Domaine du Clos du Fief Juliénas Vieilles Vignes 2022
Domaine du Clos du Fief
Michel Tête's Clos du Fief has been a benchmark for serious Juliénas for decades, and this old-vine cuvée demonstrates why the cru deserves more attention. The concentration and structure here rival wines at three times the price. It's Beaujolais with backbone — a wine that opens a door to the region's potential for age-worthy, terroir-driven reds.
Nose
Intense dark cherry and crushed violet, with a savory undercurrent of iron and dried herbs. There's a stony minerality beneath the fruit, joined by hints of black pepper and a faint gamey quality that signals the old vines' depth.
Palate
Medium to full-bodied for Beaujolais, with concentrated cherry and berry fruit framed by fine-grained tannins. A streak of minerality runs through the mid-palate, and there's a floral lift — rose petal and violet — that adds elegance. The acidity is bright and driving.
Finish
Medium-long, with lingering cherry, violet, and a granite-like mineral persistence.
- Varietal
- Gamay Noir
- Blend
- 100% Gamay Noir
- Vineyards
- Vieilles Vignes parcels on granite and schist soils in Juliénas
- Alcohol
- 13.0%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
A traditional coq au vin, braised with Beaujolais, mushrooms, and pearl onions, creates a circular harmony with the wine — the dish's earthy richness and wine-braised depth mirror and amplify the Juliénas's dark cherry and savory character.
Michel Tête tends old Gamay vines planted on the granite and schist slopes of Juliénas, vinifying with minimal intervention and whole-cluster fermentation to produce some of Beaujolais's most structured and long-lived wines.
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