SÉLÉNÉ
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On a whim, we decided to drive south from Beaune to Blacé, a small village just south of Beaujolais’ most exalted crus. We had sent Sylvère Trichard, proprietor of Séléné, a message asking if we could come to visit. Despite being in the middle of harvest, he agreed to show us his vineyards and winery.
We pulled up to the sound of The Distillers echoing from a tinny speaker in his minimalist winery. We were greeted by a rag-tag team of punk rockers, including Sylvère himself, sporting his iconic denim overalls. Concrete tanks were filled with that vintage’s harvest, undergoing whole-cluster fermentation - semi-carbonic maceration ideal for his Gamay Noir grapes. Although he has four hectares planted on his property, he also buys some fruit from neighbours. His plot consists primarily of sandy clay over granite, the ideal combination for ethereal and filigreed wines.
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He learnt his craft from Dominique Belluard in the Savoie and local legend Jean-Claude Lapalu. Although he’s not certified, he employs many of the biodynamic techniques he learned from his mentors. Vineyard and winery work is often done based on the moon's cycles, and he pursues biodiversity between the vines, including sheep and fruit trees.
After visiting some of the vineyards, we went back to the winery, where we tasted through the line-up. The wines were energetic, clean, and soulful. Drinking them next to the vines with ample saucisson sec and cheese couldn’t have been a better introduction - especially out of magnum, a format he’s appropriately biased towards.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $33.00
CSPC: 852496
2021 CUVÉE DU PRINTEMPS
This cuvée is made from Gamay Noir Sylvère purchases from his neighbours within Beaujolais. The grapes are fermented as whole clusters in concrete tank for a couple of weeks before being pressed off. After an additional six month élevage in concrete, the wine is bottled with minimal SO2.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $33.00
CSPC: 867857
2021 ROSÉ
This parcel on granite and sandy clay just finished its organic conversion in 2021. Gamay Noir is direct pressed into concrete for fermentation and a short élevage. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. 11%ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $40.00
CSPC: 867858
2021 BEAUJOLAIS BLANC
Sylvère got his hands on a small Chardonnay vineyard five years ago and has been farming it organically ever since. The grapes are whole cluster pressed into concrete for fermentation and élevage. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered without SO2. 12% ABV
