Château Grange Cochard Côte du Py 2020

Côte du Py is the celebrated hill of Morgon in cru Beaujolais, a slope of decomposed volcanic rock and blue schist that gives some of the region's deepest, most structured Gamay. Château Grange Cochard, a 1759 estate revived by Jean-Philippe Manchès, farms old vines here, and low yields from mature roots concentrate the fruit. The iron-rich schist soils are known for producing Gamay that is fuller and more mineral than the granite crus, and wines from Côte du Py are often built to age, developing an earthy, almost Pinot-like complexity. After fermentation the wine spends eleven months in oak, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves settles the tannins and adds a light spice while keeping the fruit intact. Expect a deep ruby colour, a nose of ripe black cherry and plum over earth and stone, and a deep, mature and powerful palate with firm but ripe tannins and a long savoury finish. Serve at 15 to 17 degrees, decanted if young, with roast meat and game.