Situation Production Brouilly Wine Cultivation and Vinification Conservation Tasting The "Cuvage des Brouilly" The Chapel of Brouilly

Union des Producteurs du Cru Brouilly F-69460 ODENAS FRANCE Tel/Fax : +33 4 74 66 82 65 Web : www.beaujolais-wines.com/brouilly E-mail : brouilly@vins-du-beaujolais.com

Situation The Beaujolais vineyards stretch along the base of the Beaujolais Hills, which gives them the benefit of a micro-climate which ensures correct maturation of the Gamay vinestock. The hills also provide protection against the rain from the West. The BROUILLY AOC (guaranteed vintage) area is situated around Mount BROUILLY, in the centre of the vineyards, to the South of all the other Beaujolais Cru Wines.

Production The BROUILLY Cru Wine, with a production of 10 million bottles each year from 360 winegrowers, is the largest of the Beaujolais Cru Wines. It represents 20% of the total area of the 10 cru wine vineyards. The 1,280 hectares of vines spread over 6 Communes : Saint-Lager, Odenas, Cercié-en-Beaujolais, Saint-Etienne-La-Varenne, Charentay et Quincié-en-Beaujolais. They give an annual production of 75,000 hectolitres, as the output is restricted in order to guarantee maximum quality.

Brouilly Wine This wine, with its rich, deep ruby colour, has an aroma of red fruit with a slight hint of vegetation. It combines richness with harmony. Well-balanced, yet robust, it is remarkably flavoursome. Due to its freshness, fruitiness, low acidity and its charm, it is very much appreciated by a large number of connoisseurs who have always remained its faithful followers. Also, its finesse, perfume and elegance make it an ideal wine for ladies of good taste. In some parts of the AOC area, the poor, sandy soil, a decomposed granite, helps produce a wine of generous character. Elsewhere, the limestone soil produces a BROUILLY Wine with ladylike charm and a well-balanced strength which lacks nothing compared with the former. The "Pisse Vieille" cru, around which a popular legend has been created, is known everywhere. It is produced in the north of the zone. BROUILLY is really the Grand Cru among the Beaujolais Grand Cru Wines. O, for a draught of vintage ! that hath been Cooled a long age in the deep-delvèd earth, Tasting of Gamay and the country green, Dance, and Beaujolais song, and sunburnt mirth ! O for a beaker full of the warm South, Full of the true, the blushful Brouilly wine, With beaded bubbles winking at the brim And purple-stainèd mouth. (adapted from John Keats)

Cultivation and Vinification Every year, during winter, the vines are dressed in order to remove almost all the previous year's growth. In springtime, the vegetation starts growing again from a few buds left for this purpose, and produces the canes which will in turn produce the leaves and bunches of fruit. The wine-grower's task is to tend the grapes produced until the Harvest, under the best possible conditions, by controlling both the growth, the maturation and by protecting them. As for all Beaujolais wines, the harvesting of BROUILLY grapes is done entirely by hand, to prevent damage to the grapes and to enable the best to be selected. The grapes are placed in vats without being crushed, to enable the fermentation to occur inside each individual grape and for the pressing to be carried out after maceration in the vats ; this is the Beaujolais Vinification method. Next, the true art of vinification is to press the grapes at the right moment and to correctly blend the juices produced by drawing off, before devatting, with the juices from the press. The quality of the cuvées will depend on the wine-grower's skill and experience. The BROUILLY Wine can marketed as from 15th December each year. Strict analyses and mandatory tasting operations are carried out under the authority of the "Institut National des Appellations d'Origine" (INAO) in order to give consumers a guarantee of a quality product which complies with the criteria and the characteristics for an excellent BROUILLY Wine. The best BROUILLY WINE is therefore the result of the application of ancient methods, combines with the most modern techniques.

Conservation In order to conserve all the wine's qualities, bottles should be stored in a horizontal position, protected from light and vibrations, in a cool place with little temperature variation. Some BROUILLY vintages will improve with ageing for a few years, whereas others will already possess their full qualities only a few months after being bottled. These ageing characteristics mainly depend on the nature of the soils and the method of vinification which is used : your wine-grower will be only too pleased to inform you of the category to which his wines belong.

Tasting It is preferable to uncork bottles some time before serving the wine. You should taste the wine at 14-16°C for young wines, and at room temperature for older ones, to go with entrées, meat, cheese or desserts. In fact, BROUILLY Wine is sufficiently full-bodied and rich to be enjoyed with hot, strongly-flavoured dishes ; yet it is light enough to be served with cold entrées, fish, or sweet desserts. BROUILLY is a wine for a complete meal, as it is suited to the finest dishes and will satisfy the most demanding of palates. It brings happiness and sunshine to the heart and insures you against difficult tomorrows. For connoisseurs, there is no real need for it to be served with a meal, as BROUILLY can be drunk at any time of the day or night, just for the pleasure, but in moderation... Beaujolais at its best Ruby red in its finest hue, Often the richest palates taste this Uniquely unctuous nectar. Impossible to imitate, Long in its flavour and Large-hearted, for You and all people of good taste.

The "Cuvage des Brouilly" The "Cuvage des BROUILLY" has been created in 1956, in the very pleasant park of Saint-Lager, in the centre of the village, in order to promote tasting and selling of the BROUILLY wines. As well as the wines, a "squirrel" wine press (1820) and a very old wood-hooped vat are very famous. In addition, beautiful mural decor with typical large frescos and some Curé Réty's paintings, complete the setting. Tel/Fax: +33 4 74 66 82 65.

The Chapel of Brouilly The Chapel is dedicated to the Grapes Virgin, guardian of the Beaujolais Wineyards. It has been erected at the top of the "Mont BROUILLY", in order to protect the vines against the powdery mildew. Its construction dates from 1857 ; it was possible thanks to the generosity of the region inhabitants. From the bottom of the Chapel, a magnificent panorama stretches from the Beaujolais wineyards to the alpine range (in clear weather), coming through the Saône valley and the Dombes plain. Each year, a pilgrimage takes place the 8th of September.

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