Beaujolais: top-scoring Brouilly & Côte de Brouilly 2018 wines

See the full Beaujolais 2018 cru vintage report

Individual cru analysis and top-scoring wines for:

Morgon | Moulin-à-Vent | Fleurie | Saint Amour, Regnie, Julienas and Chenas

Brouilly & Côte de Brouilly 2018

Looking at the 2018 vintage in Beaujolais there is plenty to celebrate with many of the region’s crus producing outstanding wines after a hot, dry growing season.

With 1,300 hectares under vine Brouilly is the largest Beaujolais cru and its vineyards skirt around Mont Brouilly in the south of the region.

Brouilly comprises six separate communes which in total account for 20% of the Beaujolais cru area.

Soils are varied and include pink granite, limestone-marl and clay, and the wines lean towards a muscular and full-bodied style.

Despite being the largest cru it hits the high spots on fewer occasions than many other AOPs.

The most southerly of the cru, Brouilly has a wide range of producers and soil types.

Wines range from simpler, juicy, easy to drink styles to a few vielles-vignes bottlings which are moving towards fine-wine territory. At the top level there is undoubtedly ageing potential and purity of fruit allied to freshness and terroir influence. Generally, earlier-drinking and approachable.’

Known for producing some of the region’s finest and most complex wines Côte de Brouilly is situated on the volcanic slopes of Mt. Brouilly above the Broilly appellation.

On the slopes of Mt. Brouilly, there are more fine wines here than neighbouring Brouilly. Blue stones (schist and volcanic diorite) impart a distinct flavour with additional complexity.

Many wines have a silky mouthfeel but remain easy going and pleasurable. With some concentrated examples, this is a cru to watch.

Top producers include:

• Chateau de La Chaize (Brouilly)
• George Descombes (Brouilly)
• Chateau Thivin (Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly)
• Alex Foillard (Côte de Brouilly)
• Pierre Cotton (Côte de Brouilly)

See Andy Howard MW’s top Brouilly & Côte de Brouilly 2018 wines

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