WSI93 Winemaker Notes: Lapalu’s Brouilly La Croix des Rameaux is made in the exact same way as the Cote de Brouiily. The only difference here is soils/terroir. Like the Cote de Brouilly, this is a deeper, darker profiled Gamay, but with close attention paid to managing extraction so the wine maintains lift and energy.
Jean-Claude Lapalu is revered for his commitment to naturally-farmed, naturally-produced Beaujolais in the southernmost Cru of Brouilly.
9 hectares scattered from Mont Brouilly to Lapalu’s home village of Saint-Etienne-la-Varenne, the “gateway to the Crus”, which is more influenced by the Mediterranean warmth than its northern neighbors. Lapalu’s patchwork of cuvées are a result of a curious mind, years of experimentation, and perpetually evolving tastes. Today he is more interested in elegance than extraction, and his collection of wines are lively, supple, sinuous and utterly delicious.