapes are fermented - a technique called maceration carbonique - or more correctly, as here at Domaine de Colonat, maceration semi-carbonique.

The vat is filled with whole, uncrushed grapes on their stalks and the weight of the upper grapes crushes the lower ones, which start a normal fermentation with their natural yeasts. The carbon dioxide given off by this process excludes the air from the uncrushed upper layers where the grapes quietly feed on themselves. Fermentation takes 10-12 days, and at some point after it has started Bernard re-circulates the juice twice a day by pumping it back into the top of the vat. When he starts this remontage, and for how many days he does it varies each year depending on the grapes. After a week or so the vat will be about one third full of liquid, which is then run off, the solid pressed gently and the two mixed together. At this stage the liquid still contains unfermented sugar and the fermentation will continue.

Our Morgon is bottled in the spring following the harvest and will age for a further year in bottle before being released to Partners. The first vintage of our exclusive wine was awarded a Silver Medal at the International Wine Challenge in London in 2002. It is a wonderfully plummy wine with deep black-fruit aromas and a plump fleshiness on the palate. It is full of red and black fruit flavours - notably cherry - and although by no means tannic, it has a firm structure with fine, mouthwatering acidity.

Moulin-à-Vent

Moulin-à-Vent is perhaps the most famous of all the Beaujolais Crus and potentially the greatest wine of all. Certainly it is the longest-lived. The wines can develop a very burgundian Pinot Noir character after several years' ageing.

The vineyard is situated at about 300m on an outcrop of pink granite – known locally as Gore – together with mineral deposits of manganese. This unique soil combination gives wines with structure and body.

Amongst the first grapes to be picked in the region, the wines are given the full treatment in the cellar, extracting maximum colour and tannin through frequent pigeage and then ageing takes place for several months in foudres, or large oak barrels. This allows development of aromas and softening of the tannins.

The resulting wines are deep in colour, floral and fruity on the nose (violets in particular) with flavours of cherry and fresh fruits. With time, the nose develops complex truffle and iris notes and the fruit becomes gamier and the tannins rounder and more supple.

The quantities are very small, but the quality is sure to be good! We feel very pleased and privileged to be able to offer Partners this wine for the very first time.