Raphaël Beysang & Emélie Hurtubise
Emélie and Raphaël make delicious gamay wines in the far south of Beaujolais, in the commune of Saint-Germain-Nuelles on the northwestern outskirts of Lyon.
The couple met in the Auvergne, where they were working among the same group of winemakers, including Patrick Bouju, Vincent Marie and Aurelien Lefort. Raphaël comes from an Alsatian family of restaurateurs, and learned about farming and winemaking from Jean-Marc Dreyer, with whom he is very close. Emelie is from Quebec, originally. After being offered the opportunity to manage some old vineyards in Beaujolais, Raphaël moved there in 2017. Emélié followed in 2018 and together they started their own label.
Both terroir and vine age varies throughout the vineyards. While the fruit for the Nouveau Litre cuvee comes from sandier soil, Paltieries – a single site – is almost pure limestone, with one section of the parcel planted 30 years ago and another section that is around 80 years old. The wines are largely fermented as whole bunches for around three weeks, with little in the way of pigeage or pumpovers, and elevage takes place in large foudres. Some cuvees are bottled in recycled old 1L traditional bottles from the area that have been sterilised in a local facility – distinctive vessels with a star on the shoulder.
The wines are tremendously fresh and energetic, often with a dark, almost-blue shade of fruit, and drink incredibly well with food, particularly at a slightly lower temperature.
Beaujolais, France
Information on previous wines
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Gamay from a single site, half planted in 1927 and half in 1970, with clay and limestone soils. Fermented as whole bunches and spends a year in very old foudre before being run to recycled 1L bottles
2021 From a cooler year. Dark red fruit, with lots of fleshy primary matter, and some earthen flavours from the stalks.
2019 A lighter, more elegant year with crisp red fruit and higher acidity.
2018 Dark fruit from a warm vintage, with exceptional fluidity on the palate.
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Gamay from vines planted in 1955 in Theize (towards Macon), fermented as whole bunches with elevage in foudre
2021 Resting
2020 From a warmer year. Dark red fruit, with lots of fleshy primary matter, and some earthen flavours from the stalks.
2018 Dark-fruited from a warmer year, with lots of fleshy primary matter, and some earthen flavours from the stalks.
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Gamay vinified as whole bunches with elevage in tank. Bottled in recycled 1L bottles
2021 A classic vintage for this wine. Fresh fruit with a pleasing earthen element through skins, stalks and lees.
2020 From a warmer year.
2019 Lightly macerated, with crisp red fruit and lots of fleshiness.
2018 Lightly macerated following a fairly muscular vintage. Pure and dark-fruited but with levity and acidity thanks to the limestone.
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Petillant naturel gamay from a few different sites
2022 From a cooler year. Mineral, with spicy aromatics and vivid, slightly sweet red berry fruit.
2021 From a cooler year. Some pinot noir was included in this vintage.
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A collaboration with Jean-Marc Dreyer, with whom Raphael has previously worked. For this cuvee, Jean-Marc contributes a blend of red and white fruit from Alsace (which changes slightly every year) to which Emelie and Raphael add a portion of their own gamay
2021 Deep, classical and serious, with various shades of white, red and dark-red fruit.
2019 Lighter in the glass than 2021, with a crisper, more red shade of fruit.
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An experimental cuvée made by Emelie. Gamay vinified as whole bunches in sandstone and bottled in magnum, named after a river in Quebec
2019 Dark-red fruit, resolved in structure, with some minerality as well as gentle sappiness from the stalks.
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A single-site gamay made by Emelie, bottled in magnum.
2019 A lighter, more elegant year with crisp red fruit and higher acidity.
2018 From a warmer year with darker fruit profiles.
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100% gamay, made by Em and Raph, bottled in magnum and named after Raphael’s son
2019 From a lighter year. Deep, classical and serious, with dark red fruit.