Astoundingly good Fleurie from a relative newcomer to the natural game. Ex-city worker turned unreal winemaker.
Wine: DOMAINE MARC DELIENNE Fleurie Avalanche de Printemps 2016
Producer: Domaine Marc Delienne
Region/Country: Beaujolais, France
Grape/s: Gamay
Production Method: Organic farming. Fermentation in concreate. Semi-carbonic fermentation with wild yeasts. Bottled without fining or filtration.
Style: Supremely balanced with an expressive nose of raspberry, rose petal and plum which flows onto the palate
Pairing Suggestion: Charcuterie, Game, Asian Cuisine
Domaine Marc Delienne
Marc Delienne quit a job in Paris to pursue his long-standing passion for wine professionally, purchasing the Château de l’Abbeye Saint Laurent d’Arpayé in the village of Fleurie after a stint under the tutelage of Eloi Durbach of the Domaine de Trévallon. He produced his inaugural vintage in 2015, and his two cuvées are very impressive indeed. The winemaking is simple: organically cultivated grapes are fermented without chaptalization or destemming, followed by élevage in foudre, concrete tanks and old Trévallon barrels. The wines are bottled without racking, fining or filtration with low levels of sulphur. As the notes below attest, I was really impressed by his debut vintage. (William Kelley)