Sebastien Besson Beaujolais Blanc La Criee 2021 (750ml)

The Sébastien Besson ‘La Criée’ Beaujolais Blanc is a vibrant and exceptional expression of Chardonnay from Beaujolais. On the property there is a small plot of limestone and clay that is dedicated to growing Chardonnay versus Gamay, and each year it creates beautiful depth in the fruit. The fruit is hand-harvested and arrives to the cellar for an immediate pressing into a very cold tank. Natural fermentation begins in stainless steel and lasts for about one month with daily pump-overs. The finished wine rested in tank for about seven months before a small (and first) dose of sulfites, no filtration nor fining, and then bottling. The result is a golden straw white with aromatics of apples, crisp but ripe pears, and stony minerality. In the mouth, there is a lovely texture that remains vibrantly fresh, while still giving weight and depth, loaded with fruit, brine, and earth. Long in the mouth, and built for a gigantic feast.

There is a very exciting renaissance that has been happening in the Beaujolais region of France, and at its core is a new generation of winemakers that have learned everything they know from their progenitors. To pair with that unparalleled guidance, there is a youthful energy and worldly view that is taking the wines and the region to yet again new heights. Sébastien Besson is now the fourth generation of the family to take the helm at Domaine du Penlois, which originated in the 1920's by his great-grandfather Benoît, situated on the small hill called Lancié (nestled in between Morgon, Fleuri, and Moulin-à-Vent). Sébastien's father, Maxence, took over in 1977 and accrued more and more Cru vineyards in the region, giving the Domaine 30 hectares in total. While making sustainably farmed Domaine wines with his father, Sébastien began an eponymous project in 2016. He converted small granite-rich plots on the property to strict organic farming, spanning not only portions of their Village Appellation sites, but parcels of three Crus as well (a total of 7 hectares). With natural fermentations and aging in concrete vats, and a small sulfur addition before bottling, the wines of Sébasten Besson are pure, driven, and remarkable expressions of top Beaujolais. 

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