Cuvée Emile, 2023

Made only in the best years and named for one of Yann Bertrand's children: century-old Fleurie vines, with a splash of the white grape aligoté in the mix.

Red cherry, strawberry skin, rose petal and wet stone on a silky palate. Emile is a cuvée Yann Bertrand makes only in standout years, from a 0.8-hectare plot of 80- to 100-year-old vines on granitic sand in Fleurie. It is 90% Gamay with 10% Aligoté, a white grape. It is made like his Vieilles Vignes, by carbonic maceration (whole bunches fermenting inside their own skins), aged in old barrels, then held back at least an extra year before release. No sulphur added.