La Côte Etoilée
La Côte Etoilée means ‘starred hill’ in French. La Côte Etoilée has been owned by the Griveau family for three generations; their small, 12-hectare domaine is located to the south of the Burgundy region of France. The domain enjoys an exceptional location near the historic Chapel of Mount Brouilly. This site has been used as a vine-growing land since ancient Roman times.
History
There are ten Beaujolais Crus (NB: Cru in Beaujolais refers to a wine producing area, not a vineyard) with Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly the most southernly.
BROUILLY is the largest and most southerly cru of Beaujolais. Brouilly is the wine to have on hand for any occasion because somehow, it always fits; there’s a reason why it’s the table wine of many a bistro in France. Light to medium bodied, it is typically lively, fruity, and fresh.
Côte means hillside in French, but the CÔTE DE BROUILLY isn’t actually a hillside at all – it’s an ancient volcano. Vines are grown on the ancient volcano’s slopes, where they get more sun and better drainage than the surrounding plains of Brouilly. This creates wines that are a bit riper, more serious, and more ageable than little brother Brouilly whilst remaining approachable and fresh.
Viticulture & Winemaking
The average age of the vines is 50 years old – but some were planted almost a century ago. Grapes are hand-picked followed by a 14 day whole cluster semi-carbonic maceration in concrete and steel tanks.