Les Bariolés, Maceratino 2024

Producer: Les Bariolés – Claire Freist & Edoardo Veltroni
Region: Auvergne, France
Grapes: Gamay d’Auvergne, Beaujolais Gamay
Style: Red
Alc: 12.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: This is from a selection of their sites, at different heights, aspects, soils. Two weeks of wholebunch maceration, and then ageing in old barrels. A burst of aromatic fruit, with supple tannins. The finish is distinctly Auvergnat: full of salt and smoke.

Producer: Les Bariolés
Region: Auvergne, France
Grapes: 80% Gamay d’Auvergne (negociant), 20% Chardonnay Muscaté (own vines)
Style: Light Red
Alc: 12%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: Late frost damage meant a lot of crop losses for Claire and Edo in 2024, and like the other wines borne of this vintage, La Pigné is a blend of their Chardonnay Muscaté, direct pressed; with whole bunches of Gamay d’Auvergne from a local grower. The blended wine then ages for 7 months in stoneware jars. This is wonderfully aromatic on the nose, with vibrant red currant and cranberry-like acidity and a salty refreshing quality on the finish.

Producer: Les Bariolés
Region: Auvergne, France
Grapes: 50% Syrah and 25% Cinsault (negociant), 25% Chardonnay Muscaté (own vines)
Style: Red
Alc: 12%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: 2024 was a tricky vintage for the Auvergne: Claire and Edo lost about 90% of their crop to late frost, and a decision was taken to blend direct pressed Chardonnay Muscaté juice with some Syrah and Cinsault that they purchased from a grower in Larzac. This is full of brambly fruit, with stalky-green herbal notes, ending with a lovely twang of moreish acidity.

Producer: Les Bariolés – Claire Freist & Edoardo Veltroni
Region: Auvergne, France
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Style: Red
Alc: 12%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: From a plot planted in 2000 at about 550m, on shale, limestone, and marl. The grapes are macerated in whole bunches for about 2 weeks before ageing in old barrels. Distinctly pinot-y on the nose, there is some lovely bloody freshness on the palate, giving way to dense red currant fruit.

Producer: Les Bariolés – Claire Freist & Edoardo Veltroni
Region: Auvergne, France
Grapes: Chardonnay
Style: White
Alc: 11.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: From a south-facing plot planted in 1996 at about 500m on limestone, shale and marl. Slow direct pressing, followed by ageing in old fûts. In spite of the south-facing plot this is incredibly light on its feet, with a crystalline minerality that keeps you coming back for more. After a bit of time opening up there is some lovely delicate white peach and some nutty depth.

Producer: Les Bariolés
Region: Auvergne, France
Grapes: Ugni Blanc (negociant)
Style: White
Alc: 11.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: Claire and Edo’s take on Ugni Blanc, vinified in three ways: 1/3 direct pressed, 1/3 whole bunch maceration for a whole day, 1/3 macerated for a week before blending. Full of freshness, this has gentle zippy stone fruit notes, with a slight hint of spice and a snappy green finish! Sunshine in a bottle.

Producer: Les Bariolés – Claire Freist & Edoardo Veltroni
Region: Auvergne, France
Grapes: Chardonnay
Style: White
Alc: 12%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: From an east-facing plot planted in 2000 at about 500m on limestone and basalt. This sees slow direct pressing, before ageing about a year in old fûts. Not as dense and creamy as previous vintages, there’s a lot more fruit and jasmine notes up front, with some toasty depth as it opens up. Drinking lovely now, but could certainly be aged.

Producer: Les Bariolés – Claire Freist & Edoardo Veltroni
Region: Auvergne, France
Grapes: Gamay d’Auvergne, Gamay
Style: Red
Alc: 11.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: From two plots on different soils. This is macerated in whole bunches for 20 days in stainless steel tanks, before ageing on the fine lees in a mix of stoneware jars and demi-muids. This has the most fruit of their reds, but it’s still savoury and bloody. Reminiscent of Cru Beaujolais, this would age well.

Producer: Les Bariolés – Claire Freist & Edoardo Veltroni
Region: Auvergne, France
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Style: Red
Alc: 11.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: From a plot planted in 2000 at about 550m above sea-level. The grapes are macerated in whole bunches for about 2 weeks, and then aged on the lees in old barrels for a year. There’s a touch more tannin here than in La Boudeuse their other Pinot, making it more bloody and savoury. The time in barrel doesn’t dominate, and this would age very well indeed.