The vineyards of the Beaujolais region are very hilly. They are delimited on one side by the foothills of France’s Massif Central mountain range and overlook the Saône River’s floodplain between Mâcon and Lyon. Nestled at the foot of Mont Brouilly, Château de Pierreux is one of the most beautiful residences in the Beaujolais region.

Several centuries of history have shaped this ancient 13th-century fortified house of which two towers still stand today. The castle was renovated several times over the centuries. Its vaulted cellars date back to the 17th century while the current building was erected in the 19th century.

Château de Pierreux’s 110 hectares of vines are planted in shallow, well-drained pink granitic, schistous, and siliceous soils which contain deposits of blue porphyry from the volcanic eruptions of Mont Brouilly that date back millions of years.

The estate was certified High Environmental Value (HVE) in 2020.

Planting density: 6,000 to 10,000 vines/ha
Age of the vines: 42% of the plots are over 40 years old.
Pruning: gobelet & Cordon

Work philosophy: Growing methods are decided upon vineyard by vineyard according to lutte raisonnée, an environmentally friendly approach. Everything is analysed in detail: risk of disease, the number of harmful and beneficial insects that can be found in each vineyard, the size and number of bunches of grapes per vine, problems with weeds, the health of the vines’ leaves, etc.

Working of the soil: de-earthing, scraping, hoeing between the vines.

This philosophy has 3 objectives:

100% Gamay

With an intense deep purple colour, the nose reveals aromas of violets, jammy black and red fruits. The tannins are soft and balanced and show a degree of minerality. Vintage 2014 reveals the true spirit of a Brouilly from the Pierreux terroir.

The grapes were 80% de-stemmed and placed in a concrete vat. The fermentation lasted 8 days and was followed by a 15-21-day Burgundy maceration. A 6-month ageing in large barrels to develop structure, soften tannins and allow a micro- oxygenation with a 15%-ageing in oak of French origin to preserve finesse and bring velvety touch to this cuvée.

With an early start to the year, Springtime was warm and dry and limited the vegetative growth of the vine. Summer rainfall in early July helped to accelerate the development of the vine and the grapes. Flowering took place in early June followed by the “veraison” (grapes change colour) at the end of July. The result was a low potential yield with small bunches. Under sunshine and warm weather the harvest started on 11th September, giving grapes with high potential degrees.