In the glass
What it pairs with
-
Blanquette de veau
Earthy cherry Gamay brightens the mild veal cream sauce. -
Boudin noir aux pommes
Iron mineral notes mirror the blood sausage's ferrous richness. -
Comté jeune
Young Comté's nuttiness plays against the wine's fruit-and-mineral core.
How to serve Brouilly Vieilles Vignes
Allow 65 minutes from open to pour.
- Open and decant. Open 60 minutes before serving and pour into a decanter to aerate.
- Serve at 14-16°C. Cellar temperature (14-16°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
- Glassware. Use a Burgundy bowl with a wide opening: the bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
- Pair with. Blanquette de veau, Boudin noir aux pommes, Comté jeune. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.
History
Jean-Claude Lapalu converted to natural winemaking in the early 2000s, working without sulphur additions and using whole-cluster carbonic maceration on his oldest Brouilly vines.
- 2000 — Vieilles Vignes cuvée established from Lapalu's oldest granite-soil Brouilly parcels
- 2005 — Estate certified as practicing natural wine producer
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu
- Grapes
- Gamay
- Classification
- Brouilly AOC
- Oak
- Whole-cluster carbonic maceration; no new oak
- ABV
- 13.0%
- Price
- €18-26 at retail
- Drinking window
- 2-10 from vintage
- First vintage
- 2000
- Biodynamic
- Biodynamic Practicing
- Organic
- ORGANIC CERTIFIED
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Frequently asked about Brouilly Vieilles Vignes
What does Brouilly Vieilles Vignes taste like?
Structurally medium-bodied, medium tannins, high acidity with a medium finish. Old-vine Brouilly from a natural-wine pioneer: sauvage cherry and iron mineral character with the energy of whole-cluster fermentation.
When should I drink Brouilly Vieilles Vignes?
Drink 2-10 from vintage. Young vintages benefit from 30-90 minutes of decanting; mature bottles should be handled carefully for sediment.
What food pairs with Brouilly Vieilles Vignes?
Blanquette de veau is the canonical pairing. Other strong matches include Boudin noir aux pommes and Comté jeune. Earthy cherry Gamay brightens the mild veal cream sauce.
Is Brouilly Vieilles Vignes vegan?
Yes: the producer documents no animal-derived fining agents in production, so the wine is suitable for vegan and vegetarian drinkers.
What grapes are in Brouilly Vieilles Vignes?
The blend is Gamay. The wine is classified as Brouilly AOC.