Henry Fessy Fleurie Château des Labourons 2016, Cru du Beaujolais, France

Château des Labourons’ current architecture dates from the 19th century. It was rebuilt from ashes after a devastating fire, but still retains some of its original architectural character. This Château has a long history, over five generations of the “de Lescure” family, and it was already producing wine by the 18th century. The southern facade overlooks a garden populated with beautiful mature trees. The surrounding land is of course dedicated to vineyards, but also to pine forests. The Château des Labourons Fleurie is elegant and complex. It is characteristically fruity and perfumed, expressing the best of the Fleurie “terroir”. The Château carries out non-carbonic vinification in open vats with the very best grapes. After the pneumatic pressing and fermentations, the wine is matured in old oak tuns before bottling. The 18 hectares of vineyards are managed under sustainable farming methods. The density of plantation is 10,000 vines per hectare. The name “Labourons” in fact means “let’s plough”, and bears witness to the diverse agricultural heritage of this land. The vines are planted at an altitude of 350-400 metres above sea level on thin soils composed of igneous rock. Mainly pale pink granite that breaks down into coarse sand and creates “blockfields”. The steeply sloping, well drained land has mainly southerly or westerly exposure and requires manual work.