About this WINE
Domaine Naudin-Ferrand
Claire Naudin, one of Henri Naudin-Ferrand’s three daughters, has been in charge of this small domaine based in the Hautes Côtes at Magny-les-Villers, a village that sits astride the dividing line between Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Hautes Côtes de Nuits, since 1994.
Claire is relatively susceptible to sulphur and uses the product as little as possible. Though some of the wines are made in an ‘orthodox fashion, the most exciting wines are those which are vinified with whole bunches (all the stems) and without sulphur, though some SO2 is added at bottling to ensure that the wines remain stable thereafter.
Claire’s theory, which her wines bear out admirably, is that there is none of the harshness sometimes evident when the bunches are vinified with their stems if sulphur is not used. Instead a magical floral perfume emanates from the wine.
Gamay
A French variety planted predominately in Beaujolais where it is the grape behind everything from light and often acidic Beaujolais Nouveau through to the more serious and well-structured wines from the 10 cru villages. It takes its name from a hamlet just outside Chassagne-Montrachet and was at one stage widely planted on the Côte d`Or. However it was gradually phased out due to its poor yield and supposed poor quality of its wines.
The majority of Gamay wines in Beaujolais are labelled as Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages and are deliciously juicy, easy drinking, gulpable wines. Of more interest are the Cru wines from the 10 villages in the north of the region where the soil is predominantly granitic schist and where the vines are planted on gently undulating slopes. These can be well-structured, intensely perfumed wines, redolent of ripe black fruits and, while delicious young, will reward medium term cellaring.
Gamay is also grown in the Touraine region of the Loire where it produces soft, well-balanced, gluggable wines for drinking young.
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Description
This wine's name is a play on words: Claire produces it from grapes grown in the Allier region by growers who proved crucial allies in 2016 when her own vineyards were ravaged by frost. Claire was so happy with the result, it's become a fixture of her range - much to our delight. The Gamay fruit undergoes semi-carbonic maceration (the grape and technique most associated with Beaujolais) and is bottled unfined, unfiltered and with no added sulphur. The nose is exceptionally expressive, majoring on floral and smashed red berry aromas. The palate is positively mouth-watering, with lively acidity and just a prickle of carbon dioxide. Drunk cellar temperature - or after a 10-minute spell in the fridge - this calls for charcuterie. Drink now to 2021.
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