Domaine Saint-Cyr is a family winery where the vines are organically cultivated, with complete respect for the environment and without using any fertilisers, herbicides, insecticides or compounds made from chemicals.

Raphaël Saint-Cyr is the fourth generation of the Saint-Cyr family and has been the driving force behind adapting the Domaine to the changing times, modifying the way of working to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly. In 1963 his great-grandfather had 13 hectares, which have now become a total of 27, all of which are certified organic vineyards.

The winery has some of the largest organic plots in Beaujolais, with the team working according to the principles of biodynamic agriculture and with minimal intervention. This results in an honest expression of the Gamay variety with a clear personality from the area it grows in.

A single-variety Gamay red wine produced in the A.O.C. Beaujolais on clay-limestone soils.

The grapes come from 70 year old vines planted on a single, South East facing plot on clay and limestone marls. Perfect for the Domain’s organic cultivation because it helps make the vines less prone to diseases and helps the grapes reach perfect ripeness.

The grapes are selected manually and undergo carbonic maceration for about 15 days. Alcoholic fermentation then takes place with native yeasts. The resulting wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and is then aged for around eight months in concrete tanks.

Supple and charming, the Beaujolais Terroir de Bellevue delivers notes of plums, cassis and cherries, followed by a medium-bodied, round and fleshy palate with an ample core of fruit, ripe acids and melting tannins.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate – 90 points

Supple and charming, the 2019 Beaujolais Terroir de Bellevue delivers notes of plums, cassis and cherries, followed by a medium-bodied, round and fleshy palate with an ample core of fruit, ripe acids and melting tannins.

As I wrote last year, Raphael Saint-Cyr has wholeheartedly embraced the goal of unabashed drinkability, a choice that’s apparent in all of these expressive, immediate wines. Working with minimal sulfur dioxide, this might not be Beaujolais built for the long haul, but since it’s so pleasurable on release, who is complaining? Certainly, Saint-Cyr is a dynamic force in the southern Beaujolais—something that’s sorely needed. His 2019 crus had yet to be bottled, so my reviews focus on his more immediate wines. I also revisited Saint-Cyr’s 2018 crus, finding them consistent with my notes published last year. These wines are still available in the marketplace.