[France] Château de Corcelles 2014

Every year in November is the right time to taste some fresh Beaujolais Nouveau wine. In long time ago, Beaujolais made these wines to celebrate the end of the harvest. The grapes were harvest in September, and spent 6 to 8 weeks for wine making. Then, it will on sale on the third Thursday in November. Beaujolais red wine is made with 100% Gamay, this grape is big, juice, thin skin and low tannins, very suitable to use Carbonic Maceration technique for vinification, which is vinify with whole bunches of grapes without crushing and place in a big closed container, the grapes in bottom will be crushed under the weight of gravity from the top. Then, grapes pulp, skin and juice will provide yeast to begin the fermentation. After fermentation, it will stay in the container to macerate for few days, for example Beaujolais Nouveau macerate for 4 days only. These wine provide fresh, fruity and low tannins simple wine, come with cherry, strawberry, banana, pear and candy aromas, the color is pink to light purple. Beaujolais Nouveau wine should enjoy as soon as after purchased because it doesn’t have any age potential. Some Beaujolais Villages or Cru wine will keep the wine in stainless steel vats or barrels for maturing for a while, after bottled these wines will have 3 to 5 years aging potential.

This year, I didn’t drink Beaujolais Nouveau wine yet, I tried a Cru Beaujolais wine Château de Corcelles 2014 from Brouilly. Beaujolais has 10 Crus Appellations, Brouilly is one of the Cru. Most of these 10 Cru are located in the northern side and come with granitic soils, which is suitable to plan Gamay variety. The wine from Brouilly is much more full body and earthy, not like the fresh Beaujolais Nouveau wine. Cru Beaujolais wine macerates for a minimum 10 days, Château de Corcelles has macerated for 15 days, and then kept in stainless steel vats until summer.

My Taste Note: The wine shows bright light purple color. It has cherry, spices and little earthy aromas. In the mouth can find fresh fruity flavors, medium dry sweet with light tannins and aftertaste has some cherry like acidity. Cru Beaujolais wine had a longer macerate time during fermentation, the body and taste are more complex than Beaujolais Nouveau. Overall, this wine is fresh and fruity, is like drinking sweet Roselle Tea (Hibiscus Tea).  

每年的11月都係最適合飲一些新鮮 Beaujolais Nouveau 紅酒(薄酒萊新葡萄酒),以前 Beaujolais (薄酒萊) 的村民會釀這些葡萄酒用來慶祝他們的每年的收成.在每年9月收成後再花6至8個星期來釀製,之後在11月的第3個星期4就開始售賣. Beaujolais 紅酒都是用100% Gamay (加美)來釀製,這款葡萄的特色就是皮薄,多汁,果實大粒和單寧含量低,所以適合用二氧化碳浸泡法來釀製.這個方法是用整串葡萄來釀製,首先所有葡萄不需壓碎,倒入一個密封的酒缸內,由上層葡萄的重力來壓破下層的葡萄.之後葡萄果肉,果皮和果汁開始流出和產生一些天然酵母進行發酵.當發酵後,酒會放在酒缸裡和果皮一起浸泡幾天,例如 Beaujolais Nouveau 就浸4天.這些酒的風味道都帶有新鮮果香,低單寧和帶有車厘子,士多啤利,香蕉,啤利和糖果的芳香,顏色都是在粉紅色和淺紫色之間.所以 Beaujolais Nouveau 紅酒最好就係即買即享受,因為它沒有陳年的能力,還一些 Beaujolais Villages (薄酒萊村莊酒) 和 Cru Beaujolais(薄酒萊特級酒),釀好之後會方在不銹鋼酒桶或木桶裡陳年一段時間,這些酒就會有2至3年的陳年能力.

今年我還未飲 Beaujolais Nouveau 紅酒,我就試了一枝 Cru Beaujolais 紅酒 Château de Corcelles 2014,來自 Brouilly 酒區. Beaujolais有10個特級產區, Brouilly 就係其中一個. 這10個特級產區都是位於北邊,大多數的土壤都是以花崗岩為主,非常適合種植 Gamay 的品種. Brouilly 的紅酒是比較厚身和帶有一些泥土風味,跟 Beaujolais Nouveau 有些不同. Cru Beaujolais 的紅酒在釀好後,會進行浸皮最少10天,Château de Corcelles 就用了15天來浸皮, 然後將酒放在不銹鋼酒桶裡直到夏天.

我的品酒筆記: 紅酒帶有透亮的淺紫色,有車厘子,香料和輕輕的泥土芳香.我覺得口感都是比較單薄,充滿新鮮水果味道,Medium Dry少少甜和輕微的單寧, Aftertaste 有一些好似車厘子的酸.在釀製過產中 Cru Beaujolais 的紅酒有較長的浸皮時間,所以酒身和味道方面會比Beaujolais Nouveau複雜. 整體這款酒感覺清新同Fruity,其實飲落有些似洛神花茶,少少甜酸的感覺.