Manoir du Carra Villages Beaujolais Nouvea

Beaujolais Nouveau originated about a century ago as a ‘vin de l’année’ – a cheap and cheerful drink produced by locals to celebrate the end of the harvest season. The Beaujolais AOC was established in 1937, and after WWII, the wine was sold outside of the area. By the 1970’s, Beaujolais Nouveau day was a national event.

The region of Beaujolais is 34 miles long from north to south, and 7 to 9 miles wide. There are nearly 4,000 grape growers who make their living in this picturesque region just north of France’s third largest city, Lyon.

The Gamay grapes that go into Beaujolais Nouveau are handpicked, as are all the grapes in the Beaujolais. Beaujolais & Champagne are the only vineyards where hand harvesting is mandatory. Gamay (Gamay noir Jus Blanc) is the only grape permitted for Beaujolais.

Beaujolais Nouveau cannot be made from grapes grown in the 10 crus (great growths) of Beaujolais; only from grapes coming from the appellations of Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages. Approximately 1/3 of the entire crop of the Beaujolais region is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau.

Nouveau is made with carbonic maceration, or whole-berry fermentation. This technique preserves the fresh, fruity quality of the grapes without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins.

The Beaujolais Villages Nouveau is deeper red, with flavors reminiscent of strawberries and roses, plus a mineral component. Fragrant and medium bodied; refreshing with a tart finish. Beaujolais Villages Nouveau is meant to be consumed young, within 5-7 months.

Domaine Manoir du Carra is located in the small town of Denice, south of Burgundy and in the heart of the Beaujolais area. The property dates back to 1850 and has been bequeathed from father to son for several generations. It is now owned by Jean-Noël Sambardier and his wife.

In 1918, Jean-Marie Sambardier entered the Domaine as a winemaker. Assisted by his son Jean, they worked together to develop the vineyard. In 1962, Jean Sambardier decided to buy the entire farm to start his own production and diversify the appellations, thus forming Manoir du Carra. In 1972, Jean-Noël Sambardier took over the Domaine. Jean-Frederic, his eldest son, joined him in 1999, after experiencing winemaking and distributing in the United States. His other son, Damien, joined them in 2000, after having made many great wines at Domaine Laroche in Chablis. Frederic & Damien now manage day-to-day operations at the estate, with Damien as the winemaker and Frederic managing commercialization.