The Beaujolais Project: Chénas
Chénas is the smallest of all the Beaujolais crus, yet it produces very unique and exciting wines that are a delight to drink. Originally, the region was covered with oak trees before being planted with grape vines. The soils are rich in granite (47%) and Piedmont deposits (49%). The name Chénas itself means “a place planted with oaks.” Some believe that the granite soils, once influenced by the presence of oaks, contribute additional notes such as spices and wood to the wine’s flavor profile. Whether or not the former presence of oaks affects the taste, it remains a fascinating part of the region’s history.
Among the more well-known lieu-dits in Chénas are Aux Bois Retour, Les Brureaux, En Rémont, Les Journets, Les Gandelins, Les Melardières, Les Daroux, En Perelle, En Nervat, Aux Blémonts, Les Paquelets, and Les Boccarts. Despite being the smallest of the ten crus, Chénas boasts many notable sites that produce top-quality wines. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate any wines from these specific lieu-dits, but I did manage to find some from exciting producers of the region.
One particularly interesting observation from this month’s tastings was that one of the wines displayed a purplish garnet color, rather than the bright ruby, typical of young bottles. This unexpected variation added an extra layer of fun to my exploration of Chénas.
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2021 Famille Dutraive Chénas “En Papolet”
I have written about the brief history of Famille Dutraive in my Saint-Amour post. Here’s the blurb I wrote:
The Dutraive family is renowned for producing high-quality wines in Beaujolais, and their Domaine de la Grand’Cour, based in Fleurie, stands as one of the oldest domaines in the region. In 1969, Jean Dutraive acquired the domaine, laying the foundation for its legacy. His son, Jean-Louis Dutraive, joined the family business in 1977 and took over the domaine in 1989. Jean-Louis is celebrated as one of the master winemakers in Beaujolais, recognized for his expertise in expressing unique terroirs and showcasing the full range of Gamay. The domaine has held organic certification since 2009.
To involve his three children in the winemaking business, Jean-Louis Dutraive founded Famille Dutraive. The label not only represents tradition and passion but also signifies the continuation of winemaking excellence into the younger generation. Wines from Famille Dutraive are crafted with purchased grapes from carefully selected lieu-dit, adhering to organic farming practices.
This particular cuvée displayed notes of black cherry, black plum, strawberry, rhubarb, red cherry, along with oak influences such as cinnamon and clove, and hints of red flowers. The 2021 vintage is still young but promises to flourish within 3 to 5 years. However, that doesn’t mean it’s too early to uncork and enjoy it now. While deciding between the 2021 and 2020 vintages at Flatiron Wines, the sales associate strongly recommended the 2021 because it is more balanced, easier to drink, and fruitier. I completely agree with her assessment. Some of the 2020 Beaujolais wines I have tried so far needed more time to open up, and some seemed to fade even before reaching their full potential. But this 2021 Chénas was enjoyable throughout the entire drinking experience.
“En Papolet” is a small lieu-dit situated at an altitude of 300 meters. The owner of the lieu-dit, Charles Thillardon, practices organic farming. Ever since the destructive storms of 2016 in Fleurie adversely affected Dutraive’s vineyards, Thillardon has been selling his grapes to the Dutraive family. Their collaborative partnership remains strong. The soil in this lieu-dit consists of very fine granite. The winemaking process included semi-carbonic fermentation and maceration, no added sulfur during vinification, wild yeast fermentation, and aging in both stainless steel and barrels.
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I opened this cuvée when a friend visited. We paired the wine with pork. Normally, I pair Beaujolais with chicken, but my wife suggested pork for a change. I chose a cut called Delmonico, also known as chuck eye roll. While this is a common cut for beef, it is less common for pork. Pork is generally more forgiving than beef. Every time I eat pork, I am reminded of how much I enjoy it. Along with the pork Delmonico, I roasted various root vegetables and prepared a turnip steak—pan-seared turnip with brown sugar, butter, and soy sauce. The plate was garnished with scallions, radishes, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this wine. I paid about $40, and I thought it was much better than any entry-level Burgundian wine at this price range or slightly higher. This cuvée would be a great choice when one is undecided about what to cook, as it pairs beautifully with a wide range of foods. I always include wines from the Dutraive family into my Beaujolais project because they are consistently reliable and good.
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2022 Domaine Anita Chénas Cuvée P’tit Co.
Domaine Anita is a relatively new winemaker on the scene. Debuting with the 2015 vintage, Anita Kuhnel was a professional cyclist before entering the winemaking business. Her domaine is located in Chénas and she now manages 18 hectares of vineyards spread across Fleurie, Chénas, Morgon, and Moulin-à-Vent. The vines, ranging from 40 to 100 years old, are so cherished that she even uses a horse to plow the oldest plots, an homage and nod to previous generations of winemakers.
The Cuvée P’tit Co comes from a parcel situated at an altitude of 265 meters. The 45-year-old vines are planted on pebbly quartz soils. Benefiting from lighter soils and a northeasterly exposure, the vineyard produces wines with delicate spice notes and softer tannins. This cuvée underwent whole-cluster semi-carbonic fermentation in cement, followed by six months of aging in cement.
I also picked this one up from Flatiron Wines. The same sales associate who recommended the 2021 Famille Dutraive “En Papolet” highly suggested Domaine Anita’s cuvée. My first impression of this wine was its very rich, concentrated flavor, with subtle spices and some grip. This is a wine that will age beautifully over time. If you are a fan of black fruit with earthy notes and a hearty profile, this will be a great option for you. This almost purple-colored wine displayed pronounced blackberry, purple flowers, blueberry, black cherry, black plum, and even dried plum notes. It is unusual to taste dried plum notes in such a young wine, but the concentration of the fruit might have contributed to these dried fruit notes.
As far as the food pairing goes, I also opted for pork. But this time, instead of a pork steak, I made braised pork with root vegetables, and it was still delicious. The sweetness of the roasted root vegetables complemented the dense meat well, blending nicely with the black fruit notes of the wine. One thing I wish I had done better was choosing a fattier cut of meat, so the tannins of the wine would have blended better with the meal. Given that the wine is very young, its tannins were still prominent, even though they were softer for a young wine. A fattier cut, like pork belly, would have been a better option for this particular wine. Nevertheless, it was still a very enjoyable meal.
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So far, I have explored three crus of Beaujolais. As mentioned earlier, Chénas reignited my passion for the project. The wines I uncorked perfectly demonstrated the region's key characteristics: spice notes and an earthy profile. Next, I will be delving into Moulin-à-Vent, one of the three highly regarded winemaking crus in Beaujolais. I anticipate this will be an even more exciting journey.