When Raphael Saint Cyr took over as the 4th generation of winemakers for his family's estate in Southern Beaujolais, things were, shall we say, a bit stuck in the past. For many decades the estate produced mostly basic Beaujolais and Nouveau. Farming, like much of Beaujolais and Macon, was done with chemical enhancements, and high yields were their bread and butter. It felt more like 1988 than 2008.But Raphael had seen the negative health effects of all the pesticides and herbicides on his father and grandfather, so the first thing he did was to begin converting all his vineyards to organic farming. He also knew that if he wanted to explore the full range of terroir in his region he needed to obtain some cru holdings. So he sold off a chunk of the less desirable parcels and purchased vines in Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Chenas and Fleurie. Then, and this is maybe the key, he started spending a lot of time with fellow vigneron Yann Bertrand and Pierre Cotton. Making wine in a fresh, natural and yet terroir focused way became his goal. He reduced sulphur additions, used only native yeasts and did cold, carbonic macerations for all his cuvées. These techniques coupled with Raphael’s intrinsic winemaking talents have led to a rapid improvement in quality over the last decade. Those efforts have paid off handsomely. Demand for his wines has skyrocketed and you can now find some of the best natural wine bars and bottle shops from his home in Villefranche-sur-Saône to Tokyo.
Details
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Grape Variety
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Vintage
2020
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Size
750ml
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Farming Practice
Organic
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Style
Earthy , Fruity , Spicy
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Sweetness
Dry
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Body
Light Bodied