The 2022 Château des Tours Brouilly is a wine that embraces the generosity of its vintage while holding tightly to its mineral heart. Grown on the pink granite and sandy soils that define this southern cru, the wine speaks with both energy and ease. It is Gamay at its most articulate — supple, lifted, and unforced — offering a vivid snapshot of site and season without ornament or overreach.
In the glass, it shows a bright ruby hue, vibrant at the rim, youthful and clear. The aromatics arrive with immediacy and charm. Fresh raspberry, wild strawberry and red cherry form the fruit core, open and juicy but never jammy. There is a lifted floral top note, all violets and peony, followed by a subtle earthy character that smells like sun-warmed stone and crushed herbs. A faint spice note — something between white pepper and clove — adds quiet detail. The nose is expressive but composed, showing purity rather than power.
On the palate, the wine is fluid and finely balanced. It enters with a wash of red fruit — cherry, cranberry, redcurrant — supported by bright acidity that keeps everything crisp and focused. The texture is smooth but not soft, with tannins that are gently grippy, like the feel of a suede glove. There is a mineral undertow here, a subtle but persistent granitic edge that gives the wine tension and drive. It carries its fruit with clarity, never slipping into sweetness, and finishes with a savoury flicker of dried herb and stone.
The 2022 vintage brings ripeness, but the wine holds its line beautifully. There is flesh, but also lift. The fruit feels sun-kissed but not overripe. It is a wine that reflects its place honestly, with Brouilly’s slightly warmer character on show, but framed by the freshness that makes Gamay so compelling in the first place.
This is a wine that thrives at the table. Serve it with grilled sausages and mustard, roast chicken with tarragon, or a lentil and beetroot salad with goat cheese. It is equally at home with a wedge of Tomme de Savoie or a lightly aged Saint-Marcellin. Serve it slightly chilled — not cold — in a medium-sized glass that allows the aromatics to shine. No need to decant, but give it a few minutes to stretch out once opened.
The 2022 Château des Tours Brouilly is a wine of charm and substance. It delivers fruit with clarity, structure without weight, and a sense of place that feels effortless. In a region that too often gets typecast as light and cheerful, this bottle offers something more rooted and real. A wine that reminds you how expressive Gamay can be when given the right site and the right touch. Honest, vivid, and quietly satisfying.
