Production
This special little parcel is made by a local grower with whom we have been working for some 15 years for our red Beaujolais wines. A few years ago, they made the move to expand their production of white wine and replanted an area with Chardonnay instead of Gamay. The well drained, sandy soil and gentle south-east facing slopes proved to be a perfect choice for the Chardonnay vines. As the flowers open and the bees buzz, we wait with anticipation to see the grapes form, swell and gently change colour until they become small drops of gold ready for picking. And then there is alchemy! These golden grains are transformed into liquid gold. 10% of the wine has spent time in oak barrels, a nuanced mixture of older barrels. The nectar in the Maison Boutinot Beaujolais Blanc is a testimony to the hard work from vineyard through to cellar and numerous tastings and minutely adjusted assemblages.
Tasting notes
Green-gold reflects in the glass with a lovely fresh elderflower and linden flower nose. Close your eyes, swirl the glass and sip… up front you’ll find a combination of ripe and zesty fruit flavours (think Cox apple rather than Granny Smith!) which then unfold to reveal subtle notes of acacia honey. Soft and suavely textured with a lengthy finish, thanks to 10% of the wine being aged in oak. This is not an ‘in-your-face’ style of wine, it is finessed and elegant. The very hallmarks of Maison Boutinot.
Food match
Enjoy as an aperitif with charcuterie and goats cheese, or try with oysters. For the main event, serve with a warming Poule au Pot, or a simple roast chicken dressed with lemon and fresh herbs and served with all the classic trimmings.
