Domaine Saint-Cyr ‘Les Journets’ Chénas Rouge 2019
Location: France, Beaujolais, Chénas
Winemaker: Raphael Saint-Cyr
Grapes: Gamay
Soil: white granite
Winemaking: Full carbonic maceration for 2 weeks; élévage for 8 months in used barrels and 2 months en masse in tank, bottled in July with 2 grams SO2.
‘Les Journets’: Les Journets is a prolongation of the Blémonts parcel in Chénas that Raphael has been farming for over a decade. In 2017, he decided to vinify this block separately, experimenting with a full carbonic fermentation to make a juicy, "grapier" Beaujolais – the style of wine that he most enjoys drinking with his winemaker friends. The results were so successful that Raphael now vinifies all of his red wines using cold carbonic - the homegrown, Beaujolais method of natural winemaking.
From the Importer Paris Wine Company: Raphael Saint-Cyr is the fourth generation vigneron at the Domaine Saint-Cyr, which was created by his great-grandfather, Pierre Saint-Cyr. The estate is located in Anse, found at the southern edge of the Beaujolais. When Raphael took over the winemaking in 2008, he let go of a large portion of Beaujolais vines around the winery and acquired vines further north in the crus of Morgon, Regnié, Chénas, and Moulin-à-Vent. Having seen his grandfather and uncle get sick from the chemicals used to treat their vines, Raphael was immediately convinced to convert the entire 23 hectare domaine to certified organic viticulture, making Domaine Saint Cyr one of the largest organic domaines in the Beaujolais.
The cuvée La Galoche is named after a small stream that runs by the property and represents the largest production from the domaine. More than anything, it represents the Beaujolais ideal of a delicious, joyful, and easy-to-drink Gamay wine. The oldest vines are vinified and aged separately as the cuvée Terroir de Bellevue, which shows the potential of the oft-maligned southern Beaujolais to produce wines that can stand up to the famous crus of the north, including Fleurie, Morgon, Chénas, and Moulin-à-Vent. The big difference here is soil type - the Pierres Dorées are limestone, while the crus are all planted on granite.
Beginning in 2017, Raphael began to experiment with cold carbonic fermentation and shorter aging for a cru Beaujolais with the single-vineyard Chénas Les Journets. Following the successful reception of this wine, all of the red wines today are vinified using cold carbonic fermentation since 2019. Always searching to improve his work in the vineyard and the quality of his wines, in 2020, Raphael began plowing his own vines with two Comtois drafthorses, Samba and El Suegno. Domaine Saint-Cyr represents the very best of the Beaujolais - joie de vivre and generosity above all, backed up by good people and solid work in the vineyards and cellar.