2022 Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie “Les Cocottes”, Beaujolais, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

She has mostly crafted her wines using de-stemmed grapes and a more ‘standard’ maceration/fermentation process, as opposed to “carbonic maceration,” wherein whole grape clusters, with berries intact, are sealed up in a closed tank with CO2 to carry out their transformation into wine. Since 2015, however, Anne-Sophie has produced “Cocottes” via carbonic maceration, her nod to tradition in Beaujolais cru villages like Fleurie. So, with Cocottes (for which she also created the label art), you get bright, juicy Fleurie that was bottled in the Spring following the vintage, but you also get an Anne-Sophie Dubois level of aromatic nuance and mineral backbone.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Anne-Sophie Dubois is part of a new generation of rising star vignerons in Beaujolais. Based in the heart of Fleurie, Anne-Sophies' wines epitomize delicacy and finesse, with a style and approach aligned with the Gamay grown in the area. Having learned winemaking in Volnay, she draws from her experience there to elegant wines; full of depth and aromatic complexity, and without the over-extraction of fruit.

In addition to a Beaujolais blanc, Anne-Sophie produces three additional cuvées, the most accessible wine being the Paso Doublé Gamay, which is labeled as Bourgogne Rouge and meant to be enjoyed upon release. Her other two wines, l’Alchemiste and Clepsydre, exhibit considerable aromatic complexity, depth, and nuance on the palate. She refrains from using new oak, and prefers to utilize cement vats and larger neutral oak casks for fermentation and aging. The resulting wines are renditions of gamay abound with fruit, finesse and exquisite balance.