Château de Pierreux Brouilly 2024
£18.25
The wine
Brouilly is the largest and most southerly of the ten Beaujolais crus, and the cru labels carry no mention of Beaujolais at all, which is why customers rarely realise what they are buying.
The vines here sit on highly absorbent sandy soil of pink granite sprinkled with blue volcanic rock, which drains hard and gives Gamay its lift. Brouilly is the most approachable of the crus, made to be drunk young and often served lightly chilled.
The producer
Château de Pierreux
View all Château de Pierreux winesChâteau de Pierreux is one of the largest and most admired estates in Brouilly, spread across the slopes at the foot of Mont Brouilly in the southern Beaujolais. Its handsome château and sweeping vineyards have made it a landmark of the cru for generations. Few names are so closely tied to the appellation.
The vines grow on the pink granite and blue diorite that define Brouilly, soils that lend Gamay both fruit and firmness. Older parcels climb the volcanic hillside, catching the light and the cooling breeze. The estate's size allows careful selection across many distinct plots.
Made by traditional Beaujolais methods, the wine is vivid and perfumed, all crushed red berry and violet. Beneath the charm lies real structure, a mineral thread drawn straight from the granite. This is Gamay with depth as well as delight.
Château de Pierreux captures Brouilly at its most complete. Bright enough to enjoy young, yet built to reward a few years in the cellar, it stands as a benchmark for the cru.
