Why it matters
The producer
Château de Lavernette works in Burgundy across a red Beaujolais-Leynes wine and a white Beaujolais Blanc. The range includes Beaujolais-Leynes Le Clos and Beaujolais Blanc, Les Vignes de la Roche. The latter is 100% Chardonnay. The property begins in 1596, when Philibert Bernard de Lavernette acquired it from the monks of Tournus.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The estate administratively sits in Saône-et-Loire, while its wines reach into the Beaujolais zone and Mâconnais. Leynes appears in the red wine's title. The Beaujolais Villages vineyard has sandy pink granite with minimal clay in the topsoil. Beaujolais-Leynes Le Clos carries graphite minerality through its finish.
Wines to know
The range in view
Two named wines define the range. Beaujolais-Leynes Le Clos is the red bottle, with dark fruit, spice, graphite minerality, a supple texture and mouth watering finish. Beaujolais Blanc, Les Vignes de la Roche is the white bottle and is 100% Chardonnay. It has fragrant white flowers, juicy white fruits and a lingering finish edged by mineral acidity.