Quentin Harel Beaujolais Villages "Les Grandes Terres"
Winemaker Quentin Harel may come from a traditional family of vigneron, but he also shares in the heritage of terroir-driven, natural winemakers in Beaujolais with the likes of Chauvet, Lapierre, and Foillard. Harel’s holdings are mostly situated around Buis-Rond (south of Côte de Brouilly) where his family estate, Domaine de Buis-Rond, has operated since 1768.
Harel’s Beaujolais AOC vineyards are to the south have soils composed of clay, sand, and flint which stands apart from the neighboring granitic zone of Beaujolais crus. The wines from these vineyards are bright, fresh, and aromatic. In 2011, Harel purchased a one-hectare plot of 80 year-old vines in the Les Charmes lieu-dit of Morgon, a small portion of which has gradually been replanted. These soils are schist and granite with a presence of Manganese, and the wine is lively with an elegant mineral character. Harel’s family parcels have been certified organic since 1998, and the plot in Morgon has been farmed organically since 1980.
In the cellar, vinification is traditional, whole-cluster fermentation with indigenous yeasts. No sulfur is added during the fermentation process. The Morgon is aged in 400-liter neutral barrels and the other wines remain in cement or enamel tanks. All wines receive a small amount of sulfur before bottling and the wines are never filtered or fined.
