L'Epicurieux Brouilly 'Whole Lotta Love' 2021

Whole Lotta Love is L'Epicurieux's Brouilly from the granite soils of this celebrated Beaujolais cru. This is Gamay at its most elegant and mineral-driven, showing what the variety can achieve when it's grown on the right soils and handled with care.

Growing up amidst the vineyards of southwestern France, Sébastien embarked on a career working on offshore oil rigs in 2006. In 2011, back in France, he met and fell in love with Charlotte Congretel, whose family owned vineyards in Régnié. The couple soon had a son, and in 2015, Sébastien decided to return to dry land permanently to commit to their 2.5-hectare project, L'Epicurieux. By 2016, they had completed their first full vintage.

Farming is organic, fermentation is on wild yeasts, and winemaking takes place without the addition of any sulphur. Whilst the domaine is yet young, Sébastien is moving towards biodynamic certification and has recently acquired the new French natural wine certification 'Vin Méthode Nature'. All wines are vinified the same way to really express the difference in the soils.

Brouilly's granite soils give the wines their characteristic minerality, freshness, and elegance. Whole Lotta Love shows red berries, herbs, granite minerality, and that characteristic bright acidity that makes it so food-friendly. There's purity and precision here, with nothing heavy or overdone.

Serve it at room temperature or slightly chilled with charcuterie, grilled vegetables, lighter meat dishes, or fresh cheeses. This is drinking beautifully now and shows the energy and honesty that defines L'Epicurieux. Honest, energetic Beaujolais from one of the region's most exciting young producers.