2020 Domaine Bonnet-Cotton Fleurie "Poncié", Beaujolais, France

Product information

ABOUT THIS WINE

Certified Organic. 100% Gamay. Fleurie ‘Poncié’ comes from a beautiful old Gamay vineyard, planted in the ’60s and ’70s, facing south towards the village of Fleurie. The parcel is vinified exactly the same as Cotton’s other wines, showcasing the difference between his native terroir of Brouilly and the softer, more fruited wines from Fleurie. Less tannic than the other bottlings and an interesting interpretation of the Bonnet-Cotton style. Full carbonic maceration of whole clusters in cement tank, then aged in foudre for nine months. Unfined, unfiltered. <10g/l SO2 added before bottling.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Pierre Cotton is just getting started with his domaine, but already the potential is clearly tremendous. The Sanvers family have been farming and producing wine at the same chai in Odenas since 1856. Legend has it that the large chai with its cavernous cellars was built in the 18th century to make the wines for the nearby Chateau de Pierreux, and over the years it has housed a rotating group of producers. Today, Pierre and his parents are the sole producers to make wine here.

After working for a short stint as a motorcycle mechanic, Pierre spent two years in the Loire Valley before returning to the domaine. In 2014, he reclaimed 1 hectare of Côte de Brouilly for his first cuvée - 100% Cotton. In 2015, he reclaimed another 2 hectares of Brouilly from the family holdings, and in 2016, he purchased 1 hectare of Regnié, and 1 hectare of Beaujolais. Starting in 2017, he will harvest 0.3 HA of Beaujolais Blanc on a unique vein of limestone near the domaine, with the possibility to plant more Blanc in the future.

Inspired by tasting wines with compatriot friends Yann Bertrand, Jules Metras, and Keke Descombes, Pierre’s wines are all farmed organically and made without any sulfur. Vinification is semi-carbonic in large cement tanks, and then the wines are aged for 8-9 months in old foudres that range in size from 14 to 42 hectoliters.