Brouilly

Deep ruby color and big red fruit aromas

These outsized dimensions, combined with its established record in wine shops and bars the world over, have closely identified Brouilly with cru Beaujolais as a whole, perhaps more closely than any other cru aside from Morgon.

The dominant feature of the cru is the mountain from which it takes its name: Mont Brouilly, a broad, flat-topped, volcanic elevation set dramatically apart from long chain of hills that gird the western edge of the line of crus. Around this massive geological feature are drawn the boundaries of the AOP, which resemble an oblong donut in shape; the steep upper elevations constitute an entirely separate appellation, Côte de Brouilly.

Six separate communes dot the Brouilly zone, and it is by grouping them that the varied soil types of the region are best understood. In Quincié, Odenas and Saint-Etienne-la-Varenne, to the west of the mountain, the thin soils are dominated by the familiar pink granite, with a good measure of sand. On the northern side, around Cercié and Saint-Lager, and again in the south, large diorite deposits combine with other volcanic stones washed down from the upper slopes of the hill. Lastly, a substantial pocket of limestone marl can be found near Charentay, to the east, along with alluvial clay soils in the direction of the river.

While these four soil types produce distinct styles of Beaujolais, there are common threads. The exceptions notwithstanding, the overarching Brouilly style is one of fruitiness and medium-weight approachability, with sweet black cherry notes backed with warm spices and occasional floral elements. Tannins are generally soft and round, and usually well-balanced against a gentle but present acidity. Brouilly is often positioned as the quintessential bistro wine, for obvious reasons.

Brouilly covers 20 percent of the Beaujolais Cru area. Total 1,227 hectares. Over five hundred growers work in its vineyards. More than 8 million bottles that are sold throughout France and beyond are produced each year.

The viticultural history of the area is extraordinary: anecdotal evidence suggests that vines were planted on Brouilly’s slopes some two thousand years ago, and the villages of the area already had a documented presence in the Parisian market as early as 1769.

As far back as 1769, the communes of Brouilly were involved in winemaking and were among the 16 Beaujolais parishes authorized to sell wines to Paris. The commune start since 19/10/1938.

Ref.

https://www.discoverbeaujolais.com/discover-the-wines/fine-and-flavored/brouilly/

http://www.clubcrusbeaujolais.com/crus.html