Maison Des Bulliats

The quality grapes that had travelled up the tapis and tumbled effortlessly into the cuves began, if you remember, their fermentation process almost straight away, encouraged by the addition of yeasts and sugar. The deliciously developing juices had been tasted regularly, the first, an exciting moment as we had all felt so close to this year’s production.

Mr Dory continues to visit each day, rather like a doctor tending his patients, he tastes and makes notes.

The day before the pressing we were, amazingly, encouraged to tread the grapes!

This would help break down the sort of crust that forms of fermenting fruit and there is no better tool than clean bare feet! It was a strange experience of partial sinking and the feel of the grapes between our toes, legs and feet becoming quickly stained a wonderful vibrant purple. Apparently treatment for the skin better than any spa.

Now it was time for the pressing; exactly one week after each cuve had been filled with its bounty.

For five consecutive days the special vendange pump brought the contents of each cuve to the press while we helped spread by hand the heady mixture evenly into the bowels of the machine.

The alcoholic aromas were intense and overwhelming. The pressing for each cuve took about two and a half hours of carefully programmed turning and churning, the resulting juices returned to clean cuves.

The juice is now traditionally called le paradis and restaurants all over Beaujolais offer this fruity paradise to customers before their meal.

Each evening of the five days it took to press at Maison des Bulliats, the left over dried stems and exhausted fruit, like flattened raisins, called the genes was raked from the press into the trailor and taken to a designated dumping ground from where it would be collected and made into marc a sort of eau de vie that would not belong to us!

There will also be a sludgy substance at the bottom of each cuve called the lie which will too be taken away to make an even stronger brew!

There is a regional dish which is quite delicious, pork sausage cooked in wine on a bed of genes. I made this dish before and after the vendanges many times but using bunches of whole grapes instead of dried, adding a few bay leaves, served with wonderful Mona Lisa potatoes and green beans. The sauce that results is heavenly. Chris agrees.

The fermentation continued and M. Dory and our friend from Morgon are visiting regularly. The secondary fermentation known as malolactic is more subtle and this would take another week. This is the fermentation of the acids that can also be found in milk that are not so evident by taste. We were right to delay our vendange by a few days, to wait for more sun and north winds which developed and concentrated the natural sugars in the grapes and enabled this final fermentation to take place in good time.

Now, a few weeks later we tasted the young wine from each cuve. The cool of the cuvage made it difficult for us to be critical, we drew a bottle from each cuve and left it at room temperature in the kitchen, ready to taste with experts. What a difference this made, we could begin to appreciate its qualities and the exotic blend of fruits and minerals. It seeems we have the potential to win some medals. our protegy will certainly be entered for the forthcoming competitions at Macon and in Paris.

We had a fabulous party to celebrate the end of our vendange with family and friends. There were ten of us and ,of course we had the famous sausage cooked on a bed of grapes.

I stuffed fresh figs with goats cheese and ham for a starter and we finished with a selection of delicious tarts. Our 2006 Regnie was an excellent accompaniment to the rich sausage with its aromatic sauce. It was a splendid evening and all who were there were tired but happy with a very successful vendange!

The leaves on the vines started to change their colour early this year, from an October full of vibrant shades of burnt umber, ochre’s, gold, deep pinks and vivid reds, to now in November only a few left, a frail faded yellow awaiting the first strong winds which will expose the gnarled brown vines.

The willows lining many of the roads in Beaujolais, whose stems can form the most elegant of baskets and in the past were used to tie the vines, are turning a rusty red. I love the way they form majestic landmarks in the autumnal landscape here.

Our first grape year has come to an end. The vines must be pruned again as soon as the last leaf has fallen, around the middle of November. We have already engaged the two Turkish gentlemen who helped us at the beginning of 2007, they arrived a few days ago to discuss the trimming, bearing a plate of sugary Turkish sweetmeats and little pink jewels of Turkish delight!

We turn our thoughts to competitions and finding new markets for our wine, we have great hopes to expand in Canada where we managed to find a few days exploring and meeting new potential customers. We will enjoy following the progress of our 2007 Regnie. It has to pass its cru test soon but we do not have any worry there, and by March or April of next year it will be ready for bottling.

Some still in this region are selling the primeur the young wine that was for a time a big fad and fashion and is less so now. This will be on sale very soon to the worlds wine drinkers. We feel that this Beaujolais Nouveau has somewhat damaged the reputation of the cru wines. They deserve better press. These wines are so compatible with good food and have such character and complexity, and can be kept for several years. The world should rethink these jewels from southern Burgundy and re visit them, especially ours of course!, and also get to know the beauty of this region in all seasons.