Description

Pizay is classic Beaujolais. Light, fresh, tart, red-fruited and easy going. Serve it chilled in summer, room temperature in winter and enjoy it for the simplicity. Drink it until the next vintage arrives then switch.

Made from 45-year-old bush vines which produce tiny crops. The grapes go through the traditional carbonic maceration method and then one quarter is aged in barrels of varying size. The wine is generous of flavour with a light and racy palate. Red and black fruits are evident with plenty of rose petal and floral notes. Hints of more savoury spice and earth can be found at the edges. I’d drink this wine now with rabbit, charcuterie or fresh fruit

Chateau de Pizay Beaujolais 2020, and all wines are eligible for at least 5% off any six bottles. And 10% off any 12 bottles. Some wines will be at a more significant discount and not subject to further discounts.

The Chateau de Pizay dates back to 1030. It is near Morgon and the famous Cote du Py is just to the west. The Chateau is now a hotel, but the vines are still made into great Beaujolais. They have 82 hectares planted to vines. They are found in the Beajolais AOC, Morgon, Brouilly, and Regnie.

Pizay undertakes traditional production, fermenting in cement tanks, and the Cru wines can be aged in oak.

Chateau de Pizay Beaujolais 2020 Wine Review

Jancis Robinson

“Chateau de Pizay Beaujolais is ridiculously cheap for the amount of pleasure it gives. This crimson draught of summer is fresh and direct and with real Beaujolais character plus both refreshment and body. This is the sort of wine that is hugely versatile in terms of serving temperature. You can enjoy it at room temperature or you can stick it in the fridge and take it, heavily chilled, on a picnic.”

Beaujolais

Most famous for aromatic, light of body, high acid reds made from the Gamay variety. There is a Burgundian sensibility on Rhone soil types which makes for an exciting style. The quality wines are refreshingly tart with aromatic complexity and enough fruit weight to balance out the tartness. You do have the option of cellaring your quality Beaujolais, but often it is not required. The best wines are from the 10 Crus of the region with the lesser appellations being akin to an ocean in more ways than one. Whites from Chardonnay are available but hard to find.

Gamay

Grown in the French regions of Beaujolais and Loire Valley. It is early budding, high cropping, aromatic and high acid. It was outlawed from Burgundy by Duke Philippe the Bold for being disloyal. But has no doubt made up for that with honourable service. The best wines from Gamay can be Burgundian in flavour and well worth seeking out. Often they are exceptionally good value too.

French Wine

The land that so many New World (not European) wine producers look to emulate. To generalise about French wine, I would say it is savoury, lighter-bodied wines. They are the definition of elegant, complex. There are many styles, though. And there is a French wine for every palate. They lead the world in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy. Sparkling Wine in Champagne. Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux. Syrah(Shiraz) and Grenache in the Rhone Valley. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris in Alsace. Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley. Gamay in Beaujolais.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

Red Wine

Fun fact; most of the colour for wines comes from the skins. There are only a handful of grapes that have red juice. Alicante is the most well known of these grapes.

By macerating the juice on the skins, the wine gains tannins, and flavours. Certain compounds change the chemistry of the wine too.

Red wines tend to have higher alcohol. More tannin and more oak flavours compared to other styles of wine. But the thousands of grapes and terroirs they grow in influence this.

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.