Domaine Les Gryphees Cuvee Centanaire Beaujolais

Gamay

Beaujolais, France

The father-son team of Pierre and Guillaume Durdilly tend their older vines sustainably, avoiding chemical inputs and adhering to organic treatments whenever necessary. You can’t ignore the “gryphées,” or seashell fossils, that crunch underfoot as you walk through their vineyards in Moulin-à-Vent, as if the ocean were just over the next gentle hill. Grapes are harvested by hand and fermented (usually with semi-carbonic maceration, a traditional practice in Beaujolais) in either cement or stainless steel tanks. Wines are often aged in either large, older foudre or tank, depending on the cru, and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

To celebrate the 100-year “birthday” of ‘Balmes,’ a perfect vineyard slope with excellent terroir — a mix of limestone, clay and “pierres dorees,” the mineral-rich, golden chalk that characterizes much of Beaujolais — the family released their perfect red in the 2020 vintage with a special label, ‘Cuvee Centenaire.’ A full century of old vines, for a spiced and concentrated Beaujolais wine that delivers cru quality.