Aurlien Burgaud "Grignettes" Beaujolais-Villages, France 2021

FROM SELECTION MASSALE

THE WINE: Very healthy harvest, small yields, picked September 15th at 12.2% alc. No so2 during vinification. Maceration a little longer than 2020 with 13 days, Bottled a couple months later than 2020 in May.

THE PRODUCER: Aurelien Burgaud found his way to winemaking in Beaujolais in 2016, more specifically to Thivin, where he kind of stumbled in by accident. Before then he had been a Science-Po mathematician and had traveled to Cuba (after which his dog is named) for a time. Aurelien is a younger vigneron, born in 1990, and learned a lot at Thivin. However, in 2020 he realized that a small parcel he had picked up next to an old chateau (Pigeon Tower) was yielding more grapes than he thought. Eager to make wine his way, naturally, he began his own operation that vintage. Aurelien vinifies out of the Ducroux cave, whom he regards highly, though will find his own space soon.

The Pigeon Tower parcel features a Chateau and “Pigeon Tower” (for carrier pigeons) built in the 16th century that was abandoned until a billionaire bought it recently. Said billionaire will not let them go inside the pigeon tower. Aurelien has a little over a hectare in the Pigeon Tower Parcel, approximately 40/45 year old clones on one side with 12-15 bunches per vine. It’s the more productive side, the other being older vines. He works the soil with just a pike. In this parcel there are old vines, so he has to work gently, with a pulley or horse. It was farmed conventionally until recently.