Cave du Château des Loges Les 3 Madones Beaujolais-Villages 2022 (France) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious Gamay from the Beaujolais-Villages appellation in France. It is featured in the theme exploring France's top wine regions in this weekend's February 1 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is readily available for purchase now.

It is produced by Cave du Château des Loges, a co-operative winery that was established in 1960 by a group of winemakers in the commune of Le Perréon, Beaujolais, who got together and purchased Château des Loges. Housed in the 19th century winery of Château des Loges, they produced their first wines the following year from 47 hectares of Beaujolais-Villages appellation fruit. Cave du Château des Loges continues to be located in the commune of Le Perréon, in the heart of Beaujolais, and has access to vines grown in very diverse terroirs in the Beaujolais-Villages appellation. Cave du Château des Loges is located on a slope between 250 and 800 metres above sea level, a privileged location which allows them to produce wines of high-quality. This area features a very specific terroir consisting of sandy soil resulting from the decomposition of its granite subsoil, creating sandy areas called "Greae". Moreover, by being situated in these sloping hills, the shallow and very stony soil forces the vine to draw minerals and nutrients from this lean terroir where the Gamay grape finds its favourite land.

Today, the co-operative has grown to nearly 150 members and 430 hectares of vines located in different Beaujolais appellations, including the various Beaujolais Crus, as well as different grape varieties beyond Gamay, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Viognier. Furthermore, many of these vineyards are certified HVE3 (High Environmental Value) - the highest level of French certification for environmental sustainability. HVE certification is completely voluntary, with the co-operative's approach to HVE based on the preservation of biodiversity, phytosanitary (reducing treatments), fertilization management, and water resource management. The co-operative is made up of passionate members and workers who work tirelessly to produce a high-quality harvest and craft wines to be enjoyed by all. Their values of solidarity, democracy, equality, fairness, transparency, and proximity distinguish co-operatives from other companies.

This particular wine is from their Les 3 Madones range - named after the 3 Madonnas that are situated in Perréon and Vaux-en-Beaujolais, who watch over the château and cave and protect their vineyards. This Beaujolais-Villages is 100% Gamay Noir that was grown (likely in Le Perréon) on granitic soils in a continental climate. It was vinified using the traditional Beaujolais method of semi-carbonic maceration, followed by ageing in stainless steel vat in order to preserve the crunchy fruit characters typical of wines from Beaujolais.

The 2022 growing season in Beaujolais began with a cold January, followed by a mild February. March had cool weather, which meant that the frosts of early April caused little damage. The rest of April and May was warm and dry, with successful flowering towards the end of May. The usual summer storm arrived in June and caused some hail damage, while July and August were fiercely sunny and warm with a high of 43.5°C (116°F) in early August. Despite light rains in June and August that helped offset the heat, yields were down by one-third (compared to 2021) due to drought and hail. Overall, quality was outstanding during harvest by the end of August, which resulted in aromatic, intense, and intrinsically balanced wines. From an excellent vintage, let's see how this 2022 Gamay from Beaujolais-Villages is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CAVE DU CHÂTEAU DES LOGES LES 3 MADONES BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES 2022 - AP, France (#38266) (XD) - $19.95
100% Gamay. The ripe, fresh, fragrant, and medium-high intensity nose is fruit forward with crunchy, mostly red and some black fruits, red currant, black cherry, cassis, and spice aromas with flecks of mineral. The dry, medium+ to medium-full bodied palate is ripe and fruity with black and red cherry, currant, cranberry, and spice flavours. It has fresh, lively, and well-structured acidity, while the impressively textured tannins have good weight and presence. Finely balanced with black cherry, cranberry, currant, and spice notes tapering to minerals on the somewhat grippy, youthful, and lengthy finish. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

A lovely Brouilly from this producer arrived in LCBO VINTAGES last October and is still available for purchase, while other wines by Cave du Château des Loges can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.