Why it matters
The producer
Château de Buffavent is the estate name; GFA du Château de Buffavent is the legal entity. The property lies in the Pierres Dorées region of Beaujolais and covers 20 to 22 hectares. Its named red cuvée is built around old vines and barrel ageing.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Pierres Dorées locates the estate within Beaujolais, while the wine is labelled under the wider Beaujolais appellation. Pierres Dorées identifies the estate's regional setting, and Beaujolais identifies the wine category on the bottle.
Wines to know
The range in view
The named red cuvée is Vieilles Vignes. It is a red Beaujolais made from one hectare of sixty-year-old vines and aged ten months in barrel. Vieilles Vignes describes the age of the vines; barrel ageing gives the wine contact with oak and oxygen. Oak can add spice and toast, while gradual oxygen exposure can soften tannin.