Description
Domaine des Braves, Régnié
Domaine des Braves’ ability to craft red Burgundy that’s explosively lush, mineral-tinged, and outrageously delicious every single year goes beyond my level of comprehension, but one thing’s for certain: They’re among the few labels that epitomize the major renaissance and craze of modern-day Cru Beaujolais. In the pantheon of easy-drinking reds, there may not be a more versatile and straightforwardly delicious red wine to have on hand in quantity. But my love for Braves goes even deeper:
Our cellar tasting years back will forever be ingrained in my memory. It was an early autumn morning, and it was the coldest I’ve ever been. Icy breath fired out, we spoke with paper-thin voices, and our trembling hands caused the wines to slosh about. And yet, we couldn’t stop drinking the Régnié—and didn’t until the final ounce was gone. When it comes to the 10 crus of Beaujolais, each one has its own unique style, ranging from light and flowery to structured and concentrated. Régnié typically delivers a wine that lies between these two styles, but Braves’ effortlessly leans toward the latter. With sustainably farmed old vines, natural fermentations, squeaky-clean stainless steel aging, and an unfined/unfiltered bottling, this 2020 is one of those “pure joy” Burgundies we’re so fond of. If you haven’t yet discovered it, please wake up!
The village of Régnié is the newest of the 10 officially recognized Beaujolais crus (“elevated” in 1988) and certainly one of the most bucolic, with gently rolling hills that sit 1,000 feet above sea level. Roughly 80 different growers call Régnié home and it’s worth betting that if you knock on a door here, the person who answers probably has grape-stained hands. This certainly is the case for the Cinquin family. Established in 1903, Franck Cinquin is the fourth generation at Domaine des Braves and has upheld the tradition and style of his forefathers to the utmost degree. Along with the heralded Guy Breton, Domaine des Braves continually proves to be one of the premier producers of Régnié.
Paul Cinquin acquired many of Domaine des Braves’ Régnié vines in the 1970s; most of their vineyards sit on a high plateau of about 300 meters elevation, with full-south expositions and soils rich in sand, pink granite, and limestone. Their wines are sustainably farmed, minimal-intervention expressions of place. The small, hand-harvested crop that is yielded after a strict sorting process is entirely de-stemmed and undergoes a natural fermentation in stainless steel tanks. After additional aging, the wine is bottled both unfined and unfiltered.
Plump, brambly fruit and graphitic minerality funnel out of the glass in style, making this 2020 a downright exuberant Régnié that should be strongly considered for case purchasing. Although unapologetically plush and polished—think bright red raspberry, juicy plum, preserved strawberry—a lot of crushed graphite and iron-like minerality reveals itself with 30 minutes of air. The medium-plus (for Gamay) palate reveals darker, brambly fruits and impressive concentration, but a great savory bite lingers in the form of grape stems, wild herbs, crushed stone, and pomegranate seed. This is a “drink now and often” wine that shows best with a slight chill (55-60 degrees) in all-purpose or Burgundy stems. While this will evolve nicely over the next 2-3 years, I’m betting you won’t have any bottles left once this wine’s second spring comes around. Cheers!
