# Georges Descombes Régnié (2024)

- **Producer:** Georges Descombes
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Gamay
- **Region:** Beaujolais, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €24
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** raspberry, strawberry, cherry, violet, black pepper, smoke, forest floor, mushroom

## About this wine

Georges Descombes is a legendary figure in Beaujolais, often regarded as the unofficial fifth member of the historic Gang of Four. Inspired by tasting Marcel Lapierre's low-intervention Morgon in his youth, Georges took over his family's vineyards in 1988 and immediately converted them to organic and natural practices. Today, he farms about two hectares in the Régnié Cru, characterized by shallow, sandy pink granite soils. His patient approach to releasing wines sets him apart, allowing the wild nature of carbonic maceration and granitic minerality to harmonize beautifully in the bottle.

## Interesting facts

- Georges Descombes is celebrated as the unofficial fifth member of the legendary Beaujolais Gang of Four.
- The wine undergoes an exceptionally long, cool semi-carbonic maceration of up to 30 days.
- Farmed from just two hectares of shallow, sandy pink granite soils in the Régnié appellation.

## Food pairing

This light-to-medium-bodied red wine thrives alongside dishes that match its high acidity and delicate tannin structure. The vibrant acidity cuts through the richness of charcuterie and roasted meats, while the bright red fruit and granitic minerality complement earthy flavors like wild mushrooms and herbs.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for this Régnié is highly traditional and low-intervention. Grapes are harvested manually and undergo 100% whole-bunch, semi-carbonic maceration triggered exclusively by indigenous yeasts. Descombes utilizes a signature cold-soak maceration that is kept cool and extended for up to 30 days. The wine is vinified completely without added sulfur dioxide, commercial yeasts, or chaptalization. It is aged for approximately one year in a combination of neutral vats and large, old wooden foudres. Bottling occurs with a homeopathic dose of sulfur and a very light, non-sterile filtration.