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 Following
the new generation of excellent Female winemakers in
Beaujolais (Anne-Sophie Dubois, Mee Godard, to
name just two) is Anita Kuhnel, a former
professional cyclist who launched her eponymous
domaine with the 2015 vintage.
The
winery is located in Chénas, a stone’s throw from
the Fleurie border and the renowned Poncié vineyard,
and today encompasses 18 hectares spread among the
crus of Chénas, Fleurie, Morgon, and Moulin-a-Vent.
The
ongoing renaissance of Beaujolais has been a joy to
behold. As more and more growers have adopted better
farming practices, more thoughtful approaches to
vinification, and an increased emphasis on
site-specific bottlings, the immense potential of
these bucolic hillsides has been unlocked to an
unprecedented extent.
At the forefront of this movement is Anita Kuhnel. Her
work in the cellar is precise and thoughtful. A
battalion of small cement tanks allows her to vinify
each parcel separately, according to its character
and its needs; nothing is performed by rote, and she
varies proportions of whole clusters, durations of
maceration, and percentages of oak barrels (from
Aloxe-Corton, and always used for at least three
years before purchase).
Anita’s
wines exude liveliness and vigor, capturing the
essence of Gamay grown in great sites, yet nearly
transcending the category in their incorporation of
fine, close-focus mineral elements. A sense of
subtlety and refinement permeates the lineup, yet
the wines read as direct, pure, and unpolished; they
are neither ultra-natural in feel nor clunkily
structured in a wannabe-Burgundy manner.
Furthermore, each wine in the lineup possesses a
distinct, strong, clearly articulated personality,
and taken as a whole they reflect an ideal great
winemakers hold sacrosanct: that of great
terroirs rendered with utmost sensitivity by an
intelligent human steward.
Renegade
has four of her wines to offer this week. Beautiful
individually, or as a 4-bottle bundle; the
highlight of an evening's tasting.
Let's
begin!
 2022
Domaine Anita Chénas Les Brureaux Cuvée Mon
P'Titt Co $38
“Cuvée
P’tit Co” comes from a 45-year-old parcel of Gamay
situated at 265 meters altitude in soils of pebbly
quartz.
This 100% whole
bunch Gamay has remarkable depth with beautiful ripe
dark berry fruit plus a deftly balanced richness and
a spicy tannic structure. Super inviting with an
extremely long finish that is other worldly. 2022
Domaine Anita Fleurie Poncié
The Poncie vineyard
is a special place, producing Fleurie that is both
precise and linear while still being elegant and
giving. Anita layers both whole cluster with
destemmed grapes for fermentation, then ages the
wine in concrete for six months. There's
an immediate since of incredible depth, waves of
minerality, unmatched verve for a Fleurie. Think of
the first act of The Blue Danube, the second act of
Giselle, finishing with the third act of a Swan
Lake.$38 This wine can Dance!  2022
Domaine Anita Morgon Château Gaillard
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Renegade
Wines - 805.568.1961 - http://www.renegadewines.com
