There is a very exciting renaissance that has been happening in the Beaujolais region of France, and at its core is a new generation of winemakers that have learned everything they know from their progenitors. To pair with that unparalleled guidance, there is a youthful energy and worldly view that is taking the wines and the region to yet again new heights. Sébastien Besson is now the fourth generation of the family to take the helm at Domaine du Penlois, which originated in the 1920's by his great-grandfather Benoît, situated on the small hill called Lancié (nestled in between Morgon, Fleuri, and Moulin-à-Vent). Sébastien's father, Maxence, took over in 1977 and accrued more and more Cru vineyards in the region, giving the Domaine 30 hectares in total. While making sustainably farmed Domaine wines with his father, Sébastien began an eponymous project in 2016. He converted small granite-rich plots on the property to strict organic farming, spanning not only portions of their Village Appellation sites, but parcels of three Crus as well (a total of 7 hectares). With natural fermentations and aging in concrete vats, and a small sulfur addition before bottling, the wines of Sébasten Besson are pure, driven, and remarkable expressions of top Beaujolais.
SEBASTIEN BESSON - VIRTUAL VISIT
The following interview was recorded in the fall of 2020 during the Covid lockdown. These videos were intended to promote sales and create requests for samples during a time when promoting new wines was challenging. Although this promotion is over, the videos contain SO MUCH great content that we want to make it available to you.
To watch this Virtual Visit on YouTube - click HERE Pro-Tip: Underneath each video there is an expandable description (click Show More) where you will find 'time-stamps' that are quick-linked to particular topics throughout the video for easy navigation and quick information
The following interview was recorded in the fall of 2020 during the Covid lockdown. These videos were intended to promote sales and create requests for samples during a time when promoting new wines was challenging. Although this promotion is over, the videos contain SO MUCH great content that we want to make it available to you.
To watch this Virtual Visit on YouTube - click HERE Pro-Tip: Underneath each video there is an expandable description (click Show More) where you will find 'time-stamps' that are quick-linked to particular topics throughout the video for easy navigation and quick information
- sébastien besson 'la p'tite bulle' petillant naturel
The Sébastien Besson ‘La P’Tite Bulle’ Petillant Natural is a stunning ‘pet-nat’ that comes from the Chardonnay grapes growing on the estate. The limestone soils give gorgeous texture and crispness to the grapes, and going through the Ancestral Method of sparkling production, and the name ‘the small bubbles’ is perfect for this finished bubbly. The grapes are harvested and begin a natural fermentation in stainless steel tanks after a gentle pressing. Once the sugar level gets down to 16 g/l, the fermentation is halted with cold temperatures, is coarsely filtered, and then bottled without any sulfites. The fermentation then continues naturally once the temperature rises again, and the sugars are eaten to basically zero. With the lees still in the bottle, the sparkling pet-nat is ready for consumption for any occasion really. The aromas are fresh, lively with citrus and minerality, and backed up with ready-to-eat apples from-the-tree fragrance. The mouthfeel is lovely, with a creamy and bready mousse, crispy fresh tree fruit juiciness, hints of salinity, and a long finish full of acidity that leads to delicious sip after delicious sip.
sébastien besson 'la criée' beaujolais blanc
100% chardonnay The Sébastien Besson ‘La Criée’ Beaujolais Blanc is a vibrant and exceptional expression of Chardonnay from Beaujolais. On the property there is a small plot of limestone and clay that is dedicated to growing Chardonnay versus Gamay, and each year it creates beautiful depth in the fruit. The fruit is hand-harvested and arrives to the cellar for an immediate pressing into a very cold tank. Natural fermentation begins in stainless steel and lasts for about one month with daily pump-overs. The finished wine rested in tank for about seven months before a small (and first) dose of sulfites, no filtration nor fining, and then bottling. The result is a golden straw white with aromatics of apples, crisp but ripe pears, and stony minerality. In the mouth, there is a lovely texture that remains vibrantly fresh, while still giving weight and depth, loaded with fruit, brine, and earth. Long in the mouth, and built for a gigantic feast. 
sébastien besson beaujolais villages
100% gamay The Sébastien Besson Beaujolais Villages is a gorgeous and bright example of some of the estate’s organically farmed fruit. 35-year-old bush vine Gamay from a few plots of granite filled soil, situated right around the cellar in Lancié, are hand harvested and brought to the winery in small baskets. The grapes bunches remain in a cold room for a night to retain the expressive aromatics before they are placed into concrete vats for natural whole-cluster fermentation. Only one or two pump overs are performed daily for just over two weeks before a gentle pressing off of the skins, and then back into the concrete to finish its fermentation. Then after six months of aging, a small sulfur addition is made before the wine is bottled. The expressive wine that results is full of bright and juicy brambly fruit on the nose, with hints of forest floor and stone, and fresh purple violets. The palate is vibrant and has enticing fruit for days; raspberry, tart cherry, and a soft umami character that dances beautifully with the lively acidity. 
sébastien besson morgon
100% gamay The Morgon comes from the granite soils on the northern side of the Cru, are all estate bush vines, and hand-harvested when the balance in the fruit is perfect. The grapes are kept cold for an evening before being placed, as whole clusters, into both stainless steel tanks and cement vats, in order to retain some of the phenolic character and aromatics that the 35-year-old vines give. Natural fermentation begins and only 1 to 2 pump-overs are performed daily for 17 days, until a gentle pressing off the skins and the wine is returned to its vessel and ages for 7 months in concrete before bottling. The resulting wine is vibrant and alive, with juicy mountain fruit, black velvet roses, thorny bramble, and a captivatingly wild and fresh floral nuance. In the mouth this Gamay is packed with acidity to play with the ripe raspberries, the best cherries in the bowl, stony earth, juice dripping strawberries, and purple flower buds; the tannins are soft and the finish goes forever. 
sébastien besson 'les darroux' chenas
100% gamay The Sébastien Besson Chenas ‘Les Darroux’ comes from the top parcel of Gamay vines that Sébastien tends to. A beautiful plot in the very heart of the Chenas Cru, where the granite is deep and the vines are exposed to southwestern sun. When the grapes come into the winery, they go through full carbonic in whole bunches with their natural yeasts and spend about 20 days fermenting before a gentle pressing. Another ten days pass before the alcoholic ferment is complete, and then the wine rests in old barrique for a full year. Without filtration or fining, the wine is only bottled with a small dose of sulfites (its first and only dose), and leads to a deep and remarkable expression of the Cru and terroir. Earthy and dark brambly fruit layered in with cedar, clove, and mushrooms, backed with great acidity and supple tannins, this wine will age for many years to come. |
sébastien besson 'l'agrume' macération
100% chardonnay The Sébastien Besson ‘L’Agrume’ Maceration is a stunning and unique example of Chardonnay from Beaujolais country. Labeled Vin de France because the region doesn’t yet allow for this style of wine, the 20-year-old Chardonnay vines grow on a small plot of clay and limestone not far from the winery. Having spent 18 days on the skins during natural fermentation, the grapes were then gently pressed and returned to the stainless steel until complete (about 25 days total). Moved to both 225L and 500L used barrels, the wine was aged for 6 months before being bottled with only a touch of sulfites and without filtration. Agrume means ‘citrus’ to tip a hat to the natural citrus and bright characters of the grape, but this wine layers in so much extra depth and complexity than just citrus. With remarkable aromatics of earthy fruit, and a full texture in the mouth that lasts forever, this skin-fermented Chard is no joke. 
sébastien besson chenas
100% gamay The Chenas is a well-structured example of bush vine Gamay that grows on the intense granite soils of the Cru. When the grapes reach their ideal balance between sugar and acidity, they are hand harvested and brought to the cellar in Lancié. Natural fermentation in both stainless and cement takes place with whole clusters, until they are gently pressed after a couple of weeks, returned to their vessel to complete fermenting, and then aged in concrete for about 6 months. A light sulfur addition was made before bottling, and then after 5 months in bottle, the wine was released to market. A robustly pretty nose of red berries and flowers shoots forth from the dark hued juice in the glass, and leads to a well-structured, yet crunchy freshness in the mouth. The length and finesse in this wine are absolutely delicious, with ample acidity, bright fruit, floral hints, and stone. 
sébastien besson julienas
100% gamay The Juliénas comes from a small parcel of estate fruit within this esteemed northern Cru. All bush vine Gamay that is hand harvested when the balance between sugar and acidity is perfect, the grapes are brought to the cellar for an evening in a cold room in order to retain some phenolic and aromatic character. Whole cluster fermentation begins naturally after the grapes are placed into both concrete and stainless steel vats for 17 days before a gentle pressing. The wine is then placed back into the same vessels to finish fermentation and rests in concrete for close to six months, and sees a small dose of sulfites before it is bottled. The aromas are explosive with mountain blueberry, ripe red cherry, the crust of a mixed berry pie, clove, orange zest, and fresh cut flowers. In the mouth the fruit hits with brightness, yet has a bit of density behind it to fill the palate from front to back, all to be lifted again in a finish of lively acidity, soft tannin, and lingering red fruit. 
sébastien besson 'vayolette' julienas
100% gamay The ‘Vayolette’ Juliénas comes from a small .75 hectare lieu-dit from the estate’s amazing vines in this northern Cru. The bush vine Gamay is hand harvested when the balance between sugar and acidity is perfect, the grapes are brought to the cellar for an evening in a cold room in order to retain some phenolic and aromatic character. The grapes go through whole cluster fermentation naturally in concrete vats for 17 days before a gentle pressing. The wine is then placed in used French barrique for the next 10 months, and only sees a touch of sulfites before bottling with no fining or filtration. The finished bottling is nothing short of spectacular Gamay, bursting from the glass with bright red fruits, purple flowers, and something like a cool breeze that comes off a forest floor. In the mouth, the texture is electric, layered with nuanced fruits and spices, while having refreshing acidity that washes through the mouth like a dance. A lovely long finish and a wine built to enjoy over several years. |
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sébastien besson NOUVEAU beaujolais
100% gamay The 2023 Sébastien Besson Nouveau Beaujolais Villages is a vibrant, fruity, and remarkably fresh example of the gorgeous Gamay fruit that estate grows right outside of the winery in the village of Lancié. Intended for the Nouveau style, the hand-picked fruit comes directly to the cellar for a natural whole-cluster carbonic fermentation in open concrete vats, giving the greatest and fruitiest expression possible, while not being forced and un-interesting like the category’s reputation sometimes holds. The grapes were very gently pressed after about 8 days and as soon as fermentation was complete, the wine was lightly filtered and bottled with only a small dose of sulfites. By law, the wine could not ship from France before the morning of October 17th but then began its journey to arrive in the customer's hands near the famous ‘Nouveau Beaujolais Day’ (the third Thursday of November). But, with the more serious intent behind this wine, it will drink splendidly for its first several months in the bottle. |