A snapshot of what’s happening in the world of wine
First premier cru Beaujolais from top sites in Fleurie?
Beaujolais winemakers in the Fleurie appellation have backed a proposal to seek premier cru status for top vineyard sites, in a potentially groundbreaking move for the French region.
More than 85% of Fleurie wine-growers voted in favour of the premier cru plan, said local officials. Those present accounted for 60% of the appellation’s surface area.
An application will now be made to national appellation body INAO (Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité). ‘It’s exciting for the region,’ said winemaker Grégoire Hoppenot, secretary of the Fleurie appellation.
Seven Fleurie lieux-dits, or sites, out of more than 40 candidates will be proposed for premier cru status: Grille Midi, La Chapelle des Bois, La Madone, La Roilette, Les Garants, Les Moriers and Poncié. This follows several years of tastings and soil investigations, as well as analysis of prices and historical usage of lieu-dit names, among other factors.
Fleurie premier cru wines would top a Burgundy-style pyramid, sitting above other Fleurie wines, with regional Beaujolais at the base. It’s hoped that will make the area easier for wine drinkers to understand, said Hoppenot.
Prices may rise on certain wines, yet producers argue this is necessary to some extent. While Beaujolais wines can offer great value for money, Hoppenot said ‘production costs here in Beaujolais are really high’, with much work done by hand. ‘This type of classification could help,’ he said.
It’s hoped INAO approval could be achieved in a timeframe of ‘between eight and 10 years’, he said, citing recent premier cru approvals in Pouilly-Fuissé.
Not everybody agrees with the approach, but premier cru applications from several other Beaujolais crus could follow, and in-depth soil analysis was completed across the region between 2009 and 2018, as Victoria Daskal reported on decanter.com last November.
• In other vineyard classification news, ‘Crystal Springs of Napa Valley’ may become one of the newest AVAs (American Viticultural Area) in California. The US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) was considering the proposed hillside AVA in Napa Valley, with public comments allowed until 1 May.
Special releases to mark King’s Coronation
Build-up to King Charles III’s coronation on 6 May has seen a host of limited-edition releases, from UK sparkling wines to rare spirits.
UK wine producers anticipated ‘record sales of home-grown fizz’ during the coronation weekend, said Balfour Winery in Kent. It launched Coronation Classic Cuvée sparkling via Marks & Spencer st
