Chénas Tradition "En Mélardière"

Rating:
100 % of 100
Out of stock
France  Beaujolais 

A splendid example of a Chénas which always benefits from a bit of time in the bottle. Rich and juicy.

Winemaker Franck Bessone
Features Unoaked, Vegetarian and Vegan
Style Red, Still, Dry, Single Variety
Varieties
  • Alpine Wines Grape Varieties: Gamay
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Frequently Bought Together
Total price

Why We Have It

It ticks all the boxes that make us tick, precise, mineral, deliciously fruity with a finish that just keeps giving

Why Choose This?

You want a serious but not too serious unoaked Gamay with a lot of flexibility.

What to expect

A demonstration of Gamay

More about

One of our bestsellers - we're very glad to be able to get Chénas better recognized on the British market!

This is always delicious, fresh, spicy, mineral - everything we like here at Alpine Wines.

Franck's wine are typically given more time than is "normal" and as a result even the "tradition" entry level is smashing. 

 

Wine Details

Style Red, Still, Dry, Single Variety
Winemaker Franck Bessone
Country France
Region Beaujolais
Features Unoaked, Vegetarian and Vegan
Aged In Cement
Closure Natural Cork
Varieties Gamay
Ripeness Normal
Winemaking Malolactic

Serving Suggestions

Can be chilled but also is one of those wines which is still delicious when too warm
This will happily go with just about everything - if your friends plan to challenge your wine matching skills, bring this.

Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes

Selected by Oz Clarke about it in "Favorite Wines" several times, for example in 2013 the 2010

It's a delight, amazingly rich and juicy with deep, ripe, red plum fruit jousting with strawberries and pepper and rock dust, uncertain as to which will offer the mineral tang so they all do.

This applies pretty much to every vintage, although other fruit join as guest stars depending on vintage - blood orange in 2014, blackcurrant in 2016, cherry in 2018.

Vintage 2018

This is a wonderful balance of red fruits and mineral (you can imagine you're licking that pink granite) balanced with freshness and acidity, remarkable considering the heat of 2018

Vintage 2010

The 2010 in 2021

"I think it is now past its peak but still very very nice, lively balance, spicy mineral nose with an almost balsamic start, fresh and spicy on the palate (but the fruit is fading compared to last time). Would be great slightly chilled with anything involving tomatoes - we had it with a mexican feast."

The 2010 in 2018: The description given by Oz four years ago is still applicable and the wine has now even more depth and the fruitiness is even richer with some lovely spiciness coming through. This is a great Chénas and one to treasure. A rich and joyous Beaujolais that puts a smile on your face.

Selected by Oz Clarke for his Favorite Wines 2013.  "Chénas is traditionally the toughest of the top Beaujolais wines, the one you need to age, often more in hope than certainty that the wine will soften. It's the leanest, least Beaujolais-like of Beaujolais. Well, these guys clearly forgot to make this tough and unfriendly because it's a delight, amazingly rich and juicy for a Chénas, with deep, ripe, red plum fruit jousting with strawberries and pepper and rock dust, uncertain as to which will offer the mineral tang so they all do."

Vintages

No longer available
VintageProduct CodeAlcoholkeeps at least until
201933FB011914.02030
201833FB011813.0
2016331701112.02022
20103312021132020++
20093332149

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