Jean-Paul Brun Domaine des Terres Dorees Beaujolais 'L'Ancien'

Jean-Paul Brun started Terres Dorées in 1979 with a mere 4 hectares of vines in Charnay in the southern Beaujolais, an area which is slightly warmer and more limestone-driven versus the more renowned granite-rich cru villages in the northern Beaujolais. 

From the beginning, Jean-Paul carved a different path for himself in Beaujolais. Not only does he not chaptalize (common practice here), he has also always eschewed the relatively modern technique of carbonic maceration, in favor of traditional Burgundian vinification. His feeling was and remains that the character of Gamay and its varied terroirs is obscured by whole-cluster fermentation, as well as by the use of commercial yeasts and copious sulfur.

L'Ancien comes from Jean Paul's oldest vines--hence the name of the wine--in his home village of Charnay in the southern Beaujolais. 'The 2020 Beaujolais l’Ancien soars from the glass with scents of cherries, red fruit compote and plums. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's rich and enveloping, with succulent acids and an expansive finish. More gourmand than its 2019 counterpart, it's a dramatic, appealing wine that's already drinking well.' - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 91 points