Fleurie l’Alchimiste - Gamay Noir (21)

Gamay Noir | wijngaard tussen de 40 en 50 jaar oud op 400 meter hoogte | pink granite | 100% ontsteeld | vergist in betonnen vaten | rijping voor 8 maanden op eikenhout vaten | pure krokante stijl rode wijn | aards randje | minimaal zwavel, niet gefilterd en geklaard | stylistisch 

Anne-Sophie Dubois

De Beaujolais begint langzaam maar zeker bekend te worden om haar serieus gestructureerde wijnen van de Gamay druif, zo ook de wijnen van Anne-Sophie. Haar terroir ligt in Fleurie, waar de granieten bodems een prachtige expressie geven aan de wijn. Deze artisinale wijnmaakster maakt op haar acht hectare pure, diepe en licht complexe wijnen. 

Review

L'Alchimiste is named after the Paulo Coelho novel, a book about pursuing ones dreams and learning life lessons along the way. 

The 2015 Fleurie l'Alchimiste was 50% destemmed and after a three-week maceration spent ten months in oak and cement casks. It has a relatively opulent bouquet, but that is matched by its purity and delineation, luscious blueberry and blackcurrants ahoy. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, ripe and quite rounded black fruit dominating towards the caressing, lightly spiced finish. This is delicious.

Two very fine Beaujolais wines from Anne-Sophie Dubois—nothing new there. She is based in Fleurie, although her family roots are actually in Champagne. Since 2007 she has tended eight hectares of vineyard from which she produces her "L'Alchemiste" and "Clepsydre" bottlings (their names are reminiscent of Maggie Harrison's labels at Antica Terra in Oregon, don't you think?) Her two 2015s capture the precocity of the warm growing season and entwine that with complexity and a subtle sense of rusticity, something of the wildness of the French countryside thanks to the garrigue-like scents. They are neither modern nor traditional styles of Beaujolais—rather they sit contentedly in between. Neil Martin 91/100