Terres Dorées
Terres Dorées is the domaine of Beaujolais icon Jean-Paul Brun.
He is one of the most revered vignerons in this appellation, making wines of great purity and extraordinary flavour. Even his entry level Beaujolais wines are full of interest.
If you are new to the wonderful wines of Beaujolais it is useful to know that there are different levels of quality in this area. However, it is important to remember that a great producer such as Jean Paul Brun will produce great wines no matter what level of appellation he adopts.
Much of the wine produced in this region is labelled as 'Beaujolais'. This is for red wine made from the Gamay grape or white wine made from Chardonnay (very little white wine is produced in the Beaujolais region these days).
The next highest level of quality is labelled 'Beaujolais Villages". This is for wine produced in nominated villages that are deemed to produce wine of higher quality.
The best wines of Beaujolais, however, are from the ten 'cru' areas where the finest wines are produced. These are Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin a Vent, Regnie and Saint Amour. Of these, the most venerable is Morgon. Wine produced from these tiny areas do not display Beaujolais on the label, only the name of the cru.
Jean Paul Brun has many plots throughout Beaujolais and so produces wines ranging from the standard Beaujolais through the the revered Morgon.
You can read an article about Jean-Paul Brun and his wines here:
http://www.crushwineco.com/archives/2010/07/jean-paul_brun_moulin_a_vent.html
The wines that have arrived at our warehouse and now available for purchase are described below.
Terres Dorées Beaujolais Blanc Classic 2010
(label image below from older vintage)
This great-value Chardonnay gets its freshness from natural vinification and
no use of oak barrels. The vines thrive on limestone soils in Beaujolais. It is
a lively, fresh wine that is drinking beautifully right now. The finish is long
and clean and the flavour profile is classic southern Beaujolais. This is a wine
of some interest as very little white Beaujolais is produced.Here is what Chambers Street Wines in New York had to say recently:
"From Chardonnay grown on limestone vineyards in the southern Beaujolais, this lovely wine is one of the best values in the store. No new oak and natural vinification gives a balanced Chardonnay that's great at a party or with lighter foods..."
RRP: $28
Terres Dorées Beaujolais Blanc Fut 2008
This is another Chardonnay that has been aged in old barrels so that the wine
does not acquire the vanilla and sweetness associated with new oak but it does
have added complexity from the time it has spent in wood.
The grapes are sourced from a number of parcels of vines. This is an elegant wine that exhibits restrained complexity. It is drinking very nicely right now.
RRP: $37
Terres Dorées Beaujolais Rosé d'Folie 2010
This is the quintessential Jean-Paul Brun
wine! And once again there is a stunning label and attractive bottle to enhance
the experience.The Rosé d'Folie is a light pinkish-orange tinted wine that gives raspberry on the palate, an appealing freshness and a nice lingering finish. It is perfect for spring and summer sipping, but as we always say of rose wines, there is absolutely no reason why they can't be sipped all year round.
The wine is released under the general Beaujolais Rose appellation and is therefore principally made from Gamay.
RRP: $24
Terres Dorées Beaujolais l'Ancien 2010
(label image below from older vintage)
This is the quintessential Jean-Paul Brun wine! It is a noble Beaujolais with
great structure (from the old vines used to make this wine), elegance and
enormous appeal, but at a price that is very accessible. If you are one of those
people who were damaged by drinking poor Beaujolais in the past - this is the
wine to reinvigorate your interest in the Gamay grape.
RRP: SOLD OUT AGAIN!
Terres Dorées Cote de Brouilly 2010
The vines for this beautiful wine grow on the south-east facing slopes
of Beaujolais known
as the Cote de Brouilly where he has two plots of 50 year old vines at around
300 metres above sea level. The slopes are covered with blue granitic scree - and the Gamay grape is known to
thrive in granitic soils. It exhibits dark berry fruits and lots of minerality.
The Cote de Brouilly is one of the ten cru areas of Beaujolais that produce the highest quality wines.
Here is what a recent Chambers Street Wines newsletter had to say about the amazing 2010 vintage:
The 2010 Cote-de-Brouilly is a roller coaster of a wine, and is loaded with brisk acidity and sheer volcanic minerality. Light on its feet and elegant; this is a wine that's all about fresh cherry spice and refreshment. Highly recommended!
RRP: SOLD OUT: NEW VINTAGE ARRIVES MID-YEAR
Terres Dorées Morgon 2010
Morgon is considered by many to be the very best area for Beaujolais. This
cru is one of the freshest and liveliest wines from this area that we have
tasted along with the Lapierre and the Foillard. You will love the cherry fruits
in this wine along with the trademark spicy minerality as well as the strong
structure that this wine displays.
And this is what the Chambers Street Wines newsletter had to say:
Jean Paul's Morgon comes from the high-elevation volcanic sediment Grand Cras section in the south of Morgon. It is a young wine that is already arrestingly beautiful, and has wonderful high-toned strawberry fruit and fine tannins that will be very interesting to follow over the years.
RRP: SOLD OUT: NEW VINTAGE ARRIVES MID-YEAR
Terres Dorées Moulin a Vent 2010
The
Moulin a Vent from Jean Paul Brun is an elegant beauty that belies its price. There are berry flavours on
the palate and a very pleasant savoury finish. The first time we tried this wine
we were blown away by both the structure of the wine on the palate and the
beautiful, elegant, lively finish.
And here is John Gilman quoted by Chambers Street Wines in New York:
"...may well be the finest wine in his utterly profound portfolio of magical wines from this vintage. The bouquet is deep, pure and classically reserved... the palate is full-bodied, very pure and rock-solid to the core... the finish is very, very long, with ripe, perfectly integrated tannins and stunning grip and balance. Just a glorious young bottle of Moulin-a-Vent!"
RRP: $37
Terres Dorées Fleurie 2010
(label image below from older vintage)
This wine is much stronger than the average Fleurie however the berry fruits and cherry fruits are there and the long, lingering, minerally finish is very appealing. This 'cru' Beaujolais is complex, elegant and very drinkable.
Please excuse the wine stains on this label. We got so excited about drinking this lovely wine that we didn't take proper care of the label!
Chambers Street Wines recently quoted John Gilman as saying the following about the 2009 Fleurie:
"The nose is deep, stunning and very sappy, as it soars from the glass in a blaze of black cherries, raw cocoa, pomegranate, intense violets, woodsmoke and plenty of fresh thyme. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, plush and very pure, with great depth of fruit at the core, lovely soil tones, modest tannins and simply superb length and grip on the focused and palate-staining finish."
RRP: $37
Terres Dorées Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2009
This is a Bourgogne appellation wine instead of the more usual Beaujolais
from Jean Paul Brun, therefore it is a Pinot Noir rather than Gamay. The grapes
come from three small, sun-drenched parcels and the wine is matured in old
wooden fûts. This is a beautiful drinking wine.
RRP: SOLD OUT: NEW VINTAGE ARRIVES MID-YEAR
Terres Dorées FRV 100
This Gamay-based sparkling wine made in the pétillant naturel style is very low in alcohol at only 7.5%. The
low-alcohol, however, does not detract from its interesting flavour of berry
fruits and minerals coming from the granitic soils.
When you pour this lightly petillant wine into the glass you immediately notice the pink hue which is the result of the short time that the red skins have been in contact with the grape juice. It is a perfect aperitif or dessert wine. It is perfect summer sipping sitting in the garden or looking over the sea. It also teams beautifully with berry desserts such as strawberry soup.
RRP: SOLD OUT
Terres Dorées Crémant de Bourgogne Charme Blanc de Blancs 2008
Crémants are sparkling wines made outside the Champagne region of France. This is a particularly fine example of the genre being made from Chardonnay. The Crémant has a fine bead, yeasty aromas and a long, dry savoury finish. This is a great substitute for Champagne during the holiday season.
There is a small quantity of this vintage left.
RRP: $34
Terres Dorées Crémant de Bourgogne Charme Blanc de Blancs 2009
Crémants are sparkling wines made outside the Champagne region of France. This is a particularly fine example of the genre being made from Chardonnay. The Crémant has a fine bead, yeasty aromas and a long, dry savoury finish. This is a great substitute for Champagne during the holiday season.
RRP: $34
Terres Dorées In Extremis 2006
This gorgeous sweet wine is made by Jean Paul Brun using an Austrian technique for making wine from late harvest grapes. The result is a sweet, yellow, unctuous wine of some complexity.
This wine is sold in 500ml format.
RRP: SOLD OUT
Terres Dorées Labeur d'Octobre 2006
This fresh, sweet, fruit-driven wine is made from grapes harvested late in the season. It is a sweet wine with 120g of residual sugar. This wine has been aged in old wooden barrels for almost six months.
This wine is sold in 500ml format.
RRP: $74
Terres Dorées Marc de Beaujolais
This beautiful Marc is distilled in Jean Paul Brun's village immediately after the grapes have been pressed. The liquor is then aged in new oak barrels to produce this lively, fresh marc with great complexity. At this price it is quite a bargain. Only very small amounts are currently available.
This wine is sold in 500ml format.
RRP: $35
Terres Roties Condrieu 2008
This elegant Condrieu appellation wine is made from the Viognier grape. There are only a few bottles available as very little of it is made.
RRP: $83
Terres Roties Cote Rotie 2007
A smoky, spicy beauty made from grapes sourced from the northern Rhone. This is a very interesting Cote Rotie.
RRP: $89
Terres Dorées Vin de Pays Roussanne 2008
Roussanne
is a classic Rhone grape and this beautiful white is a great example of the
attraction of wine made from it. This wine comes from the Beaujolais region
where Roussanne is not an authorised grape variety, hence the Vin de Pays
appellation on the back label.
RRP: SOLD OUT