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In the north west corner of Beaujolais , past the village of Julienas and following the small winding roads along grey stony terrain, lies the small village of Jullie.
Continuing even further towards the top of the hills you will find the Domain of the Cotes de la Roche in the hamlet of Preau, close to Jullie.
Here Gerard and Joelle Descombes created their own vineyard in 1973. Their love of the vine came from their respective parents whose lives in the vineyards they shared from an early age.
Today their domain of 15.5hectare (38 acres) includes more than 8 hectare of Beaujolais Villages on the slopes overlooking the Chateau de la Roche. Over the years this has been augmented by prestigious appellations such as Chenas, Moulin –a-Vent, Julienas and St Amour.
The vines grow mainly on steepish slopes. Uniquely Gamay grapes, as required in the Beaujolais region, they are pruned in goblet style with five short stems. The youngest vines are 8 years old whilst the oldest are nearly 90 years old.
Finally, insecticide and chemical treatment are limited and carefully controlled. Mildew is combatted by applying powdered sulphur.
The wine is made at the domain where it is then bottled.
OUR WINES
The domain of the Cotes de la Roche covers 15.5 ha (38acres) of vines. In addition to the 8ha of Beaujolais Villages acquired next to the Chateau de la Roche holdings of Chenas, Moulin-a-Vent, Julienas and Saint- Amour have been added over the years.
The difference in soil, whether granitic, clay or sandy, accounts for the large variation in the flavours of these wines.These offer the possibility of satisfying everyone’s personal taste.
Beaujolais Villages: bouquet of red fruits (blackcurrants and strawberries)
Chenas : bouquet of woodland flowers
Julienas : bouquet of red fruits and peaches
Saint-Amour : bouquet of kirsch and spices
Moulin-a-Vent : bouquet of iris, roses, spices and red fruits
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REFERENCES
Our wines have regularly won awards at wine fairs and have been mentioned in the major wine guides such as Concours des vins de Macon, Guide Hachette des vins etc.
The ‘Domaine les Cotes de la Roche’ participates each year at the Salon du Vin et de la Biere at Dunkirk and also at la Foire aux Vins at Ethe in Belgium.
We welcome our British friends at these events.Come and see us there.
Every year,on the weekend after the third Thursday in November our cellars are open to all lovers of young wines to come and taste the new one accompanied by local goat`s cheese and charcuterie.
Guide Hachette des vins 2002
Guide Hachette des vins 2003
Burgondia d'or St Amour 2002
Médaille de bronze Saint Amour 2002 au
Concours des grands vins de France à Macon
Médaille de bronze Juliénas 2005 au
Concours des grands vins de France à Macon
Saint Amour 2005 sélectionné dans le
Guide hachette 2007
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HARVESTING THE GRAPES
September is clearly the high point of the year. It is only after toiling during the long months of winter and into the spring under the first rays of sun that the wineproducer will finally hope to see the fruits of his labour.
For many it is a rendez-vous they would not miss for the world. “One meets friends again from the four corners of France, reunited in Beaujolais at grape harvest time”.
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HARVESTING BY HAND
Each harvester, equipped with his precious pruning knife, works along the rows of vines selected for him by the overseer. Those to be least envied are the porters, who collect the grapes from the pickers and carry their heavy loads on their backs up the steep slopes to the collection points.
The poor quality grapes ( not ripe enough or rotten) are rejected and the harvested grapes are emptied into vats for the new vintage. Even whilst the famished workers are settling down to enjoy their evening meal the vinification has begun.
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VINIFICATION
The Domain of the Cotes de la Roche has recently been fitted out with brand new vats in a traditional building. Now completely reorganised it makes an ideal cellar. Cleanliness is the priority here for the winemaker. This is one of the best guarantees for the quality of his wines.
To stop fermentation the grapes are heated to between 25C and 30C in the vats. The young wine is tasted daily to judge the aromas and the tannins enabling the length of time it requires in the vat to be determined .This depends on the wine:
6 days for Beaujolais Villages
4 days for the Nouveau
This in order to release the aromas without them being overwhelmed by too much tannin. The better wines ( Julienas, Saint-Amour etc) stay in the vats for between 8 and 10 days.
The next step is the pressing of the grapes. This is the moment for the locals to gather and joyfully taste a glass of “Paradis” the new wine taken directly from the vat.
The work of the winemaker is far from over. Racking of the wine and controlling the secondary malolactic fermentation means that the wines need extra special attention during this period of its life.
The wines will reach maturity at their own pace. The Nouveau will take until November whereas the better wines will take all winter.
So a little bit of patience is required!
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OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
The Haut-Beaujolais is renowned for its delicate wines e.g. Beaujolais Villages, Saint-Amour, Julienas, Moulin-a-Vent. However this region is also a delight both for the lover of old / historical buildings and the keen hiker.
A few sightseeing suggestions in the immediate vicinity of Jullie are:
The Chateau of la Roche and its garden
The old family mansion below the Chateau and its lake (daily fishing permit available from April to October)
The Chapel of Vatre (12th Century) standing high on the hill.
None of these buildings are open to the public but are easily visible from the road.
Signposted footpaths of varying length and difficulty crisscross the surrounding area.
Further afield you will find:
The Romanesque church of St Jacques des Arrets is 5 miles away. Inside are painting by the Lyon painter Fusaro.
Ten miles away you can visit the Maison du Col de Crie and enjoy local Beaujolais products such as goat’s cheese, cooked meats and sausages, honey and jams.
Whilst in the area why not try the restaurant des Platanes at Chenas. Tel 03 85 36 79 80
If you are looking for somewhere to stay then you could try :
Jean Louis Bazin at la Gloriette ( a gite) in Jullie.
Tel 04 74 06 70 95
Or
Jean-Noel and Marie-Ange Chuzeville at les Thozets ( rural gite) in Germolles.
Tel 03 85 50 50 23
During your next visit to Beaujolais don’t hesitate to come and see us. Do give us a ring to let us know that you are coming.
Our cellar is open every day.
You can reach Joelle and Gerard Descombes
on 04 74 04 42 05
or on our mobile 06 83 10 49 88
or fax us on 04 74 04 48 04.
www.crusdubeaujolais.com